FOOTBALL: Camden's Terrance Moore is Player of the Week
Each week, Camden High School football coach Dwayne Savage gets his game plan together. One thing never changes — Terrance Moore draws the defensive assignment of the opposition’s best wide receiver.
Casual observers wouldn’t think it when they glance out at the field. Moore stands just 5 feet 6 inches.
What he lacks in height, the senior makes up for with speed, heart and work ethic. He’s part of the Panthers’ backbone. It appeared evident in last Saturday’s South Jersey Group 3 semifinal at Pemberton.
Moore grabbed two interceptions. He added some punch on offense, too, with 113 rush yards and a touchdown in a 34-13 win.
The diminutive 165-pounder’s performance earned him the most votes as Gridiron Gang Player of the Week.
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“We put a challenge for him last week and let him know he needed to shut his kid down,” Savage said. “After the game, I heard a lot of Pemberton fans saying No. 10 was the best player they saw all year.”
A product of the Centerville Simbas Youth Program, Moore made his presence felt at The High in his freshman year. Back then, Moore stood about 5-foot-2. He wanted to go one-on-one with 2013 first-team Courier-Post defensive back Sean Chandler.
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Chandler, who currently plays for Temple, lined up at receiver as the pesky freshman took a shot at him. Moore didn’t let him off the hook after the whistle sounded.
“I’m a cocky guy, and I use my confidence to help me,” Moore said. “I got that from Sean. I saw the way he carried it.
“I was hungry to play and wasn’t quite prepared yet. I just challenged him in practice. He just looked at me.”
Savage knew he had a player on his hands.
“I knew we had something special there,” the coach recalled. “Terrance told (Chandler) to bring it on in practice, and they got into it. He embraces competition.”
Moore is one of a handful of shorter players on Camden’s roster. Savage calls them “the pistons that keep the engine running” for the sectional finals.
The star of the bunch, receiver/defensive back Brad Hawkins, who will play at Michigan next year, credits Moore’s intensity.
“He plays hard every play, and he has a heart,” Hawkins said. “He doesn’t care who’s bigger than him, he just goes out and competes. He brings the leadership.”
Every day in practice, Hawkins competes against Moore in the same drills that earned the cornerback his reputation as a frosh.
“He makes me better,” Hawkins said. “He tells us every day, ‘I’m one of the smallest guys, and I come out and compete.’ And we listen to him. There’s no excuses.”
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The biggest game of Moore’s life is right around the corner.
On Dec. 5, the Panthers (8-2) will travel to Rowan to face Delsea (10-1) for the S.J. Group 3 title at 2:30 p.m.
The two-year starter at corner can hardly wait.
“We’ve been working so hard all year, and it’s finally paying off,” he said. “Everyone says we’re a basketball school. We can put Camden’s football team on the map.
“I just remember I was so hyped the last two years because people were saying we were going to the championship, and we fell short. Now, we’re going there.”
There’s more at stake than a trophy or a spot on a banner for Moore. He knows the city where he grew up could use a championship to unify.
“There’s not a lot of good news growing up out here,” he said. “But if everyone gets to see you play in a championship — and win, for once — everything would be going good.”
Mark Trible; (856) 486-2424; mtrible@gannettnj.com
GRIDIRON GANG PLAYER OF THE WEEK POLL RESULTS
- Camden DB/RB Terrance Moore – 9,942 votes
- West Deptford RB Gio Gismondi – 8,264 votes
- Palmyra QB Max Smyth – 190 votes
- Timber Creek QB Devin Leary – 88 votes
- Clayton DB/WR Elijah Rehm – 41 votes