Blue Devils hoping history repeats itself Friday night

Blue Devils hoping history repeats itself Friday night

West Memphis faces Russellville in 2000 playoff rematch

WM School District As he normally did on days after football games, coach Grafton Moore was busy doing his team's laundry when the phone rang in the fieldhouse.

The caller identified himself as Andy Gardiner of USA Today.

'I didn't believe him at first,' Moore recalled. 'I thought it was a joke.'

It was no joke.

The night before, his Blue Devils set a national high school team rushing record with 878 yards in the team's 74-37 win in the 2000 quarterfinals of the state playoffs at Russellville.

This Friday night, the 2016 Blue Devils return to Russellville to once again play the Cyclones in a state quarterfinal game.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The 878 yards in 2000 were verified as a national record and West Memphis High School got some big national recognition in the nation's newspaper. The Blue Devils bested the previous record of 745 yards in 1998 by Tabor City South Columbus, N.C.

'We were actually too busy trying to win the football game to give (the stats) much thought,' Moore said. 'Landon Leach (who later signed with the University of Arkansas) was the Russellville quarterback.

He threw five touchdown passes that night.'

The Blue Devils had three backs gain over 100 yards, not the least of which was the great D'Arrius Howard, who eclipsed the 400-yard mark for the second time in his West Memphis career.

Howard rushed for 403 yards and five touchdowns on his way to setting a career state rushing record. But the most amazing thing about his effort was he only got three rushing attempts in the second half. Halfback O.J. Thomas put up an additional 204 yards and three TDs and in the second half, sophomore Josh Morris ran for 134 yards and two scores.

'It was a perfect night,' Moore recalled. 'It was down to 32 degrees by the time we got started, the field was in great shape, there was no wind and it was a fast track.

(Russellville) really had no clue how to defense the wing-T.

'We ran three plays all night. We ran fullback trap, blast and the buck sweep.

Our stat man, Thad Williams, came to me after the game and said we had 878 yards rushing. I just looked at him and said, 'No way.'' In the USA Today article, Moore said the stars of the game for the Blue Devils were the offensive line of Mario McKillion, Tim Brown, Brian Ginn, Pat Robinson and Rodney Stokes.

And Moore is excited about the current Blue Devils, who travel west on I-40 this Friday night for a chance at advancing to the Class 6A semfinals.

'It's a great tribute to head coach Billy Elmore for getting the program back to the quarterfinals,' said Moore. 'He and the coaching staff have done a tremendous job. He's gotten us back to where we used to be. Right now Blue Devil football is on a solid foundation.'

By Billy Woods