Published: September 06, 2008 01:54 am            

Jags maintain their mastery of Moore

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MOORE — Before the season began, there was a lot of chatter surrounding Westmoore. The Jaguars were set to open up their offense. Maybe, finally, Westmoore would quit running the ball into the ground.

For those who believed those rumors, they received a rude awakening Friday at the Moore War. The Jags imposed their will upon Moore and rolled up almost 400 yards on the ground in a 34-12 victory.

Westmoore now leads the overall series 14-11, and has won eight in a row. The streak is not lost on the players or coaching staff.

“It’s a great opportunity for these kids to take part in a great game,” Westmoore coach Mike Whaley said. “It’s a great athletic event in Oklahoma. I think when I’m a senior at Westmoore High School and 20 years down the road at my reunion, I can always look the guys from Moore in the eye and say ‘You guys never beat us.’”

Quarterback Stanley West orchestrated the Jags’ offense to 382 yards rushing.

In just two weeks he went from unknown backup to playing a major role in the Moore War. He accounted for 123 yards on nine carries.

And with starting quarterback Jordan Meers admitting after the game he will be out much longer than the previous two-week prognostication, West’s performance was a welcome sight.

“It’s huge for my confidence,” West said. “My first actual game at quarterback for Westmoore. It’s great to get out here and get this big win and hopefully do the same next week.”

Whaley threw down the gauntlet down early in the game. With his offense on the Lions’ 1-yard line and facing a fourth and goal, Whaley gave the ball to Nick Roberts. The senior was wrapped up in the backfield, but kept moving his legs and carried a gang of defenders into the end zone.

The opening drive was textbook Westmoore. It lasted 15 plays and took almost eight minutes off the clock. The second drive was eight plays and ended with a Jordan Williams’ 1-yard run and put Westmoore up 14-0 with 11:30 left in the second quarter.

“That was huge,” West said. “That set the tone for the whole game. After that we just knew. We had it in our heads and they had it in their heads that they couldn’t stop us.”

Conversely, the Lions ran a total of three offensive plays in the opening period. The Jaguars’ defense didn’t allow the Moore receivers any room to breathe and forced quarterback Taylor Gardner to try and do most of his damage running the ball.

Westmoore took a 21-0 lead into halftime after Devon Schiffman scored on another 1-yard run.

“The things I was afraid of happened,” Moore first-year coach Scott Myers said. “The things as far as them playing keep away from us and as far as us making stops. I think the defense played well in spurts, at times.”

Gardner had been looking forward to playing quarterback in the Moore War after playing a variety of other positions the previous two years. However, his first game behind center will not be one he wants to remember. The senior finished the night 7-for-18 for 77 yards and two interceptions.

Yet, in the fourth quarter, Gardner found his legs and his arm. He completed a couple of big passes to Ronson Calfy and Taylor Johnson. He scored on runs of 1 and 5 yards to close the gap to 28-12 with more than 6 minutes on the clock.

However, that would be as close as Moore would get. After recovering an onside kick, Westmoore scored four plays later on a Justin Tran 8-yard run to seal the game.

“I think we made a statement that we can’t be stopped as far as the running game goes,” West said. “I think we made a statement and came out and took it to them.”

Michael Kinney

366-3537

mkinney@normantranscript.com

        

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