Coach Jay Brown enters his sixth season at Moody having instilled within his program all of the qualities that has brought him success throughout his coaching career. “Our fans can expect to see our team play with great effort and play with class, first and foremost.” 

“We are going to have a team with several seniors on defense that will hopefully be strong enough to allow our younger offensive guys to develop around junior (running back) Gabe Webb and senior (wide receiver) Kyle Ivy and have an impact as the season gets going.”

When asked what specifically needed developing offensively, Brown said that the offensive line and quarterback positions were going to be filled by new players due to graduation last year and that these players needed game time experience in order to develop and grow into an effective unit.

Coach Brown expressed considerable confidence in the quality defensive players he has returning for the 2016 season. Joining Ivy in the secondary will be senior Caleb Sciro who will provide leadership and great athleticism to manage their opposing teams’ passing games. 

Brown expects other seniors on defense who will be stepping into starting roles this year to significantly contribute to help the team succeed. “Colby Bush, our senior defensive tackle is back. At linebacker we have Chase Kelly and T.J. Johnson who showed a lot of promise last year as defensive ends.” Brown continued praising other defensive members of his team, including linebacker Bubba Green who the coach identified as the team’s leader on defense, as well as senior Hunter Winslett and Brady Price who will collectively provide a formidable presence at the linebacker position this season.

Key Games of 2016: There are three regional games during the second half of the season which will determine Moody’s opportunity to play football into November. Beginning with two home games against Woodlawn and Wenonah, then finishing on the road at St. Clair County High School. If Moody’s offense develops during the first half of the season and the team stays relatively healthy, the Blue Devils would have a real shot at winning all three games, which would put Moody in a position to grab the playoff berth that eluded them last season.

Preseason Notes:

The loss of many players through graduation and a realigned region that will include powerhouse teams like Briarwood Christian and Pleasant Grove can often raise questions about a team’s ability to successfully manage that transition. Coach Brown emphasized that keeping calm and looking forward is made easier with the coaching staff he has assembled around him, a staff that has seen very little turnover over the past several years. “We just need to do what we do. Play with class, give everything we’ve got every week. ‘Stance, alignment, effort and technique’ – these are words we live by – these are things that have led to winning for a very long time and will continue to do so in the future.” 

 Players to Watch:

#33 Gabe Webb – RB

Webb was an unexpected and pleasant surprise for Moody last season, rushing for 1,300 yards as a tenth grader. Coach Brown is truly impressed with what Webb brings onto the field every Friday night. 

Brown loves the bruising, punishing running style Webb brings to his offense. “Gabe runs really hard and falls forward when he’s getting tackled, which is critical for physical backs.” Brown said to expect even better things from Webb, pointing out that his star ball carrier has put on more muscle over the past year which should pay dividends in the coming weeks.

#18 Kyle Ivy – WR/CB

One of the more enjoyable moments a coach or a fan has when they lead or follow a team is when they witness a truly special player develop on their watch. Kyle Ivy is one of those ‘special’ players, who started as an undersized but promising athlete four seasons ago, but as time went on developed into a game changing player who greatly affects the Blue Devils’ fortunes on both sides of the ball.

“Kyle … man, oh man, he’s just a winner,” Coach Brown said as he evaluated Ivy as a player and a young man. “He’s not very big, but he plays with tremendous heart and he’s just flat-out a great athlete. He’s got good speed and he puts everything into becoming a better player every day. He’s what a coach looks for in a great player.”

Brown also mentioned that Ivy is the example he points to for other players to emulate. The coach recalled a moment late last season during a very important game when Ivy chased down an opposing player from across the field to prevent a winning touchdown from scoring. Key to Moody’s secondary, Ivy was also the team’s leading receiver last season and also blocked five kicks on special teams, displaying a variety of skill-sets that very few players possess. 

Moody Blue Devils Schedule

08/26/2016 7:00 PM CDT Springville High School Bill Morris Stadium

09/02/2016 7:00 PM CDT at Briarwood Christian School Lions Pride Stadium

09/09/2016 7:00 PM CDT Shelby County High School Bill Morris Stadium

09/16/2016 7:00 PM CDT at Pleasant Grove High School Pleasant Grove High School

09/23/2016 7:00 PM CDT at John Carroll Catholic High School JCCHS Football Field

09/30/2016 7:00 PM CDT Woodlawn High School Bill Morris Stadium

10/07/2016 7:00 PM CDT Wenonah High School Bill Morris Stadium

10/14/2016 7:00 PM CDT at Saint Clair County High School Mickey Venable Field

10/21/2016 7:00 PM CDT at Fairfield High Preparatory Clements Field

10/28/2016 7:00 PM CDT Plainview High School Bill Morris Stadium