Matt Robinson may only be entering his senior year of high school, but he knows full well about top-notch athletic facilities. If all goes according to plan, the JSerra Catholic High quarterback will enjoy elite amenities for the foreseeable future.
JSerra, one of the premier Catholic prep schools in the country, boasts some of the top high school facilities in the always-competitive Trinity League. JSerra has a $40 million athletic complex that occupies 29 acres adjacent to the school campus. The building features a 2,000-seat gymnasium, an Olympic class swimming pool and various indoor fields and courts ranging from football to rugby to lacrosse to tennis to basketball.
Robinson has made the most of using those facilities, turning himself into the Trinity League’s first-team all-conference signal caller as a junior last fall. During practices this past spring, Montana wide receivers coach Mike Ferriter saw Robinson perform first hand. He liked the mobile, strong-armed teenager enough to invite Robinson to UM’s individual camp.
Once Montana third-year head coach Bob Stitt saw Robinson, he envisioned his potential quarterback of the future. Once Robinson saw Montana’s high-level facilities — from Washington-Grizzly Stadium to the new academic center to the Champions Center currently being erected — he knew Montana was the place for him.
JSerra QB Matt Robinson/ contributed
The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder gave his verbal commitment to Stitt and his staff shortly after being offered a scholarship. Robinson, who announced his commitment on June 23, chose Montana over offers from Florida International and Coastal Carolina. The three-star recruit also had interest from Arizona State, Oregon and Washington.
“First is probably just the coaching staff,” Robinson said on why he committed to Montana. “I like Coach Stitt and the staff a whole lot. Also, I like the area and the football tradition Montana has, great stadium, all that stuff.”
Robinson came to Missoula with his father, Jeoff Robinson, who also left impressed with Montana’s college town atmosphere and rich football tradition. The Robinsons took a campus tour and checked out the stadium with Stitt and UM quarterbacks coach Andrew Selle before the individual camp began.
“Montana is a pretty special place,” Robinson said. “I like it a lot. Missoula is a good college town. The stadium is better than most Mountain West stadiums. You can’t go wrong. I’m excited to go there and play there.”
As a junior, Robinson was one of the top gunslingers in one of the top leagues in California. Hew threw for 2,053 yards and 20 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He also rushed for 459 yards and five touchdowns.
“Leadership and my ability to throw and also escape and run are my strengths,” Robinson said. “I’m pass-first but if a play breaks down, I can extend a play and hit a guy deep or take off and run it.”
Despite Robinson’s standout performance, JSerra struggled down the stretch against some of the most prominent football programs in the country. Robinson threw for 158 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 71 yards and another score in the Lions’ 27-21 win over Santa Margarita to push JSerra’s record to 5-3. But reigning national champion St. John Bosco Prep pounded the Lions 47-19 to start a three-game losing streak to end the season. The losing streak also included a 59-7 loss at Mater Dei and a 55-24 lost at Corona Centennial in the southern section of the CIF playoffs to cap a 5-6 season.
JSerra QB Matt Robinson
Still, Robinson garnered the respect of his peers and respective coaches by guiding an offense that averaged 26.4 points and 338 yards per game. The Lions run some run-pass option and prevalently line up in the spread, very much like the offense Stitt has installed at Montana.
“The offense, Coach Stitt is a great offensive mind,” Robinson said. “I knew the offense would be a great fit for me too. I’ve been running a lot of the same stuff at my high school.
“They throw it a lot. I think we are going to throw it a lot this year at JSerra too. If you go to a place where they throw it a lot, that’s always good for the quarterback.”
Robinson acknowledged his commitment lifted a weight from his shoulders as he prepares for his senior season. He’s confident the Lions can make a run at the Trinity League title and that’s his primary focus for the coming months. He hasn’t contemplated what he will study at Montana, yet he’s thrilled he will spend his collegiate career in the Garden City.
“It’s pretty special and it’s always been a dream of mine to play college football at a big-time place,” Robinson said. “Montana is pretty big-time so I’m pretty happy. I’m looking forward to my time there.”
Photos courtesy of Robinson family. All Rights Reserved.
