Oregon commit QB Luke Moga locked in on Sunnyslope football after making splash on track
After leaving his mark on the track, going neck and neck with defending Division I 100-meter champion Blaise Nelson in a photo-finish at last Saturday's divisional championships, Luke Moga hung up the spikes for good.
He won't be racing in this weekend's first Open state track and field championship at Mesa Community College, so he can help Phoenix Sunnyslope football teammates get seen by college coaches, who will converge at Legacy Park on Friday when 50 or so teams will be part of the big Arizona High School Football Coaches Association Spring Showcase.
It's the biggest spring showcase in the state, a one-stop shop for college coaches, who don't have to fight Valley traffic in the late afternoon to get from one high school to another to seek out football gems in their recruiting travels.
Moga could have tried to get revenge against Nelson, a Northern Arizona-bound football player from Valley Vista, in the 100 at state on Friday and Saturday. Nelson was awarded the win by milliseconds after both hit the finish at 10.50 seconds in last week's division championships.
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But Moga, a junior football player first, thought of his football team, which has a chance to make the 2023 season special with a real shot at a 5A title. But the Vikings aren't going anywhere without their quarterback Moga and his speed, arm and leadership.
"Track is a brutal sport but this comes first and my track coaches know that," Moga said during a spring football practice Tuesday. "That (showcase) will be fun for some of our other guys to get looks, and I'm excited to help them out with that."
Moga, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, has had waves of Power 5 offers since the end of his sophomore football season last year, which saw him pass for 2,258 yards and 26 touchdowns and run for 539 yards and five TDs. Sunnyslope went 6-5, including an eye-popping 23-20 win over Scottsdale Desert Mountain late in the season. In that game, Moga passed for 159 yards and a score and ran for 57 yards on four carries.
He recently announced his college commitment to Oregon.
"They have a great Arizona pipeline up there," Moga said. "Every time I've been up there, it's like family. I'm going to get there early. I'm going to graduate in December. I'll get up there and compete. From the times I've been there, it felt like a family environment and someplace I can definitely transition quickly."
Moga has never lacked confidence. And he's as competitive as any high school athlete out there, something he got from his parents. His father played cornerback in football at the University of Kentucky. His sister Brynn starred in soccer at Sunnyslope and played at the University of Arizona.
"I have a lot of confidence but my parents grounded into me that I have to be humble, too," Moga said. "It's confidence, not cockiness. I want to help my teammats out. It's a big reason I stayed here, my neighborhood school. Both of my sisters went through here. And I want to give my teammates opportunities, too."
Moga might be closest to his linemen, led by Jacob Jenners (6-2, 240) and Jacob Harkins (6-2, 270), who will also be seniors in the fall. They have Division I college potential with coaches coming through to see them, as well as other Vikings, who comprise one of the best 2024 classes for football in school history.
Moga will have four quality receivers to throw to: Dillion Dwiggins, Chris Castillo, Kenyon Clark and Deven Broady. And running back John Sing can catch passes out of the backfield.
Coach Sam Jacobs knew Moga's recruiting would take off.
"It was a matter of getting enough reps, and coaches to go, 'Oh, he can play quarterbacks, too,' " Jacobs said. "He's grown and he's going to keep growing. He works super hard. The sky is the limit for him. He's as fast as can be."
But Jacobs wants to use that speed carefully to make sure Moga doesn't get too banged up.
"He's the fastest kid on the field, so how do you not capitalize on that?" Jacobs said. "We'll find our spots for him to take off."
Jenners and Harkins will lead the way on the line. Both are big and athletic and tough.
"I think we're going to be pretty dominant (in the line) this year," Jenners said. "A lot of returning seniors. We really have one kid who is not but he's a pretty good player. I'm excited."
Harkins said there will be a lot more size up front this year, which will help with the run game.
"The last week and a half have been the best practices we've had at Slope," Harkins said.
Jenners said he always knew Moga could run. But to go 10.50 in his final track meet of his career?
"He's so fun to watch," Jenners said.
Moga said he had natural speed, but credited his track coach Tawnie Martin for making him even faster.
"She has really gotten me a lot faster," Moga said. "She knows what she is doing. Football is speed. That's the way it's going. I want to maintain that and get faster."
Moga has lofty personal goals, such as 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. But the main goal is to lead Sunnyslope to the playoffs and make a run.
"Whatever it takes to win," he said. "The goal is to make a playoff run for Slope. We haven't won a playoff game in 10 years. Whatever it takes, I'm doing that."
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: QB Luke Moga locked in on Sunnyslope football after track splash
