THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: June 7, 2015

Nothing has come easy for Max Noll.

Being born with a speech impediment made it tough to make friends in his former home in Moses Lake.

Today, he’ll chase an elusive championship along with his Spokane Wolfpack teammates on the home field of their biggest rival.

NOLL, A 6-foot-2, 295-pound left tackle for the Wolfpack, was born with Dysarthria, a speech impediment that weakens speech muscles and is caused by damage to the nerves and/or brain.

“When I was younger, I couldn’t talk to anyone,” said Noll, who was a senior on Coeur d’Alene High’s 2010 state 5A championship football team. “I was constantly picked on when I was a kid because of the way I talked.”

That was until Noll started playing football in the third grade.

“My dad signed me up because I was a big kid,” Noll recalled. “When I moved from Moses Lake after the sixth grade, and walked into school here (in Coeur d’Alene), everyone was my friend and I wanted to be there. I love football and really made me who I am. I wasn’t going to be able to function as a normal person, but playing football ended up driving up my schoolwork and to be the person I am today.”

The Spokane Wolfpack is a minor league adult football team that also works with charities and the community. Each athlete — none are paid — must perform a minimum of 15 hours of community service per season.

“The main focus of the team is to improve the athletes and community,” Noll said.

The team runs the chains during Spokane Shock games, and also helps at an after-school center in Spokane for special needs students.

“It give the kids a chance to come and hang out with each other, play pool and kids get to hang out with each other,” Noll said. “We volunteer and help them out when we can, and they come to our games to support us.”

The Washington Football League is comprised of four teams — Wenatchee Valley, Spokane, Palouse and Flathead — with the season running from March until June.

Spokane plays its home games at Joe Albi Stadium.

“It’s great,” Noll said. “All of the other teams play at high school, or junior high fields. It’s definitely awesome because we play in a stadium, where we’ve got a cheer and dance team. It’s a real event during our home games.”

DUE TO a 28-7 loss two weeks ago against Wenatchee (9-0), the Wolfpack (7-2) will travel to face the Rams at Eastmont Junior High in East Wenatchee for tonight’s championship game at 6.

Wenatchee has won the past two championships, beating Spokane by a combined three points.

“It’s going to be a great game,” said Noll, in his second season on the team. “It’s been a long two years. When I came to the team two years ago, it was all about Wenatchee. We beat them in the regular season last year, and it’s always been a goal. When we pull it off tomorrow, especially on their home field, it’s going to be a great feeling.”

Noll and Zach Clow, formerly of Priest River, are the lone North Idaho residents on the Spokane squad.

Noll’s sister is Jillian Noll, a local MMA fighter whose most recent bout was two weeks ago in Wenatchee.

Following the season, Noll plans to attend tryouts for the Idaho Matadors, a semi-pro team based in Boise.

“I’m going to be trying out for them at the end of the summer or beginning of the fall,” Noll said. “My goal is to be in the AFL or Canadian Football League by this time next year. I’m going to be a professional football player within eight months.”

Noll’s girlfriend, Taylor Werner, also has football aspirations.

“She’s been with me every step of the way,” Noll said. “She deserves most of the credit for us getting to the championship game. She does it all. She went from being the water girl to helping call in the plays for the offense. Her goal in life is to be a football coach.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JEPressSports.