Tanner’s record goalscorer signs with Martin Methodist
Published 10:30 am Saturday, April 29, 2017
- Tanner senior Jose Moreno signs a scholarship to play with Martin Methodist in Pulaski, Tennessee. With Moreno are his mother, Ana Gonzalez, and father, Jose Moreno Sr.
Jose Moreno has a knack for scoring goals when it matters most.
The Tanner senior caught the eye of college scouts after having a goal and an assist at the state tournament last year, then followed that up by taking MVP honors at the North-South All-Star game over the summer.
The Tanner striker netted six goals while playing in a tournament at Martin Methodist, which caused the coaching staff to offer Moreno a scholarship with the Redhawks. He signed with the school at a ceremony in Tanner’s library Friday afternoon.
Moreno is having another solid season with the Rattlers, who will host Elkmont Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the first round of the 1-3A playoffs. Moreno now has a school record 117 goals and 73 assists in his career.
“I think our new area was a little more competitive, but I can’t wait for the playoffs,” said Moreno. “We lost to (Elkmont) the first game, then tied them. I think we should have a good crowd. It should be a good game.”
Moreno leads the team with 35 goals and 26 assists this season. His 35 goals are once again one of the hgest tallies in the state, but the number of assists are what has allowed Tanner to win its area for the second straight season.
“We lost some players last year, so I had to be more of a facilitator on this team,” said Moreno. “I’ve played more of a midfielder instead of a striker, so that’s what I had more assists this year.”
Representing one of the smallest school at the North-South all-star game, Moreno led his team with two goals and was named the North MVP. Last May, Moreno led Tanner to its first state soccer tournament appearance, losing to Altamont in the 1A-3A semifinals.
Moreno was one of the state’s leading goalscorers in 2016, which played a big roll in him being one of only two players from a Class 2A school to make the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-State team. Moreno’s 40 goals were the most of any player in any classification on that all-state team. He also had 12 assists for the Rattlers last year.
As a freshman, Moreno immediately became one of Tanner’s top scoring threats. He scored 19 goals in his freshman season and 16 during his sophomore campaign before more than doubling that in 2016 as a junior. He recently was selected for an elite Huntsville under-19 soccer club, following a tryout earlier this month.
