MICHAEL VOSS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Sometimes the lure of home outweighs even the best of adventures far away. Despite success on the football field in California, Moanalua alumnus Jason-Matthew Sharsh decided home really is where the heart is.
After three years away, Sharsh, a 2015 Moanalua graduate, walked onto the field at the University of Hawaii at Manoa this past summer, and walked off with a wide receiver position and a scholarship.
“It has been fun so far, and I’m trying to make the most out of every opportunity I can get at UH,” Sharsh said of his position UH. “Plus, playing at such a high level has helped me become a better player all around. We have such a good group here, in coaches and players, it makes it so much more enjoyable.”
The move from Santa Barbara City College Vaquero to UH Warrior came after an ankle injury sidelined him in his sophomore season. At Santa Barbara, Sharsh was the team’s offensive Most Valuable Player as a freshman, catching 22 passes for 426 yards and six touchdowns. He improved on those numbers the following season with 46 catches and seven touchdowns. He added the role of punt returner as well.
So to say that suffering an injury after all that was a setback would be an understatement. It certainly was enough to make the six-foot Sharsh rethink his playing options.
He said during that time, UH football Head Coach Nick Rolovich “reached out to him” at SBCC.
“After talking to Coach Rolovich, I decided that the best thing to do was to come back home,” Sharsh said. “I wanted to play in front of my family and friends.”
The gamble paid off. After months of drills and scrimmages over the summer, Rolovich offered him a scholarship, one of 85 allowed for Division I teams.
Sharsh cited his work ethic and competitive drive as factors in his ability to play for the Warriors as a redshirt junior this year.
“Being coachable is extremely important here at UH,” Sharsh said.
Rolovich said he was impressed with Sharsh’s commitment to the team.
“Jason came into the program very quietly and started showing people with his work ethic and passion,” Rolovich said in an email. “Slowly, people began to notice him more and more.”
Sharsh knows that success comes from hard work and determination, as demonstrated by his time at Moanalua. Jason lettered three years in football, and was a two-time all-league and all-state receiver. As a senior, he caught 58 receptions for 925 yards and nine touchdowns. It was also in his senior year when he made 12 catches for 300 yards receiving and a touchdown in a game against Kaiser, a performance that ranks as the fifth best performance in Hawaii high school history.
Current Moanalua running backs and receivers coach Jon-Michael Sharsh, Jason’s older brother, said they played and trained together growing up. Jason would learn from his mistakes. Now, the elder Sharsh is confident about his younger brother’s future at UH.
“Jason knows all the offensive receiver positions, and his sure-handed route running is key to his success,” said Jon-Michael. “He’s not scared of the limelight. He will makes the plays when the time comes.”
Menehune Head Coach Savi’i Eselu, who was an assistant coach when Sharsh was at Moanalua agreed with Jon-Michael.
“Besides his advanced football IQ, route-running and catching ability, . . .his work ethic and attention to detail is what made me believe that he was ready for college ball,” Eselu said. “Rarely do you see that type of laser focus at the high school level.”
Rolovich said Sharsh’s character was his most defining feature, and it was a factor in his decision to award Sharsh a scholarship.
“Consistency, desire, and trustworth[iness] were some of the qualities that everyone would use to describe Sharsh. It had nothing to do with his athletic ability. It had everything to do with who he is as a person,” he said.
Looking at the accomplishments as big brother, the elder Sharsh said he is “super grateful and excited he was able to come home and play at a DI school.”
Eselu noted that “It's easy to get "wowed" with all the bells and whistles, especially now at the D-I level. But I'm so glad he hasn't changed his work ethic and attitude throughout his time playing college ball and now at UH.”