Hishaw leads Moore in rout
As rain poured and a strong breeze swept down the field at Moore Schools Stadium, the Moore Lions looked to come out and play smash-mouth football.
They found little opposition.
Moore took down rival Southmoore 44-0 on Friday, behind more than 180 yards rushing and five scores on the ground.
The game plan was twofold, said Moore coach Brad Hill. After hours of torrential rain swept over most of the state, Hill said Moore wanted to play it smart in the elements and also play to its own strengths.
“We knew with the weather conditions and the wind was blowing pretty hard and we just wanted to come out and pound the ball,” he said. “We also have some special playmakers that can run.”
Playmakers such as
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Daniel “Deuce” Hishaw Jr., who ended up rushing for 60 yards and three touchdowns, while also passing for one more score.
Alongside Hishaw, junior running Jayce Gardner carried it 12 times for 68 yards, and senior Tony Fogle added 53 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
“We know our backfield can run,” Hishaw said. “So we said let’s pound the ball down their throat and see what they got.”
Moore’s first drive went 80 yards in 11 plays, capped by Hishaw’s 5-yard touchdown run.
By then the rain had stopped, but Moore was just getting started as Hishaw would score on a 29-yard run and a 1-yard plunge. He later threw a 67-yard bomb to receiver Daniel Johnston for a touchdown.
Moore would put up 37 first-half points and dominate Southmoore defensively, holding the Sabercats to less than 18 yards rushing in the first half, blocking a punt, intercepting two passes and recovering a fumble.
Moore used the majority of the second half to kill the clock and preserve the shutout.
“We are growing up,” Hill said. “We are a young team, and we are growing up a little each week and we cut down on the penalties and turnovers from the past few weeks.
“We just wanted to be better than we were last week and continue to be better next week.”
Southmoore was without quarterback Jaedyn Scott, who started the first three games of the year. Backup quarterback Maxwell Gilbert threw for 61 yards on 8-of-18 passing.
Hishaw said while it felt great to get a win against the Lions’ sister school, it felt even better to get a win in district play.
“Beating your crosstown rivals is awesome,” Hishaw said. “But starting out with a win in district play is even better. Feels great knowing that our team did everything right tonight.”