West Orange rising senior David Moore, above, said UMass was a great fit for him, academically and athletically.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange High School rising senior David Moore has given a verbal commitment in accepting a football scholarship to the University of Massachusetts.
Moore, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound wide receiver/defensive back, was a key player for head coach Darnell Grant in last season’s run to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5 state championship game.
In the 35-0 semifinal win over Piscataway, Moore had two receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown, and posted four tackles and one fumble recovery. The Mountaineers finished with a 9-3 record after losing to Super Essex Conference foe East Orange Campus, 13-7, at home, in their second state sectional final appearance in program history; the first was in 2022, when they won the North 2, Group 5 sectional title.
On the season, Moore rushed nine times for 75 yards and a touchdown; had 19 catches for 271 yards and three touchdowns; posted 23 tackles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery; and had five kickoff returns for 210 yards and a TD.
Moore said UMass is a great fit for him.
“UMass academically has everything I’m looking for, plus more,” Moore said to the West Orange Chronicle. “The support they have set up for the athletes is amazing. It’s like if you fail, you have to hold yourself accountable because of the support you have.
“Athletically, I like that the entire coaching staff is new, so it feels like a fresh start and a culture change and that’s something I wanted to be a part of. They were the most consistent during my recruitment process and it felt good because they believed in me and I felt like I’m their guy.”
The family atmosphere at UMass also was appealing to Moore.
“The staff is like one big happy family and I like that, because I’m a big family guy,” Moore said. “I feel like they can and will help develop me to become a professional athlete, which is my end goal. Their vision – belief, ownership and sacrifice – is something that resonated with me because those are some core values I try to incorporate in my daily approach on life and football.”
UMass, led by first-year head coach Joe Harasymiak, is looking to improve on last year’s two-win campaign. The Minutemen will make their debut in the Mid-American Conference after competing as an independent.
Moore is excited about his senior season, looking to finish the job of winning a state title.
“My goals for my senior year are, of course, first and foremost, to win the ‘ship (championship). We definitely have some unfinished business to handle, but personally, I’m working hard to achieve the goals I have set for myself, such as making the NJ All-State football team,” said Moore, who had approximately 20 scholarship offers, including Duke, West Virginia and Pittsburgh.
Grant, who has been the head coach at WOHS since 2019, praised Moore’s work ethic and skill set. “David is a football junkie,” Grant said. “He loves the game. He can play multiple positions and affect the game in a multitude of ways.”
Photo Courtesy of David Moore
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