High school stars team up in Vancouver

Nick Moore and Jonathon Jennings attended same school near Columbus, Ohio

KAMLOOPS — While starring at the University of Toledo, Nick Moore used to come home in the off-season and run routes at his old high school to stay sharp. A young quarterback who caught his eye during those throwing sessions will once again be delivering him passes in 2016.

Moore and B.C. Lions pivot Jonathon Jennings both attended Westerville South, a sports powerhouse in a suburb just outside Columbus, Ohio. Their six-year age difference meant the pair never played together in high school, but they will line up alongside each other in the CFL after Moore rejoined the Lions this winter in free agency.

“The type of arm that (Jennings) had in high school, not many kids had,” Moore recalled after a recent training camp practice. “I just knew he was destined to do something great.”

Jennings said he followed Moore’s career at Toledo, his attempts to make the NFL and his journey north of the border to try three-down football.

“I always looked up to him,” said Jennings, who went on to star at Saginaw Valley State. “I was in middle school when he was a senior in high school. It was always cool going to see him.

“The first time I heard of the B.C. Lions was when he came up here.”

Moore was originally added to the Lions’ practice roster at the tail end of 2010 and spent three full seasons with the club, including a breakout 2013 campaign where he caught 73 passes for 1,105 yards and six touchdowns.

He signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers that winter and endured two frustrating years on the prairies before returning to B.C. when he hit free agency.

“He made it known that he wanted to come back,” said Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono. “The kind of receiver that we wanted, Nick fit the bill very well. We knew him, he knew us.”

The 29-year-old will be expected to make big plays for B.C., especially after receiver Lavelle Hawkins informed the club this week he plans to retire, as the Lions look to rebound from 2015’s disappointing 7-11 record.

“I talked to Wally and he told me what they had in store for the team and what they had in store for me,” said Moore, who worked out with Jennings for a few weeks this off-season in Tampa, Fla. “I liked what they had to say. It’s good to be back.”