Prosser receiver catching up fast

Ever since turning Prosser's football program into a trophy machine 20 years ago, coach Tom Moore has endured skepticism about the prodigious statistics his players put up.

"Is it the talent," recruiters often asked, "or just the system?"

That has gnawed at Moore throughout his run of four state titles and three other championship-game appearances, but there has been a respite in recent years. And he's got his own bloodline to thank for much of it.

Youngest son Kirby Moore enters his senior season as one of the state's top wide receivers with scholarship offers from, among others, Washington and Washington State. And his older brother, Kellen, has elevated to starting quarterback as a redshirt freshman at Boise State.

Aside from the Moore family, Prosser receiver Cody Bruns was one of the state's premier recruits last year and is a freshman at Washington, and lineman Dan Gore finished a stellar career at Boise State last season.

So recruiters are now finally embracing Prosser as a legitimate source of Division I talent. And never more so than with the youngest Moore, who is 6 feet 3, 205 pounds, with 4.6-second speed for 40 yards and has proved his polished skills at every college camp he's attended.

But it just wouldn't be Prosser if there weren't some freakish numbers involved, and Moore has them. This fall, with his quarterback returning to assist in the ascent, he has a clear shot at breaking the national prep record for career receiving touchdowns. The toughest task about that prospect — his 61 touchdowns are 23 from surpassing the mark — is getting the coach's son to discuss it.

Even off the field with a wink and a whisper.

"We're a new team and we've got a lot of goals. It's all about what we can do as a team," Moore insisted. "Last year was special, even for Prosser, and that's something we'd like to carry on."

Special was the word for it. Last year the Mustangs zipped through an unbeaten season and celebrated a 42-7 romp over Burlington-Edison in the Class 2A state-title game. An offense that averaged 508 yards was powered by a receiving trio that amassed 55 touchdowns.

But Moore's wideout buddies are gone. Bruns, the 2A state player of the year and third on the national career list with 72 touchdowns, is with the Huskies. Speedster Cade Wandling, the 2A state champ at 400 meters, is pursuing his track career at Clark College in Vancouver.

"That was a unique group and we complemented each other so well," said Moore, who contributed 75 receptions, 1,313 yards and a state-record 29 TDs as a junior. "I know it will be different for me without them. I'll definitely see defenses coming my way more, but I'm excited about our new guys. They maybe won't do the things Cody and Cade did, but they're ready for their chance."

Following the lead of his father and brother, Kirby Moore is an A-plus student of Game Film 101 who reads and understands defenses as well as anyone on the field. Yes, defenses will pay him more mind than ever with Bruns gone. And he'll be ready for it.

"The routes and the footwork — that's what separates you. If they aren't good, then nothing's good," he said. "I make sure I get those reps in to keep things sharp. This year I see myself as a little more of a deep threat, so I've worked on that also."

On the other end of those countless repetitions has been the steady hand of senior quarterback Jordan Durbin, who threw for 60 touchdowns last year despite starting the season splitting time with Bruns. In the second game — a 48-20 win over perennial 2A power East Valley of Yakima — Durbin threw four scoring passes to Moore and the quarterback rotation was over.

"You could see his confidence that night and it's been there ever since," Moore said. "That let us use Cody [as a receiver] on the other side full time and we were pretty tough to stop. For me and our other guys, it's a great feeling having Jordan back."

The feeling's mutual.

"Kirby gets open and he can catch just about anything," said Durbin, who's getting interest from Washington State and Eastern Washington. "Plus, nobody reads a defense like he does."

The night of Durbin's breakthrough game, Moore scored a school-record six touchdowns, five receiving and one on an interception return. Not only is he a tenacious defensive back with two other TDs off interceptions last year, he is also a standout basketball player who scored 30 points in a state-tournament game in March.

It all adds up to a package that makes Moore attractive to more than just the Huskies and Cougars. Stanford, Oregon State and Boise State also have offers on the table.

The college level is now just a decision away for Moore, who still vividly remembers two-on-two games he and Kellen played with neighbors when they were barely old enough to hold a football.

"My first route was 'get open,' " Moore said of those backyard games. "It seems like yesterday I was running around as a ball boy for the team. Now I've got this one season left and I want to do everything I can to help us make it a good one."