Crestwood's Moody has breakout performance in playoff win

Crestwood defensive back Khalil Moody had a night full of firsts on Friday. He was playing his first career playoff game as the Knights hosted Battery Creek in the first round of the 3A bracket. He also scored his first career touchdown on a fumble recovery. That was just a piece of Moody's great night. The Knights won 47-10, and now Moody has added another first, as he wins the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week.

"It feels great," Moody said of winning the vote. "It's kind of new to me; nothing like this has ever happened before."

Moody played a key role in Crestwood extending their lead in the second quarter, essentially putting the game away at the half. The Knights led 20-7 when Moody was able to scoop up a fumble and return it for a touchdown to push the lead to 26-7.

"As soon as I saw the ball on the field, I thought of the drill we do at practice every day, the scoop and score," Moody said. "I took the fundamentals I learned in practice and put them into the game, and it came out great. I was super hyped. My first varsity touchdown."

In the second half, Moody was able to help ice the victory with an interception. He was playing man-to-man and took the opportunity to make a play.

"The receiver took a slow release, so I wanted to stay on top of the route," Moody said. "I locked in on the ball, and that was it from there."

Moody, who finished with five tackles in the win, said he definitely got a boost from the home crowd as Crestwood played its first home playoff game since 2013.

"It was amazing. You get that home court advantage feeling, and everything is in play," Moody said.

Crestwood head coach Roosevelt Nelson said he wasn't shocked by Moody's breakout, but he was glad to see his sophomore defensive back step up in a crucial game.

"We're proud of the way he stepped up and made some plays, but I wasn't tremendously surprised. We've seen him make those kinds of plays in practice, and now he had the opportunity to make them on a Friday night," Nelson said. "The more guys we have making plays, making a difference in the game, it helps out tremendously."

Now the Knights travel to Dillon for a second-round matchup on Friday. Moody doesn't want to rest on his laurels after a great game.

"I don't wanna dwell in the past," Moody said. "I don't want to stay in memories of making plays. I want to make new plays against Dillon. It's going to be tough, but we're going to pull through. We're tying to make history."