Academics, athletics lead state’s top lineman to University of Mary

PALMER — Three years ago Everest Moore was part of a glut of young tight ends on the Palmer football roster.

Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen saw that he had a sophomore, Moore, and a few freshman all with the ability to contribute on the football field.

“I said, ‘guys, we want you all on the field,” Christiansen recalled. “So he was the one who switched. It worked out real good for the team.”

And it worked out really well for Moore, who after moving to tackle established himself as one of the top players in the state.

Now Moore is moving again, to the next level.

The Palmer senior has committed to play football for Division II University of Mary, and has received an academic scholarship to attend the private school in Bismarck, N.D.

“Three years ago, I didn’t think I was going to college (to play football),” Moore said Monday, as family, friends, coaches and teammates gathered in the Palmer High School weight room to congratulate the senior on the honor. “If I get lucky, maybe go to some smaller college.”

But after years of steady improvement, Moore become an anchor on both the offensive and defensive line. As a senior, he helped lead the Moose to the large-schools state championship game. He capped his career with all-state nods on both offense and defense, and became the third Palmer player in the last 11 years to be named the state’s lineman of the year.

“Last year he was our lineman who could go both ways and really make a difference,” Christiansen said of Moore’s work during his senior campaign.

When asked about his steady improvement and success, the humble Moore credited his faith and the people around him, first for the opportunity to play the sport and then for the support he has received during his prep career.

Integral to his evolution as a lineman was Palmer’s varsity line coach, Tim Popowski, said Moore, who is expected to play on the offensive side of the ball in college.

“There’s big linemen at all levels, but he’s got the smarts, work ethic and quickness to be a player for (the University of Mary),” Christiansen said of the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Moore. “Having really good coaching, coach Pop, is a big factor. He’s a guy who can really concentrate on the linemen, really help them with their technique.”

Academics also proved to be as important to Moore’s opportunity to play college football as coaching and overall physical improvement.

Moore, who is involved in several organizations off the football field, received an academic scholarship to attend the University of Mary.

Moore was also quickly drawn to the school’s physical therapy program, and has been invited by the university’s enrollment services department to apply for early entry into the school’s doctoral program in physical therapy.

Moore — who is active in the National Honor Society, student government, the PHS International Club and the youth ministry team of his church — said in this accelerated program he can obtain his doctorate in physical therapy in six years.

“Which is really appealing,” Moore said. “That was one of my deciding factors for Mary. They have a little higher standards than some of the other colleges I was looking at.”

Moore also had the chance to visit the campus in North Dakota during a summer trip to the Lower 48.

“I spent like a week visiting five or six schools,” Moore said. “Being able to see the campus, meet the coaches, that was one of the reasons why Mary stood out. Something when I was there just felt right.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.