Back in May, when the Vicksburg Gators were going through offseason workouts and spring practice, head coach Marcus Rogers saw one of his players making the leap to greatness.

A broad, sly smile would cross his face when talking about the 6-foot-3 wide receiver he claimed was going to tear up opposing defenses in the fall of 2016. Seven months later, after it actually happened, he’s still beaming with pride when the subject of Raheam Moore pops up.

“I’ve seen some good receivers in my years of coaching, and I could tell in what he was doing out here working and how he was doing our DBs in the summer and the spring game that he was due for a breakout season,” Rogers said.

Boy did he ever have a breakout season.

Moore tied one Warren County record with 77 receptions, and set another with 20 touchdowns. His 1,135 receiving yards marked the third-highest total in county history.

Moore was a first-team Class 5A All-State selection. His touchdown total ranked second in Class 5A and was tied for fourth among all receivers in the state regardless of classification.

Finally, Moore stands alone atop a talented field of candidates in his backyard as the 2016 Vicksburg Post Offensive Player of the Year. He’s just the third wide receiver to win the award in its 29-year history, and the first player from Vicksburg High to get it since quarterback Cameron Cooksey and wide receiver A.J. Stamps shared it in 2011.

“It means a lot. It was something I wanted to win coming into the season,” Moore said.

The county’s touchdown record was something else Moore wanted. His quest started last offseason, when he ascended to the role of No. 1 receiver in the Gators’ offense following the graduation of Tedarious Brown.

Moore had a respectable season in 2015, catching 27 passes for 381 yards and five touchdowns, but knew he’d have to improve and play a bigger part for the Gators to succeed.

“It all started during the summer. I had to realize (Brown) wasn’t here any more and I had to step up and take over. I just tried my best to take over and it worked out well,” Moore said.

Moore caught six passes for 90 yards and a touchdown in the season opener, a 35-21 win over Wayne County, and then turned in a rare dud against Terry. Vicksburg won 21-0, but he only caught one pass. It was the last time that happened.

Moore caught nine passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns the following week against Warren Central and was never shut down again. He had at least one touchdown in 10 consecutive games, five 100-yard games, and seven games with multiple touchdown receptions.

“He just put in the work. We went to some camps and he got his confidence up, and once he got his confidence up he felt like no one could stop him,” Rogers said. “As the year was going on, he commanded for the ball more. Even in that Grenada game in overtime, he said, ‘Coach, just throw me the post.’ You’ll miss those things out of a kid like that, that has a feel for the game and can go make those plays.”

Moore set the county’s touchdown record in the regular-season finale, when he scored twice in a 49-26 win over Holmes County Central. That gave him 20 for the season, one more than Stamps had in 2011.
Porters Chapel Academy’s Cole Smith, who caught 15 TD passes in 2006, is the only other player in Warren County history with more than 12 in a season.

“Before the season started, my goal was to break the record. During the season, after I saw that I could break it, it just kept pushing me harder and harder to go ahead and go get it,” Moore said.

Moore was clearly the Gators’ biggest receiving threat this season, but he wasn’t the only one. Teammates Jeff Scott and James Allen caught 52 and 47 passes, respectively, while combining for 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns. Quarterback Joe Johnson had 3,010 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Moore’s presence helped everyone involved in the passing game by drawing extra defenders his way, but he gave credit back to his teammates. Their ability, he said, kept defenses honest enough to give him a chance to still have the great season he did.

“I had a lot of help from some good receivers like Jeff and James. When they tried to double-team me, those guys would step in so I just picked my time to go one-on-one and go score,” Moore said. “If I was the only receiver I would have gotten double-teamed a lot and I wouldn’t have had the chances to do what I did.”

Moore has yet to make his college selection, and will likely sign with a junior college because of his grades. Rogers, just as he did last spring, continued to sell his star receiver as a top prospect once he finishes at whatever two-year school he winds up at.

Given their track record, it’s hard to doubt them.

“More importantly he’s a good character, high character kid. Yes sir, no sir guy. Just a young man that I’m looking forward to seeing on the next level, because I believe his best days are ahead of him,” Rogers said. “He had a good year for us this year, but it’s just two years in. He could learn so much more. He could get more polished on his route running, and once he gets faster there’s going to be some Division I teams out there going crazy for him.”

Vicksburg Post Offensive Players of the Year
2016 – Raheam Moore, WR, Vicksburg
2015 – DeMichael Harris, RB, St. Aloysius
2014 – Connor Smith, QB, St. Aloysius,
DeMichael Harris, RB, St. Aloysius
2013 – Connor Smith, QB, St. Aloysius
2012 – Peter Harris, RB, Porters Chapel
2011 – Cameron Cooksey, QB, Vicksburg,
A.J. Stamps, WR, Vicksburg
2010 – Chris Marshall, WR, Porters Chapel
2009 – Tim Jones, RB, Warren Central
2008 – Clayton Holmes, QB, Porters Chapel
2007 – Austin Barber, RB, Porters Chapel
2006 – Hayden Hales, QB, Porters Chapel
2005 – Chris Mixon, RB, Porters Chapel
2004 – Larry Warner, RB, Warren Central
2003 – Larry Warner, RB, Warren Central
2002 – Richmond Fields, RB, Warren Central
2001 – J.J. Brown/Phelan Gray, RB, Vicksburg
2000 – J.J. Brown, RB, Vicksburg
1999 – Caris London, RB, Vicksburg
1998 – Thomas McKnight, RB, Vicksburg
1997 – Josh Morgan, QB, Warren Central
1996 – Ben Jernigan, QB, Porters Chapel
1995 – Stacy Williams, RB, St. Aloysius
1994 – Brian Darden, RB, Warren Central
1993 – Brian Darden, RB, Warren Central,
Jamaal Williams, RB, St. Aloysius
1992 – Brian Darden, RB, Warren Central
1991 – Alfred Daniels, RB, Vicksburg
1990 – Damian McClelland, RB, Vicksburg
1989 – Larry Carter, RB, Warren Central
1988 – Kenny Johnson, RB, Warren Central
1987 – John Kavanaugh, RB, St. Aloysius