Growler Brandon Moore Loves The Feeling Of Snatching Rebounds For Medical Lake Hoops Team

Ever hear a Cardinal growl?

Down low in the Medical Lake Cardinals basketball team’s paint - “bloody-nose alley,” where the bruisers rule - 6-foot-3 post Brandon Moore is in a rebounding mood.

Thirty pounds heavier than a year ago. An inch taller.

This young man says he loves to rebound almost more than he loves to score.

Moore goes to the glass, tearing down missed shots. He’s averaging more than 10 rebounds a game this year.

And when he squeezes the rock, he growls.

Like his idol on the Chicago Bulls, this Dennis Rodman of the West Plains seems to get as many rebounds as he wants. But that’s where the similarities end with “The Worm.”

No tattoos like Rodman, says Brandon, rolling up his sleeves.

No spike stuck in his navel.

And don’t expect Moore to show up for math tests in a white wedding dress, a la Rodman.

Moore might rebound like Rodman on the court, but after the buzzer sounds his style is Medical Lake, not Madonna-pal.

“I think rebounding is the most important aspect of the game,” says Moore, describing the special feeling of pulling down a missed shot with authority. “It gives me the confidence that I can get up higher than my opponents.”

Medical Lake went undefeated in preseason play.

Moore, who averages 15 points a game, isn’t the only reason why the Cardinals have gone 6-0.

Senior point guard Carlos Simmons is averaging 17 points. Andre Jackson, a junior swingman, is adding another 14.

Moore and Jackson, best friends, played plenty of one-on-one against each other during the summer.

While Moore admits that Jackson won many of those playground matchups, he said the pickup games convinced him that he could defend against smaller, quicker players.

“When the other team sets a screen, I know I’ll be able to take the guard,” Moore says.

Why does Brandon good-naturedly admit to envying his pal Andre?

Quite simply, because Jackson dunks. Two-handed, backboard-shaking slams.

Despite Moore’s size, he rarely samples the air above the rim. After all, he’s the Dennis Rodman of the West Plains, not the Michael Jordan.

But Medical Lake coach Dave Olzendam says leaping ability isn’t everything when it comes to getting the boards.

“Brandon’s not a great leaper, but he’s crafty,” Olzendam says. “He knows where to tip it and go and get it. He times it really well.”

A bounce pass away across the West Plains, Cheney head coach Denny Humphery adds his own views on Moore:

“I just think Brandon’s got good basketball savvy,” Humphery says. “He’s in the right spot all the time.

“That’s something you just can’t coach.”

Despite the fact that Moore put on 30 pounds this year, thanks to an off-season well spent in the weightroom, Olzendam says the post player challenges his smallest guards for every windsprint in practice.

Even with Moore’s added bulk, Olzendam says this 16-year-old junior has actually gotten faster.

“He’s quicker than he looks,” Olzendam says. “He’s got deceptive speed.”

Moore was an All-Northeast A fullback in football.

Last year, his first on the varsity basketball team, Moore said that he may have been just too eager to prove himself on the court.

This year, Moore is more patient. Relaxed. Satisfied to dump the ball to players on the wings when he doesn’t have a opening down low.

“Having such a good team around me, I can dish it out with the confidence that they’re going to get the shot,” Moore says.

Of course, that sentiment works both ways.

When his teammates shoot, they have confidence that Brandon Moore will corral a rebound.

All they have to do is listen for the growl.