Former Moose Jaw FC and Vanier Spirits standout Molly Morris signed with the Medicine Hat Rattlers of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Association earlier this month, a move that continues a string of local college signings dating back to this summer.
“I think we’re slowly getting to that point where most of our athletes who come out of our Moose Jaw FC program, when they’re finishing high school they’re in a position where they can get a scholarship or an opportunity to play post-secondary,” said MJSA technical director Jordan Jeffery. “This is another example of that being the case and it’s exciting for Molly that she’s going to have this opportunity to play at this higher level.”
In addition to her solid play with Moose Jaw FC throughout her career, Morris was a key contributor to Vanier’s gold medal win at the high school provincial 4A soccer championships in 2019 and would have been a leader on the same squad had there been soccer this fall.
As it stands, the Rattlers aren’t only getting a player with a winning pedigree, they’re also landing someone who can pretty much do it all from her position.
“She can do the defensive side, the attacking side and the stuff in between,” lauded Jeffery. “She’s very good at passing, breaking the lines, defending, understanding where to close off space and the passing lanes for the opposition… very much an all-action type midfielder and I think she’s going to thrive going in against some higher-level players, which will only help her develop as a player.”
Morris isn’t the only member of her family to play at the post secondary level, as older sister Jane -- herself a former leader with the Spirits in high school -- is currently in her second year with the University of Manitoba Bisons.
Moose Jaw soccer also saw six players sign with the ACAC men’s program in Lac La Biche this past June, in addition to Swift Current’s Felix Danqua, who trains locally, joining the Rattlers men’s team.
When it comes to players moving on to higher levels, more is always better.
“That’s always the goal,” Jeffery said. “If we’re in a situation where people are willing to commit to our sport for a number of years prior to graduating, we need to make sure they’re in a position when they do graduate they can go play somewhere else and we’re fortunate to see more players getting that opportunity all the time.”
