By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
MOODY — Ric Flair told everyone: To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.
In this case, “the man” was Alexandria, the defending 5A Region 6 champions, a powerhouse program that essentially eliminated the Moody Blue Devils from playoff contention last season by beating the Blue Devils and injuring one of their best offensive players.
They couldn’t manage that on Friday night against a new-look, newly energized Blue Devils team that whipped them straight up. There was simply too much firepower — too much tenacity, too much of everything — on the field for the Blue Devils to fail, as they pulled away from Alexandria for a 42-27 victory.
In other words: They beat “the man” in Region 6.
That’s why the Blue Devils are The Tribune’s Argo Hardware Team of the Week.
It didn’t matter that Davion Dozier had what was — for him — a quiet game. With the Valley Cubs keying on Dozier, Blaine Burke went off, carrying the rock 23 times for 229 yards and three touchdowns. Kolby Seymour proved his versatility and dependability again, catching eight balls for 181 yards and a pair of scores. Quarterback Cole McCarty put in another strong performance, going 15-for-19 for 250 yards and two touchdowns.
It’s nearly impossible to overstate what this win means for Moody. If the first two wins of the season were statement games for the Blue Devils — and they were — the victory over the reigning region champs is the equivalent of throwing down a gauntlet to every other team in the region.
So does beating the man now make Moody “the man”? It’s a step in that direction, for sure. The victory makes the October 14 rivalry (and region) game against Leeds all the more important. Both teams will likely go into that contest undefeated, and there will be both pride and playoff implications on the line.
So there’s still a few steps left before Moody can be considered “the man” in Region 6. But what everyone knows for sure is that they’re The Tribune’s Team of the Week.