Moran steps down as coach

After leading the West Boca football program for the past five years, Alphonso “Junior” Moran has stepped down.

During his tenure as the Bulls’ coach, Moran accumulated a 25-24 record with a regional playoff appearance in 2013. West Boca is coming of a 5-4 season.

“I felt like it was about time,” said Moran, who plans to continue teaching at the school. “I was getting a little burned out. I have four young children, who I plan on spending time with. It was nothing negative. I just felt like it was time to give [the coaching job] to someone else.”

A 2003 Boca Raton graduate, Moran later played defensive tackle at Kansas State before joining the West Boca staff as an assistant. In 2013, Moran was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach after Willie Dodaro stepped down.

Inheriting a team that went 3-6 the previous season, Moran led the Bulls to a 7-3 mark and the team’s first playoff appearance since 2010 in his first year. Moran earned Sam Budnyk Coach of the Yeah honors for his work in leading the Bulls’ to the 7A regional quarterfinals.

The ensuing year, West Boca finished 7-4, but missed out on the postseason in District 13-7A. In the season finale, the Bulls topped defending state champion Dwyer 24-22 to break the Panthers’ 16-year streak of playoff appearances.

After winning seven games in each of his first two seasons, the Bulls bounced around the next years, finishing 5-5, 1-8 and 5-4, respectively.