For the last three years, Andrew Moore had a successful career at Troy Buchanan High School, scoring over 1,200 points, playing in a state tournament and earning an all-state award.

Now after a month, Moore has been a solid addition for the Montgomery County Wildcats, scoring in double figures in every game and helping his team turn in solid performances, including one against the Wellsville-Middletown Tigers in the annual Pink Out boys game on Dec. 20 at W-M’s Roundtree and Johnson Court.

Moore scored 18 points to lift the Wildcats to a 101-35 over the Tigers. He scored 14 points in the first half, including a monster dunk in the first quarter, to help MCHS pull away from W-M.

After the game, Moore posed with his team with the Traveling Trophy. He said he enjoyed the experience of playing in a contest that is a fundraiser to help out cancer victims.

“It was really cool playing for something bigger than basketball,” Moore said. “It really gives us something to really go out and work hard for.”

Moore helped the Wildcats break the 100-point mark for the second time this season. On Dec. 3, MCHS beat W-M 105-24 in a first-round game of the Montgomery County Invitational Tournament. Before this season, the last time the Wildcats surpassed the 100-point mark was on Feb. 8, 2017, when they scored 101 points against – who else – the Tigers.

Clayton Parker and Tyler Erwin were the other Wildcats in double figures against the Tigers. Parker scored 22 points and Erwin finished with 10.
MCHS won the Pink Out game for the third consecutive year. It also improved to 3-0 in Eastern Missouri Conference play.

Moore, who has been playing basketball since he was in kindergarten, earned all-state honors in Class 6 last year after leading Troy Buchanan with 650 points. The year before, he helped the Trojans place third in the Class 3 Show-Me Showdown.

After three years at Troy, Moore moved to Montgomery County before the school year began in August.

“Last year, we were living with our grandparents in a bigger house and they didn’t want to take care of it anymore, so they decided that they were going to move to Wentzville,” Moore said. “We decided to move to our other house, which was in Bellflower.”

Moore joined a MCHS program which has six seniors who have been playing together since they were in elementary school. He said he was greeted with open arms by his new teammates from the first day of open gym.

“The core group has been here for a long time,” Moore said. “I think I fit in pretty well. It’s a lot of hard work. We have a lot of talent. It’s been clicking really well.”

Moore scored 16 points in his first game as a Wildcat on Dec. 5, which was a semifinal game against Fulton in the Montgomery County Invitational Tournament. A day after the Pink Out game, Moore finished with 22 points – including the game-winning basket with eight seconds left – to lift the Wildcats to a 67-65 win over University City at the Midwest Showdown Shootout at Ritenour High.

Moore, who plans to continue his basketball career at McKendree University next year, said his mission for his first and final season with the Wildcats is to help them return to state. Last year, MCHS finished fourth at the Class 3 Show-Me Showdown, its first appearance at the state event since 1974.

“I just want to win as many games as I can,” Moore said. “Hopefully, we can go out and get back to Mizzou.”

W-M dropped to 2-6 overall and 0-1 in EMO play with the loss to MCHS and will play its next game on Jan. 7, when it plays New Franklin in a first-round game of the New Franklin Tournament.

Senior Gage Marshall scored 14 points, including 11 in the first half, to lead the Tigers.