VHS receivers Moore, Scott earn All-Region awards

Published 7:17 am Monday, November 21, 2016

Raheam Moore’s record-setting regular season has garnered some postseason recognition.

The Vicksburg High wide receiver was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player of Region 2-5A in voting by the league’s coaches. The 6-foot-4 senior set a Warren County record with 20 touchdown receptions this season, and tied the single-season record with 77 receptions. He had 1,135 receiving yards, which ranks third on the single-season list.

Moore’s outstanding season was built on consistency more than any one great performance. Other than a Week 2 win against Terry, when he only caught one pass for 11 yards, Moore caught at least four passes and one touchdown in every game.

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Moore had multiple touchdowns in seven games, and at least 100 receiving yards five times.

“He’s very consistent. He came to work every week, no matter the injuries he had,” Vicksburg coach Marcus Rogers said. “The game wasn’t too big for him. He’s a kid I’m going to hate to lose.”

Moore wasn’t the only Vicksburg High receiver to earn an individual award in the All-Region voting. Junior Jeff Scott was named the league’s Most Outstanding Receiver.

Rogers said Scott received the award because of his versatile role in Vicksburg’s offense. Scott caught 52 passes for 715 yards and eight touchdowns, and was used in the running game as a wildcat formation quarterback. He also returned kicks.

Scott ran for 225 yards and four touchdowns. He returned one kickoff for a touchdown and averaged 25.7 yards on combined kick and punt returns. In all, he had 1,377 total yards on receptions, rushes and returns.

In three years as a starter, Scott has 79 career receptions for 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns.

“Jeff is one of those guys who never misses a day of practice or a workout,” Rogers said. “I compare him to (former NFL receiver) Hines Ward a lot. He blocks, he runs the ball, he returns kicks and punts, he does whatever you need him to do.”

In addition to the two individual awards, Vicksburg’s third-place finish in Region 2-5A gave it six spots on the All-Region team in accordance with the league’s voting procedures. First-place Germantown got eight players, second-place Grenada got seven, and so on.

Vicksburg’s six All-Region players were quarterback Joe Johnson, offensive lineman Kordell Watts, defensive end Jomon O’Neal, defensive back Evan Mobley, linebacker Nick Anderson and kicker/punter Greg Hayden.

Even though the Gators were guaranteed six spots on the All-Region team based on their finish, Rogers said all of the players picked were “no-brainers.”

Johnson threw for 3,010 yards and 31 touchdowns this season, while also rushing for 505 yards and five TDs. Anderson led the team with 136 total tackles and O’Neal had 15 sacks. Watts was a two-year starter on the line, and Mobley a solid cornerback.

“It was a no-brainer for Jomon, same with Nick Anderson,” Rogers said. “Joe Johnson was a no doubt pick. I think he was the best quarterback in 5A football this season.”

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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