PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The moment West Linn head coach Jon Eagle first saw freshman Josiah Molden is etched into his brain.
“I was a brand-new coach here, and we were doing some summer workouts, and I saw this kid flash, like, ‘Whoa, who’s that? Who’s that kid over there?’ And the coaches started laughing like, ‘He’s a 7th-grader,’” recalled Eagle.
Molden hasn’t stopped turning heads since.
In fact, before he even suited up for the Lions, he got his first scholarship offer from Oregon, where his dad, Alex, was one of the best corners ever to come out of that program.
His mom had told him to expect a call that day, but he had no idea who was calling or why.
“I could not believe it. I thought it was fake at first,” said Josiah. “I said, ‘Are you serious? Like is this a joke?’”
Offers came quickly from Oregon State and UW next.
So, it’s not surprising that in his first year with the reigning state champions, Josiah is already starting at corner.
“It was my dream because I knew my brother started as a freshman on varsity, so I want to be like him,” said Josiah of other brother Elijah, who is now a corner on the Tennessee Titans. “He’s a role model for me.”
Achieving that feat, though, means that Josiah certainly has a target on his back.
“I have to have a different mindset than everyone else, and I just have to be different because I know they are going to test me,” said Josiah. “They’re going to see that I’m young. They’re going to see that I’m a little bit littler than everyone else.”
So far, it hasn’t been a problem.
In fact, there is chatter that he could achieve something that is extremely rare.
When asked how many other freshmen he has coached who had a shot in their first season of being All-State, Eagle, who has won 3 state championships as a head coach, answered very succinctly.
“I would say none. None. None.”
But even with his other-worldly talent, there’s still laws of the land Josiah has to follow in the Molden household.
They only let their sons play defense their freshmen year.
“I was telling my coaches, like, ‘Hey, maybe tell my mom it’s OK for me to play offense.’ But she’s, I don’t know. I have to keep following that rule.”
All that means is be prepared to hear Josiah Molden’s name even more in years ahead.
