Former Shady Side star Skyy Moore ready to begin sophomore season at Western Michigan
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The Western Michigan football team returns to the field Nov. 4 to take on Akron, and former Shady Side Academy star Skyy Moore couldn’t be more elated.
“I’m super excited, and I feel like we’ve been working long, longer than usual, so I’m just happy to get back on the field and show what I’ve been working on over the summer and the early fall,” Moore said.
The 6 p.m. game is on ESPN3.
Like many college athletes, the New Kensington resident almost lost out on his sophomore season when the Mid-American Conference canceled fall sports earlier this year because of coronavirus.
A spring football season was a possibility. However, the Big Ten, Pac-12 and other conferences decided to play this fall after players voiced their opinions to return despite the risks.
When Moore saw how successful the other players were, he decided to join the movement.
“I put something out. (Linebacker) James Patterson from Buffalo did, and one of the Ball State dudes did it, too,” Moore said. “Then Akron, Ohio and Toledo all hopped on with it, and we got some momentum. The MAC took notice and made a meeting to reevaluate the decision. Once they made the meeting to reevaluate the decision, I kind of knew we would be back.”
Moore, a receiver who earned first-team All-MAC honors as a freshman after recording 51 catches, 802 yards and three touchdowns, said he was glad he took the initiative.
“I honestly felt like if we would’ve just laid back and just let it run its course, I feel like we wouldn’t be playing,” Moore said. “But we got out there and applied pressure, and we like the result.”
Now, it is back to business as usual, even though Moore and his teammates never really stopped. After finding out the season was canceled, Moore was still going to the stadium to work on routes and improve his game.
“It’s been crazy. It’s been kind of wild not knowing when you might be able to suit up,” Moore said. “But I haven’t really been home as much as I would be probably. So, I was up here. I was still taking the same approach. Keep going to the stadium. Keep working on my routes. Just keep working. Even though we were canceled, we were still working.”
Moore said the team treated the first part of this fall like spring ball.
“At first it started as helmet practices, and we were all just moving around and getting timing with the quarterbacks,” Moore said. “Then it started slowly turning into spring ball-type feel, even after the cancellation, and we transitioned to more spring ball-type practices, which helped us a lot.”
Western Michigan will only play six games this season. After Akron, they will play Toledo, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Eastern Michigan and Ball State. With the short season, Moore said he is not worried about putting up mind-boggling statistics. He wants one thing.
“We just want to win a MAC championship,” Moore said. “This is the year to do it.”