Sign of the times

Pair of Cadets, Mustangs sign to play four-year football ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — Kirby Moore has known for some time that he wanted to play college football.

His Prosser High teammate Jordan Durbin started leaning that way prior to last season.

With their parents watching over their shoulders, Kirby Moore, seated left, and Jordan Durbin sign letters of intent to play college football Wednesday at Prosser High School. Moore will head to Boise State University to join his older brother, Kellen, a redshirt freshman. His parents are Tom and Kris Moore. Durbin will play for Central Washington University. His parents are Matthew and Kathy. (Ross Courtney/Yakima Herald-Republic) MORE PHOTOS BELOW

Up at Eisenhower, Taylor Elmo and Jordan Gaut have swung back and forth between football and basketball until the past few months until, in Gaut’s words, they both “couldn’t live with not playing football.”

Regardless of how they arrived at their decisions, it was a banner day for prep football in the Yakima Valley as all four officially accepted scholarship offers to four-year colleges.

“I can finally call myself a Bronco. I’m excited to get down there and get started,” said Moore, the record-setting wide receiver who decided last September to join brother Kellen at Boise State University.

“It’s awesome,” Elmo said of he and Gaut both earning scholarship offers, Elmo to the University of Idaho, and Gaut to Central Washington University, where he’ll be joined by Durbin.

“He’s one of my best friends,” Elmo continued. “I wish we could’ve gone to the same place, but I’m glad we’ve both got a chance to play somewhere.”

Durbin also felt that sense of relief, saying, “This is something I’ve been striving for the last couple of years.”

While all four are talented athletes, the most prominent signing was Moore, who was one of just three Blue Chip recruits according to The Seattle Times. That rating means he’s a player expected to excel at a Division I school.

And Moore could get his chance to do just that right away. Although he knows there’s a lot of work ahead of him to earn playing time as a true freshman for the highly ranked Broncos, the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder knows that opportunity exists because Boise State graduated four receivers and had a fifth underclassmen declare for the NFL draft.

“We’re a little thin at the wide receiver position, so I know I can get in there (this summer) and get to work,” he said. “If the coaches and I feel I’m ready, then it’s a go.”

Moore said having older brother Kellen to work with and go over the playbook will be a big help, but the younger Moore has already proven he’s more than capable of making an impact on the field, setting national prep receiving records for single-season touchdowns (34) and career TDs (95).

Eisenhower's Jordan Gaut, center, and Taylor Elmo, right, cut their cakes after signing their letters of intent to play football at Central Washington University and Idaho, respectively on Wednesday, January 4, 2009. (Sara Gettys/Yakima Herald-Republic)

Elmo, a 6-3, 220-pounder who is expected to move from quarterback to tight end and H-back for the Vandals, is excited about the prospect of turning around a program that’s struggled in recent years.

“I know the coaching staff and the class their bringing in, so I know we can turn it around,” said Elmo, who isn’t sure whether he’ll redshirt or not. “I’ll just go in and work hard this summer and see what happens.”

Durbin is expecting to redshirt this season, but the 5-10, 180-pounder, who was the Class 2A all-state first-team quarterback, was excited about the prospect of one day throwing to Gaut, a 6-1, 185-pound receiver.

With the signings by Kirby Moore and Durbin, Prosser continued its recent run of generating college players. That list, which includes Cody Bruns at the University of Washington, could be as high as 10 this fall.

Ike, meanwhile, has two signees in a year for the first time in Dan Eyman’s seven years as head coach, with Elmo becoming the Cadets’ first NCAA Division I signee since Juan Garcia went to Washington in 2003.

“It’s exciting for us as a team and exciting for their families,” Eyman said. “They’re going to two great programs.”