File photo by Ari Selvey Springfield’s Aiden Moriarty has been selected as the 2025 All-Journal Football Defensive Player of the Year.

SPRINGFIELD – Versatility is the name of the game when it comes to Springfield junior defender Aiden Moriarty.

The 6-3, 240-pound defender was the key to a Tigers defense that was able to mix up its looks from game to game and snap to snap.

“I’m able to make us a little more versatile and show different looks,” Moriarty said. “Especially with the guys around me being able to play multiple positions as well, that makes it difficult to prepare for us. You don’t know what’s coming at you each week, we can change it up, and that’s all thanks to our coaches and the guys around me.”

Moriarty lined up at defensive end, defensive tackle, middle and outside linebacker for Springfield, and defenses always had to know where he was at. Not only was Moriarty able to play these positions, but he excelled, racking up 98 tackles, five of them for loss, and half a sack while forcing three fumbles and recovering three more, returning one for a touchdown, helping Springfield to a 9-1 record and section championship appearance. For his play this season, Moriarty has been unanimously selected as the 2025 All-Journal Football Defensive Player of the Year, as voted on by The Journal sports staff.

“It’s super exciting,” Moriarty said. “We know we have a great defense and a great team. None of this is possible without everybody doing their job. I’m super excited about it.”

Moriarty’s flexibility is something he has been working on this season, adding more snaps at linebacker this year than previous ones. That versatility allows the whole defense to function at a more complex level, making it harder for opposing offenses to operate.

“I think it’s just a lot of experience and a lot of good leaders from the past showing me the ropes,” Moriarty said. “Then being able to practice at linebacker but go back to the D-line from that past experience that I have and the opportunities I’ve been able to have … It brings a ton of versatility to the whole defense. We have great players on the D-line and at linebackers that can play without me. When I can roam around and do what coach feels is right, it throws a curveball for other teams.”

Moriarty has also developed his quickness and strength, making him a defender with size and speed that offenses needed to pay attention to, along with and understanding the game.

“Learning the game and having a better feel for what other teams are going to do on offense,” he said.

Moriarty said that he felt more teams putting an emphasis on slowing him down this season, but accepted his role in those games, helping his teammates make plays around him.

“I felt that,” he said. “But we had a lot of other kids that can dominate as well. We had D-linemen that you have to double team them as well, otherwise they’re going to make the play on you. I could feel that a little bit, but our team did a great job executing when that happened.

“I just have to keep working. I know I still want to make plays, regardless of who’s blocking me and whether they’re running or passing, I still want to make plays. Just requires a little determination to get there. We’ve got a good gameplan coming into games we fell, and we just have to execute that.”

Even so, Moriarty’s impact earned him his second All-District selection in his three years starting. Moriarty isn’t finished improving, either, and hopes to become even more disruptive next season.

“I think I can definitely become more explosive and faster and quicker,” Moriarty said. “That’s a big focus for me right now in the offseason. I want to work on my speed a little bit, and then just always strength, being able to run through guys. As a team, just continue to grow. Put weight on and work on our game, work on our physical ability outside of the season.”