SOUTHMOORE MOVING FORWARD AFTER DEPARTURES

Southmoore football coach Jeremy Stark stood on the sideline last week watching his quarterbacks lead the offense. He thought of the past few months watching as various players moved away. Star quarterback and Texas commitment Casey Thompson and his younger brother Cade had moved to Newcastle. Star offensive lineman and Oklahoma commitment Brey Walker transferred across town to Westmoore. The list kept growing in his head to seven players. But then Donovan Gaines, a left-hander who started at outside linebacker last season, completed a pass. Sophomore quarterback Jaedyn Scott broke free on a run a few plays later. Nobody expected either player to be in a battle for the starting quarterback spot months ago. But Southmoore is working to make the best of the situation. “We've moved on from it,” Stark said. “I said it back then: We're going to coach who is here. Our kids have taken that mentality as well. Either you're with us or you're not, and those guys weren't with us. We're moving forward. It's generic to say that, but it's the truth." For a team coming off a disappointing 6-5 season, Southmoore appears to be in a rebuild mode. Nearly 60 players practiced last week. Gone are the plethora of Division I players. Yet, the team feels closer than ever. “I was kind of relieved, honestly, because it made the culture where it's about football now,” Gaines said. “It's not so much outside distractions or individual goals, it's about the team. We won't work at all unless everybody does their job now. We don't have room for error.” Gaines recorded 84 tackles and three sacks as a sophomore. He was the third-string quarterback. When he found out that Thompson was moving to Newcastle — Perry Olsen had already moved to Yukon — he knew it was his moment. “It was going to happen sooner or later, so it's better now trying to get some experience under your belt,” Gaines said. “If the season goes how we want it to go everybody will be in the spots they need to be in.” Scott, a dual threat, never saw a chance to compete for a spot coming. But when he received news of Thompson's move, he immediately told his family. They had an assuring response. “They were just like, ‘Don't do anything to mess it up,'” Scott said. “I've got to keep my head on straight.” Keeping the team on the right path has been Stark's goal. The coach said he hasn't talked individually with players about the changes. But he has noticed a new bond within the team. “To me, these kids want to be here and that makes it enjoyable to come to work,” Stark said. “We're not going to shortchange these kids. This is our team, this is who we have and we're going to coach these guys. It's bigger than any individuals, than me and any of us. It's going to be here after we're gone.”

SOUTHMOORE MOVING FORWARD AFTER DEPARTURES

Photo Credit: Southmoore High School Athletics

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