All-Valley Football Player of the Year: Orem’s Moala dominates on star-studded team
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- Orem’s Lopeti Moala celebrates after making a tackle for loss against Lone Peak on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025.
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- Orem’s Lopeti Moala (91) rushes at Timpview’s Ian Aloisio in a 5A football state second round game on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.
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- Orem’s Easton Kojima (44) celebrates scoring a touchdown with teammate Lopeti Moala in a 5A football state second round game against Timpview on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.
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- Orem captains (from left) Lopeti Moala, Aisa Galea’i, Tayden Ka’awa and Kaue Akana take the field for the coin toss before a 5A football state quarterfinal game against Woods Cross on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.
Coming from a team where several athletes could legitimately claimed the Daily Herald’s All-Valley Player of the Year honor, Orem defensive lineman Lopeti Moala rose above the rest.
Throughout the season the 6-foot-4, 255-pound 4-star prospect wreaked all sorts of havoc, and the numbers speak for themselves. Consider his 23 sacks on the season and 83 tackles, of which 32 of those went for a loss of yardage, and you get a sense of just how dominant of a player Moala proved to be.
“I’ve never coached a defensive lineman who was that disruptive,” said Orem head coach Lance Reynolds Jr. “Teams would run away from him all the time, and largely because of him, we were able to rush just four or even three guys on just about every down, and they’d get home, just about every time.”
Nine of Orem’s final 10 opponents on the season failed to score more than 10 points, largely due to crushing defensive pressure upfront which allowed the Tiger defensive staff to send seven guys in coverage consistently which kept even the best opposing quarterbacks squarely on their heels.
“You can do so much defensively with a guy like Juni,” Reynolds said of Moala, who is commonly referred to as ‘Juni’ by those who know him well. “We were fortunate to have good defensive linemen across our front, but Juni was the guy who created the most problems for teams we went against, and from the beginning of the season to the end, he was probably our most impactful player, I felt.”
For Moala, he’s been honing his craft since the young age of six when he first began playing football. Coached up by his father, Ula, who played rugby, Moala took the sport immediately. While playing for Davis for both his sophomore and junior seasons, he transferred to Orem for his final senior season where some key offseason preparation really kicked things in gear.
“I was blessed to have had the opportunity to work out with some great people, and especially Victor Unga,” Moala said. “I spent a of extra time doing drills and I focused on training with Victor as often as I could, and I feel it really helped with my progression this season.”
It’s not as if Moala wasn’t a known commodity before his season, however. Just prior to even playing a down for Orem, he was met with a bevy of scholarship offers, most notably from BYU, a program he committed to during an official visit taken this past June before signing his National Letter of Intent with the Cougars in early December.
“I love BYU, and I love the feeling I have whenever I visit there,” Moala said regarding why BYU is his best option. “I really have a great relationship with Coach Kalani (Sitake) and I feel he’s coaching a program that is perfect for me. It’s a great family atmosphere and his genuine love for his players was one of the biggest factors. I want to be part of that.”
According to Reynolds, Moala is the type of player who reciprocates any love he receives quite well.
“I honestly can’t say enough about Juni’s character. He’s as good of a kid as they come,” Reynolds said. “He never swears and he’s extremely polite and forthright with everyone. I get calls from his teachers all the time telling me how grateful they are to have a kid like him in their classroom, and yeah, he’s exactly the type of young man you’d want your daughter to date.”
Oh, and he just happens to be very good at football and is likely to contribute sooner rather than later along BYU’s defensive front when he returns home from his planned two-year mission service for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Moala plans on leaving for his mission service prior to enrolling at BYU, and is grateful for the opportunity.
“To me, it’s the minimum I can do for my savior Jesus Christ and all the blessings he’s given me,” Moala said regarding his planned mission service. “It’s been my plan to serve a mission for as long as I can remember. It was instilled in me by my parents and it’s always been my desire to serve a mission no matter what.”
Upon returning home from his mission, Reynolds believes he’ll develop into one of the top collegiate players Orem has ever produced, which is quite the statement when considering Orem’s list of next-level talents. Take top NFL receiver Puka Nacua has the top example, along with offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia, linebacker Noah Sewell and several others.
“I honestly feel that Juni could play for BYU tomorrow and start. He’s that good,” Reynolds said. “But when he gets there and can develop…he’s just going to be incredible for them, I think. He really has it all. He’s super-talented, but even more important he has a great attitude and work ethic.”
For Moala, he’s just grateful for all his opportunities.
“I’ve been blessed by great family, coaches and teammates since I was really young, and all the credit goes to them,” Moala said. “I’m deeply honored to be named as the All-Valley MVP, but like I said, the credit goes to all those around me who have helped me get to the point where I’m at, and especially my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Tigers on the prowl
Lopeti Moala is the sixth Orem player to win the Daily Herald’s Valley Player of the Year for football, joining Jared Harper (1996), Cooper Legas (2017), Puka Nacua (2018), Noah Sewell (2019) and Joe Smith (2020).
