Article by Bruce Gage, MHS Class of 1972
SEC Media Days from Hoover , AL concluded this past week and I thought I’d surf the internet to catch up on the status of Tennessee football or at least get a different perspective from the ones posed by the local Alabama press. To my surprise and dismay, the name of a past nemesis of Midway H.S. Football was listed. The article stated that: “Two former Tennessee football players died this week. Ray Dalton, a fullback for UT from 1960-63 and Gary Moore, a running back from (1977-79).” The article went on to say that Gary Moore, originally from Decatur, TN had died July 9 in Tampa, Fla.
I remember Gary Moore from my senior football season which ended the 1st week of November 1971. That season was one of surprising early success which found us 4 -1 half way through the year and hoping to finish with a winning 6-4 record if we could close out the season with a win over Meigs County. In those days, Midway often found a win or two when playing the boys from Decatur. This game would be different. Not only was Meigs County loaded with seniors (some BIG farm kids, best I recall), but they also had this freshman “speed merchant”. Doug Hixson, next of kin to the SOR’s Hixson clan, was on that Meigs County team. Doug often came to the former Gage’s IGA at the intersection of Hwy 58 and Hwy 72 to engage in football conversation with the store’s working staff. The working staff was of course mainly my brothers and I. If memory serves me correctly, Doug and other Meigs County fans used the nickname “Smoke” when speaking of Gary Moore.
Well on that cold November night in 1971, the Green Wave could not douse the heat generated by the Smoke that was Gary Moore. Though just a freshman, his speed and talent were note worthy. One play in particular, was a sweep to the left side from somewhere around the Meigs 35 yard line. Our defensive end and tackle had done their jobs and senior linebackers Tim Easter and I were closing in for a certain tackle for loss. This freshman stopped, turned, gave 10 to 15 yards of ground, then ran to the opposite sideline and streaked to the end zone. The 65 yard scoring play as recorded in the newspaper did little justice to the actual 100+ yard run. Needless to say, that night was all Meigs County. They scored early and often (40+ points) and we couldn’t score at all. That was long ago, but I do remember Gary Moore as an extra ordinary football player.
The article which noted Gary’s passing also stated that he was the state’s leading high school scorer in 1975. I remember watching his 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Auburn in 1979 and thinking I no longer needed to feel inadequate as having been a senior and being bested by a freshman. I just proudly told everyone that I was once on the same playing field with Gary Moore and understood what those Auburn players were thinking as they were “Smoked”. After all, I had witnessed it first hand, on a football field south of the river at Midway H.S. in November 1971.
Here is a YouTube video of a touchdown run by Gary Moore and one of John Ward’s classic calls – Gary Moore kickoff return vs Auburn