As he sets himself into the starting blocks, Appling County’s Devon Moore thinks back on what he has been taught by his coaches, “listen and react.” He gets into the set position, ready to spring forward; he hears the starter’s pistol and immediately leaps to start his stride, head down and driving.
It’s not always easy to measure an athlete’s improvement. It may be obvious that a player has become better, but where is the data to show how much better they have become? With exact electronic timing, track and field is a sport that lends itself to keeping exact scores. Therefore, it is easy to see an athlete’s improvement, as seen by Pirate’s junior, Devon Moore.
As a freshman, Moore ran the 100 meters in 11.45 seconds. He shaved half a second off of that time last season with a 10.9. This year, he has improved to a school record of 10.56. His 200 meters has gone from a 22.0 down to another school best of 21.52, a time he ran in Richmond Hill at the Georgia Game Changers Apex Invitational. “My most memorable race was on April 8, 2016 when I had to race against this guy from Savannah Christian Prep. He pushed me to beat my fastest time in the 200 meters. I ran a 21.52 that day.” That guy from Savannah Christian was none other than all-star football recruit, Demetris Robertson, and Moore is one of the few to have outrun Robertson in the past four years. Moore went on to claim second in the State AAA track championship this year in the 200 meters and third in the 100 meters.
At 5’11” and 190-pounds, Moore is the perfect size for a lot of key positions in different sports. He has a long stride that makes him a strong sprinter and the speed and size to make him a great defensive back and receiver for a football team; he is a defensive back and receiver for the Appling County Pirates football team, where he scored three crucial touchdowns against Pierce County in Appling’s big victory over the Bears.
Not only does he possess the necessary qualities to be a great track and football athlete, his speed and height give him an advantage on the basketball court as well. He is a point guard and shooting guard for Appling County basketball team. Even though, he missed several basketball games this season due to a high ankle sprain suffered in the latter part of the football season, but still scored 200 points more than any of his teammates.
On the track, Moore runs the 100 meters, 200 meters, 4×100 relay, 4×400 relay, and high jump for Coach Sheldon Pearce’s track team. “He’s going to win most athletic. He is without a doubt the best athlete in the whole school,” says Coach Pearce. During the course of his track season, Moore has set school records in the 100 and 200 meters. “He is willing to step up and do things other kids might not. He will lay it on the line for the team. He’s not very vocal, but because of his work ethic and athleticism, he’s a quiet leader. He leads by example,” Coach Pearce says.
Moore is realistic about playing sports in college. He wants a good college that will offer him a great education and, hopefully, allow him to play sports. “I sure hope so, that is what I have been working so hard for since I can remember,” his coach says. Moore wants to major in Business and is getting some interest from Middle Tennessee, Stetson, Florida A&M, Georgia State, Savannah State, Eastern Carolina and Georgia Southern. “I believe he will be a two-sport athlete in college playing football and running track,” Coach Pearce says.
Devon is the son of Bennie and Melinda Moore of Baxley and one of six athletic children. His brothers, Devan and Tre’Shawn, have followed in Devon’s footsteps: playing football, running track, and wrestling. On the other end of the spectrum, two of his sisters have been cheerleaders. Moore started running and playing sports at a very young age. “My parents say that as soon as I was old enough to start with the recreation department, I was playing ball and running,” Moore says. He won a few first place ribbons in running and high jump at the recreation department in Carrollton, Georgia. He ran track in middle school and won conference with the 4x100m relay team. “I played basketball, where we played in the final four and won conference with the football team. We went 8-0 to bring home the championship.” And now in high school he plays football, basketball, and runs track. It is Moore’s competitive nature that drives him to succeed. He loves to compete against other talented athletes and works on his mechanics to get better. “I think I have improved with coming out of the blocks and focusing on the finish line,” he says. “I have improved myself by getting more serious about my future, working harder in the weight room and practicing more. I feel that it is not going to be given to me; that I am going to have to work my butt off for it.” He continues to work on each of his games and has attended the Football University camp and the Football University Top Gun showcase, which allowed him to meet and work with some retired NFL players and complete against some of the top athletes in the world. “He is one of the nicest, most cordial, polite and well-behaved kids in the school,” Coach Pearce says. “He always gives proper respect, ‘Yes sir, no sir, yes mam no mam.’ He can accomplish anything, if he decides to do it.”
Southeast Georgia/ June 2016
Devon Moore – Appling County
Most Improved
By Rob Asbell
Focusing on the Finish Line
Photos by Andrea Heflin
