Nyrius Moore-Smith has been a game-breaker on both offense and defense for Whiteland this season.
Daily Journal file photo
Nyrius Moore-Smith and Maalik Perkins aren’t known to run their mouths a whole lot. In fact, the two Whiteland sophomores don’t say much of anything.
Their actions on the field speak more than loudly enough.
Impacting both sides of the ball with their speed, Moore-Smith and Perkins have been delivering big plays on a regular basis for the Warriors this fall. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see either one do so again in Saturday’s Class 5A state final against Valparaiso.
Nearly every game this season has featured at least one highlight reel from one, the other or both.
Moore-Smith, who broke off a 66-yard touchdown run in his first game as a freshman, has delivered plenty of similar moments this year. He intercepted two passes in a Week 2 win over Lawrence North, returning one of them 70 yards for a touchdown in the Warriors’ 24-13 victory. The following Friday, he had a 56-yard TD run at Decatur Central.
He hauled in a 30-yard scoring pass against Perry Meridian and added touchdown runs of 32 yards or more in regular-season wins over Mooresville and Greenwood as well as in the regional rout of Plainfield. In that contest, he added another pick-six as well.
Perkins has been just as lethal at times. He’s had at least one run of more than 20 yards in six different games, with his long a 57-yard TD trot in a Week 8 win over the Quakers. He scored on rushes of 29 and 18 yards in the sectional semifinal against Terre Haute North.
The pair has combined to rush for 1,011 yards and eight touchdowns on just 103 carries this season. Along with senior Jonathan Crowley (92 carries, 862 yards, 10 TDs), Moore-Smith and Perkins give Whiteland a chance to score just about any time they dial up a sweep.
“You’ve got to have big plays to win,” Warriors coach Darrin Fisher said. “You’ve got to get 4 before you can get 40, and it’s good to have somebody that can bust it off for 40 when the opportunity presents itself.”
They’re not just delivering big plays on offense. Moore-Smith has five interceptions on the year; Perkins has three along with a pair of fumble recoveries. Manning the corners in the Warrior secondary, Perkins leads the team with 15 passes broken up and Moore-Smith isn’t far behind with 10.
The pair has combined for 67 tackles.
“Our defense has been our calling card,” Fisher said. “Our defense has been tremendous this year, and those guys, they’re all over the place.”
On offense and defense both.
So don’t be surprised if, at some point on Saturday night, Moore-Smith or Perkins — or perhaps both of them — come up with another game-breaking moment to give the Warriors a boost.
Game after game, they’ve been deadly — but silent.
“Maalik, Nyrius, Jon Crowley … it’s kind of neat, because you never really which one it’s going to be each week,” Fisher said. “Somebody’s going to have the hot hand.”
