By Johnny Sanders, For the Tribune
Each year, every football team begins the season with tons of confidence. Coming out of the locker room for that first game, they all have a bit of a swagger. They believe they are unbeatable. They jump up and down. They chant. They do whatever their pregame rituals are before they hit the field for the first time. The Friday night lights come on, the coin is flipped, and the ball is kicked.

Moody High School Head Coach Jake Ganus sporting a Pay The Bill t-shirt (Photo by Ron Burkett)
Then, approximately two hours later, only half of those teams are unbeaten. For one half, the swagger is gone and the reality that they are beatable begins to set in and half of the teams out there are now wondering how to correct whatever it was that went wrong. The other half still has that swagger. Each week that number shrinks until you have a few who make the playoffs with aspirations of winning a state championship.
For years, though it may not have happened in the very first game of the year each time, Moody has not experienced this type of swagger. Sure, they got excited about each game and probably thought they were unbeatable at times, but more times than not, they were on the side of the group of teams wondering how to correct what went wrong. The numbers do not lie. Historically, Moody has a 43 percent winning percentage, only three region championships, a 3-13 record in the playoffs, and has never made it past the third round.
Enter Jake Ganus.
Coach Ganus played quarterback at Chelsea High School and then went on to play defensive back (and eventually linebacker) at UAB until they temporarily shut down the football program in 2014. At that point, with over 70 scholarship offers (40 of which were Division I), Ganus chose the University of Georgia. All he did then was lead the team in tackles, be named team captain after only 11 months on the team, and get invited to the Senior Bowl.
After a short stint with the Minnesota Vikings, Ganus began his high school coaching career at powerhouse Thompson High School where he spent five seasons coaching linebackers and managing college recruiting.
Thompson won three 7A state titles during that time.
Now, you will find him on the sidelines as the head coach of the Moody Blue Devils. You will typically find him with a t-shirt on that says, “Own 411” or “Pay The Bill” referring to Highway 411, where Moody High School is located, and “The Bill” being Bill Morris Stadium, where the Blue Devils play their home games. During pregame, he will usually have his Moody hat on with the bill to the front, but when game time comes, the hat will turn around and Jake Ganus is all business.
Another difference you may notice if you visit The Bill for a Moody home game is that the team does not enter the stadium in the normal way. The PA announcer will energetically call for someone to call 911 and you will then see a police car with its siren on and lights flashing, followed by two buses filled with hyped-up football players and coaches.
The buses will speed around the stadium and rest at the main entrance, where the players will rock both buses while loud music flows out of the speakers. Then, the players back it up on the field.
“I’m young. People say I shouldn’t have gotten this job at 28,” said Ganus after his first game as Moody’s coach. The critics are being proven wrong, as Moody finished the regular season with a 9-1 record (mostly blowouts) and is currently ranked #5 in 5A, after going 6-4 in 2021 and going winless the year before.
Multiple school records have been set this year under Ganus and his staff and the fan support is second to none. Upon being hired, Ganus said, “where I come from (Chelsea) was similar in terms of size and community and facilities. Getting back to my roots was really enticing to me. I think people make the place and I think the people here make this a special place.”
Each week, home or away, the stands are packed with Blue Devil fans, excited about their team and its new swagger. That swagger has become infectious in the players as well.
Coming into the season, everyone knew about Arkansas commit Davion Dozier, who did not disappoint with 46 receptions for 1027 yards and 17 touchdowns (most of the time while being double-teamed and almost never playing in the fourth quarter). As the year has plugged along, quarterback Cole McCarty has garnered much praise for “video game-type numbers” (133/187 for 2482 yards, 34 touchdowns plus 49 carries for 348 yards and three touchdowns rushing) week in and week out.
While both young men have been very impressive this year, the prolific offense that hits the field each Friday night includes a whole host of big-time players that do not get quite as much press as the others. Running back Blaine Burke has exploded onto the scene with 1381 yards on the season, averaging just over 10 yards per carry and 17 touchdowns.
He also has 22 receptions for 328 yards and four touchdowns. Kolby Seymour has helped a good bit as well with 39 receptions for 753 yards and 13 touchdowns. Each time you ask an offensive skill player how they can be so successful, they will tell you to look no further than their offensive line, anchored by Mason Myers.
The defense, behind leaders such as Caleb Griffin, Carson Dillashaw, Amon Lane, and Zane Smith, has improved each week, many times pitching a shutout until substitutions begin trickling into the game that is already in hand.
After enjoying a bye week to heal some bumps and bruises, Moody will host a playoff game for the first time since 2004. With a victory, Moody would have their first playoff win since 2004 as well. The Jasper (formerly Walker) Vikings bring a 5-5 record to The Bill in first-round playoff action. Jasper started the season with three straight losses and then went on a five-game winning streak before finishing the season with two consecutive losses.
“It’s a new season now,” Ganus said. “Only one team in 5A is going to go 5-0. Only one team gets to hold up that blue map at the end. We have a lot of work to do.”
Jasper @ Moody, Friday, November 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.