By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
With a perfect 12-0 record heading into Saturday's Class 2A State Championship Football game in Salina, Hoisington High School Coach Zach Baird has relied on a number of kids to make plays this season. The biggest constant all year has been senior quarterback Tony Moore. Also a member of the Cardinal varsity baseball and basketball teams for three years, Moore is cementing an even bigger legacy on the gridiron.
"Most of my athleticism probably came from my parents and my grandma," he said. "My grandma says I actually got all my athleticism from her. My dad played football at K-State, and my family has been really athletic on my mom's side at whatever they do."
Moore's transition to quarterback may be an improbable one. He played on the offensive line as a seventh grader, then moved to the backfield in the eighth grade.
"It was a complete change of pace in the game," he said. "I wouldn't change it for the world, but in my opinion, I think O-line is way harder than what I have to do now. Those guys have a lot to do. Even back in middle school, it was a lot for me to comprehend. They're a big asset of the game and they do a lot for us. I think they're probably the most important part of the team."
The 2021 Cardinal football team finished the season at 8-2. Moore saw limited time under center as a sophomore, completing his one pass for 23 yards and rushing for 479 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries. But he suffered a big setback in a 36-6 Homecoming win against Minneapolis in week five of the season.
"We were running our rocket toss to the right," he recalled. There was a lot of open space so I started really running hard, and some guy hip-drop tackled me. Something just popped. I didn't really recognize it until after the game. I couldn't bend my knee."
Moore has recovered from the meniscus tear and other injuries. In 2022, he quarterbacked the Cardinals to an 8-3 season. He threw for 656 yards on 37-of-61 passing with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also led the team with 992 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 89 carries. His two interceptions on defense tied for the team lead, and his 42 tackles were fourth on the squad.
Then came his historic senior season. Moore is the first Cardinal quarterback in well over a decade to throw for more than 1,000 yards. He led the top offense in Class 2A, and Hoisington reached the state championship game by defeating two of the other four undefeated teams left in the classification.
"I feel like the goals this year were a lot more specific," he said. "We wanted to score a certain amount of points, or we didn't want to allow a certain amount of points. Of course, we wanted to win a state championship. You can say it out loud, but to actually go ahead and go do it is a whole other thing."
Moore has completed 66 of his 113 pass attempts this season for 1,453 yards with 19 touchdowns and two interceptions. That brings his two-year total to 2,109 passing yards with 30 touchdowns to just four picks. He's rushed for another 838 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
Winning a state title will require a win against the other unbeaten team left in Class 2A. Nehama Central enters Saturday's game as the defending 2A champion. The Thunder have excelled on both sides of the ball, allowing just six points in the first nine weeks of the season. Sophomore quarterback Carter Hajek has rushed for 2,165 yards and 39 touchdowns, and thrown for 931 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.
"We're going to have to be pretty good," Moore said. "We're going to have to play offensively like we did against Southeast of Saline because these guys are obviously good. It's the last two teams in 2A. We're going to have to execute and be able to make plays with and without the ball. Our dudes are just going to have to be better than their dudes."
Saturday's Class 2A State Football Championship is scheduled for a 12 p.m. kick at Salina's USD 305 District Stadium outside Salina Central High School. The broadcast will be on 100.7 FM or online at khokfm.com.