Being a two-way football star at a 6A Oklahoma high school is pressure enough for most prep athletes, but add the decision of which college to attend to continue your playing career and you’ve got more than enough on your plate.
Moore quarterback and safety Daniel Hishaw, Jr. tackled his college decision recently when he announced his commitment to play for the University of Kansas.
“Just the atmosphere,” said Hishaw, when describing what made him commit to the Jayhawks. “I like how the team has come in with a new coach and is starting to rebuild everything. It kind of reminds me of my high school.”
The comparison between KU and Moore is valid. Under the direction of third-year head coach Brad Hill, the Lions have gradually improved from being a playoff outsider to contending for a postseason spot every season.
“Three years ago we were trying to learn how to get into the playoffs,” said Hill. “Last year, coming off a playoff appearance, we were able to be in some big games . This year we’re going to try and win some playoff games.”
Making a playoff run will rely heavily on Hishaw, who amassed over 2,500 yards of offense and 29 touchdowns last season. The senior signal caller isn’t resting on his laurels, however. He spent a lot of time over the summer improving his game.
“I worked on a lot of my footwork,” admitted Hishaw. “I watched film and a lot of my footwork wasn’t the best. Plus, getting my arm up on my throws. The running part just comes naturally.”
The time will come when Hishaw will have to decide whether he’s going to concentrate on playing offense or defense, but for now, the future Division I athlete doesn’t care which side of the ball he’s playing on.
“I think I’d just rather play football,” said Hishaw with a smile.
“He’s a great leader,” said Hill. “He’s got a great work ethic. He’s obviously a great player on both sides of the ball for us. He’s very vocal and he also leads by example. He’s one of the hardest workers we have. He’s just an exceptional player.”
With his football future figured out, Hishaw and the rest of the team can turn their focus on leading the Lions to a coveted playoff berth.
Hill singled out Jayce Gardner, Brandon Girard and Marcus Morris as other key contributors expected to step up and provide results on and off the field this season for the Lions.
“It’s kind of been a process,” said Hill. “We’ve got a lot of our team back from the last two years. We’re excited to see how we progress as the season goes along.”
Moore plays host to Yukon in this week’s Ford Game of the Week live on Yurview Cox Channel 3 on Thursday, September 12th, at 7:00 p.m. CT. The game will also be streamed online at Yurview.com.
And don’t forget about Friday night’s MidFirst Bank Backyard Bowl. Friday, September 13th at 7:00pm CT on YurView and YurView.com.
