Moore pulls doubleduty

Moore pulls doubleduty

West Memphis legend the “ perfsonification of class”

WM School District In the early days of preseason football practice in August of 1987, Grafton Moore ended practice as he always did with a speech and assessment of that day's work.

The West Memphis Blue Devil head coach dismissed the team and then grabbed senior Russell Johnson by the shoulders and walked him a few hundred yards away from the rest of the squad.

I knew exactly what the conversation was about. I was covering the team as sports editor of this publication and I knew the Blue Devils and Moore had a quandary to deal with.

That season saw Moore welcome in a very talented group of sophomores, studs from each of the three West Memphis junior highs. All three schools fed Moore four and five-star players.

The biggest question coming into the season?

Starting quarterback.

Johnson, a strong, rugged and competitive all-around athlete, had been counting on being the starting signal caller his senior year.

And he was certainly qualified.

Problem was sophomore Nat Haston had some unusual skills, not the least of which was a strong, accurate throwing arm.

After some deliberation, Moore determined that he could help the team in two areas by moving Johnson to defense and starting Haston right away.

So, Moore took the time that dreadfully scorching day to gently draw up that scenario to Johnson. Among the many assets Moore brought to the Blue Devil football program, the greatest in my opinion was his ability to connect to the youngsters.

Johnson bought into Moore's plan.

Haston blossomed into a star QB at West Memphis, earning all-state honors two straight years and Johnson thrived as a leader on defensive coordinator Joe Nooner's unit, playing mostly as a linebacker, but also lining up as a stand-up defensive end and flattening the opposing quarterbacks with some vicious sacks.

Johnson earned all-state honors that season as the Blue Devils went 6-4 in the regular season and lost to Little Rock Catholic in the first round of the state playoffs.

However, the biggest payoff of that move was next year with a year of seasoning, Haston led the Blue Devil offense as a wildly talented squad won its first 12 games of the season before losing in the state semifinals at Fort Smith Northside.

Moore performed that type of reasoning to some of his players a few other times in his 23-year career as head coach at his home town.

Thursday night he will be inducted twice into the West Memphis Sports Hall of Fame, individually for his exploits as head coach and again as a member of the 1963 football team that will be the first squad to be inducted into the HOF.

Moore was also noted for creating a winning atmosphere that would shape the program for years to come.

Moore could motivate.

He could get his guys to play for him. To this day, his former players will tell you they would have run through the proverbial brick wall for him because they had that much love and respect for him.

He was also the personification of class, above all else. Everything connected to the program Moore did with class as his motivating factor.

The Hall of Fame begins Thursday with a reception at 5:30 p.m. at Southland Gaming and Racing's Crittenden Room. The banquet/ induction ceremony begins at 6 p.m.

Other inductees will include the legendary Bill Kessinger and Lady Devils basketball star Jocelyn Love.

Tickets are $25 apiece and $250 for a table of 10. Tickets can still be purchased at the West Memphis School District's Administrative Office on South Avalon.

By Billy Woods