Genesee-Colton football co-op opens with win

Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette | Sep 03, 20200

COLTON–The cross-state addition of Colton students to the Genesee High School football team began with a 30-24 home win over Timberline Aug. 28.

Quarterback Angus Jordan, a Colton sophomore, threw for a 61-yard touchdown with under a minute left to seal the game. He threw four touchdown passes on the night. Genesee trailed 18-6 at halftime.

The WIAA (Washington Interscholastic Activities Association) sanctioned the merger in April, after Colton proved not to have enough players for its own eight-man team.

“We love it,” said Colton junior center/defensive end Jaxon Moehrle before the season opener, eight miles from home. “It’s been a lot of fun. We’re just happy to have a team. As much as we’d like to have our own, this is how it’s gonna be, for now.”

Joining Genesee are five Colton players – a sixth one happened to move to Genesee earlier this summer, freshman Joe Johnson, who played with Colton last year as an eighth-grader.

Four Colton kids start for the Idaho I-A Bulldogs, including Moehrle, Jordan at quarterback, Johnson at left guard and sophomore Wyatt Jordan – Angus’ twin brother – at middle linebacker. Grant Wolf, another sophomore, starts at noseguard.

Colton junior Dalton McCann plays at safety/receiver.

Last year, Moehrle earned honorable mention all-state playing right guard on Colton’s offensive line.

Jaxon’s father Jim Moehrle, Colton’s athletic director, started to work on the co-op last December. Moehrle’s freshman year at Colton was the last year the Wildcats played 11-man football in 1984.