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Maurice Anderson has played soccer for a good portion of his life. But where soccer may fit into his future after he graduates next spring from Queen Anne School is uncertain.

"I've been playing since I was 8," said Anderson, after his team dropped a 4-0 decision Sept. 11 against visiting Grace Brethren-Waldorf.

But after his freshman year of high school, Anderson took a year off from the game before returning last fall. Exactly what made him take that break, he doesn't really know. His motivation to play just temporarily hit a roadblock.

"I was lazy," said Anderson. "I was in ninth grade. I wanted to do other things. I've grown up since then."

Anderson plays sweeper for the Lions and is one of the team's captains this season, along with senior defender Niko Paiz. He made a play against Grace Brethren midway through the first half that saved a potential goal when he ran from behind and took out a Grace Brethren attacker who had gotten clear and was in position to go one-on-one with Queen Anne goalkeeper Julian Reid. No shot was ever taken. That play kept the game scoreless at the time, and the Grace Brethren player had to go to the sidelines for a bit after being taken out cleanly, yet aggressively, by Anderson.

"You can count on Maurice, he's very consistent," said Queen Anne coach Patrick Noel. "His vision has gotten better. He's making better decisions in the back. Not only is Maurice captain of the team, but he organizes the back line and does a great job of teaching the rest of the guys what's going on back there."

Noel also coaches with the Freestate soccer club and added that had Anderson competed at the club level that he would likely be ready to play at the highest college levels beginning next year.

Anderson said playing in college is an option. But it is his work in the classroom that he also wants to get noticed. He hopes to major in chemical engineering and has been a member of the Queen Anne chemathon team that participates annually in an academic competition at the University of Maryland.

"It's a fun competition," said Anderson. "It really tests your knowledge to see if you really know what you're talking about in chemistry."

Anderson especially is interested in organic chemistry, which deals with compounds found in life, and electro chemistry, which deals with converting chemical energy into electrical energy. Both areas involve "stuff people love to hate," said Anderson.

But soccer remains a focus this fall. Wins have been hard to come by for the Lions since Anderson has been with the team. Another home game awaits at 4:30 p.m. Friday against St. Andrews. Noel said the team's youth and inexperience would make for a challenging season.

But Anderson is up to that challenge.

"It's fun playing with Queen Anne," said Anderson. "It may get frustrating at times, but you've got to remember, not everyone on the team has played for as long as I have or as long as [teammates] Dean [junior midfielder Dean Bolt] or Niko has. I just want this to be a good team, everybody getting along."

E-mail Adam Rubenstein at arubenstein@gazette.net.