Albany resident honored at Cisco College

Long time Albany resident J.M. Moore was honored as a distinguished alumni by the Cisco College Wrangler Belles during their performance in Cisco during halftime of the college’s Homecoming game with Trinity Valley Community College on Sept. 30. 

Moore graduated from Olden High School in 1944 and enlisted in the Navy as soon as he turned 18. He served on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific during World War II.

After being discharged from the service, Moore attended Cisco Junior College and played on the school’s first football team as an offensive lineman, and as a guard and linebacker on defense. 

The team had 36 players, and about 12 of them were veterans, as was the coach. 

“Our coach had been a Marine sergeant and had been in several battles in the Pacific,” said Moore. “We had some real good ball players but, even more than that, they were just good men.”

Moore was a co-captain on both the 1947 and the 1948 teams. He was named First Team All-Conference. 

Moore transferred to Wyoming University for a short time before deciding to return to a warmer climate. 

He was welcomed back to CJC to play a third season with the Wranglers, and was once again selected to be a co-captain of the team in 1949.

Moore and his wife Maxine have been married for 71 years. They have three children, Kathleen, Linda, and Jim; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

The Albany resident was also honored by the Cisco College football team during a morning practice in mid-August.