Senior displays athletic versatility

With the regular season almost wrapped up, senior Griffin Schmidt looks to help his team capture another championship. Schmidt has never played tackle football befor e this season, but has played other sports such as soccer, basketball and baseball.

One of the main reason Schmidt joined the team is that his parents gave him a choice of how to fill his free time.

“I joined football because my parents gave me the choice of either joining football or getting a job, and I chose football,” Schmidt said. “I play wide receiver and cornerback and I love both of those positions. On offense, I get to score touchdowns, and on defense, I get to hit people.”

One of Schmidt’s favorite memory so far has been their victory over Orcutt High School.

“My favorite part of football so far is when we play in competitive games,” Schmidt continued. “In those games we know we have to play our hardest and make as little errors as possible. My favorite memory so far has been beating Orcutt High School. It was a big game for us because we knew they were good and we played a good game to come up on top.”

Griffin’s father Adam Schmidt wanted his son to join football for many reasons, one of which was to occupy his summer.

“I think it was a combination of things,” Adam said. “One was wanting to try a new sport with his friends that were already playing football. He finally gave in to the coaches who have been trying to get him to play for the last 3 years, and of course, I think many have heard he was given the choice over the summer to either play football or get a job. My favorite part of the season has been seeing his smile when we meet for the post-game prayer.”

The football team has felt Griffin’s presence due to his knowledge and ability to see the game. Coach Mike Zamarripa appreciates how hard Griffin plays every day.

“Griffin is a unique kid because of his size and speed,” Zamarripa said. “His ability to track down the football both on offense and defense is incredible; he always knows where the ball is at. Griffin is a great leader, he is always playing his hardest. Every game he is giving us his best effort and that is a quality skill that he has.”

Teammate Andrew Moore, ‘21, enjoys playing with Griffin and being able to learn more about the game through him.

“Griffin is a great teammate for his spirit,” Moorse said. “He brings an extra amount of fun to the sport, both on the field and during practice. He’s also an awesome teammate because I learn a lot for him. After the Mission Prep game, I remember him coming up to me and saying, ‘Hey don’t worry bro, we’ll get them next time alright? Next time we’ll come out on top!’ And for me hearing that it just encouraged me a lot personally. So I both learn and grow with Griffin on this team. He’s just a great friend and a fun guy to be around.”

Besides playing football, Schmidt also plays basketball and baseball. Longtime teammate Ronnie Peterson, ‘19, has played both sports with him. Peterson appreciates Griffin’s work ethic.

“I’ve known Griffin since the fourth grade,“ Peterson said. “We have played baseball together since the seventh grade. I enjoy having Griffin as a teammate because how reliable he is in baseball. You can always trust him to catch the ball or get a clutch hit. He is also more than just a teammate, he is also one of my closest friends. He is fun to be around because of his sense of humor.”

Other than sports, Griffin has been part of the leadership class all four years and has been the ASB Treasurer for the past three. He is still undecided where to attend college.

For more football related articles, read Richie Cortez interviews Darrin Williams on FC football and Football squad aims for 4th consecutive championship.

John Monke can be reached via email and Twitter.