Matt DeWalt
sports@weatherforddemocrat.com
August 31, 2007 10:39 am
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Over the past two years, Weatherford Kangaroos senior defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore has been garnering attention throughout the state of Texas, and throughout the nation, for his ability on the football field.
Lewis-Moore joined the Weatherford football program in seventh grade after he left the flag football fields of Ranger and moved east to a new town and the full-contact version of the sport that has given him the stage to display his natural abilities.
“We didn’t have any tackle football, we had flag football,” Lewis-Moore said. “I played flag football.
“Seventh grade was incredible. I’m still playing with some of the people I played with at Hall. Most of the other people played at Tison and we played against each other for two years. Now, since freshman year, this will be our fourth year playing together.
It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be heartbreaking at the end, but I think it’s going to be a real exciting season this year.”
At season’s end, Lewis-Moore will take his talents to the hardwood of the basketball court and then on through his final semester of high school, before leaving the comfort of a town and teammates he has grown to love, headed for the collegiate ranks.
As a result of his athletic and academic talents displayed during his time in Weatherford, Lewis-Moore has more than 10 NCAA Division-I universities to choose from, which all want him wearing their uniform during the 2008 collegiate football season.
Despite the attention that comes from being recruited by schools like Notre Dame, Michigan, and Texas A&M, just to name a few, Lewis-Moore continues to keep the big picture in perspective.
“It’s good. I like the attention and everything, but really, I’ve got to not let that get in the way of the team goals,” he said. “After the season, I’ll let all that fall into place and if I have a good or a bad season, hopefully, I’ll make the right choice and the colleges will still be on my side.”
Lewis-Moore transformed his 6-4, 225-pound frame in 2006 into a 6-6, 235-pound frame during the offseason. His stature, with the combination of shoulder pads and a cowboy collar, make him one of the most intimidating Roos on the Weatherford defense. Because of his size and ability, Lewis-Moore knows opposing offensive linemen will be looking for ways to slow him down.
“At first, I talked to my mom about it and I told her about how all these teams are going to key on me,” he said. “I was kind of nervous at first, but then again, when I looked at the big picture, I’m just another player on the defense. If you don’t want to run to my side, then you have to mess with 10 other guys, so either way, it’s going to be trouble. We are going to do our best to make the play.”
Lewis-Moore said he wanted the Weatherford defense to be one of the top defenses in District 4-5A prior to the 2006 season, but injuries and many series spent on he field allowed opponents to rack up 260 points and 3,390 yards throughout the year. However, the Roos were able to do enough, on both sides of the ball, to reach the Class 5A playoffs for the second year in a row.
“I still want to meet the same expectations and maybe even go beyond our expectations,” he said. “One thing that changes this year, it’s not really about the defense, it’s about the whole team, is making that third consecutive playoff appearance.
“That’s one thing that has been sticking out in my mind because there’s not a lot of teams that can say, ‘Hey, we’ve been to the playoffs three years in a row.’ I think that would be a big thing for Weatherford.
“The community is out here supporting us, being excited,” he said. “I just think it’s awesome. New coaches are coming in and being real enthusiastic and I think a lot of kids are feeding off that. They’re telling their moms and dads about it and everything. I think it’s going to be great this year.”
With the new coaching staff this season, comes new offensive and defensive philosophies. The change in defense moved the Roos out of the 3-4 and into the 4-2-5. The adjustment is one Lewis-Moore said he is excited about, but the change he is most excited about was made on the offensive side of the ball with Weatherford shifting from a one-back, spread offense into a spread, triple-option offense, a switch that should allow the offense to use the clock, while giving the defense more time to rest on the sideline.
“Most coaches say you can’t have the defense on the field for too long, but as long as the offense can control the ball ... they’ve been working real hard and busting their butts,” Lewis-Moore said. “Coach Wheaton has got them disciplined, I think the offense is going to take care of business.
At first, I’m going to be honest, I was like, ‘Triple-option. Nobody runs that anymore.’ Now, I believe in Coach Wheaton and I think it’s going to be great.
“With Fred [Thomas] and Ethan [Kelly], Ethan as quarterback and Fred as fullback and all the slot backs, I think it’s going to be pretty decent.”
Even after the Roos’ opponents decide how they will attack the Weatherford defense and stop the Weatherford offense, there is one aspect they cannot prepare for. That aspect is one Lewis-Moore said might be most important to the success of the Roos in 2007, the closeness of the players and coaches and their belief in one another.
“That is going to help us out a lot because everybody knows what everybody is good at and everybody knows what their role on the team is,” he said. “It is without question what you are going to bring to the table and what’s expected of you.
“Plus, with these coaches who focus on discipline, not being perfect, but just getting there, I think that is going to help everybody out.”
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