UConn received an oral commitment from Snorsio Moore of West Haven. Moore, who goes by "Sio" (pronounced SEE-oh), is returning to West Haven after playing high school ball in North Carolina the past two seasons. Here's the story I wrote than ran in Monday's Register.


West Haven’s Snorsio "Sio" Moore can relax a bit after making two significant decisions this past week.

First, he gave an oral commitment to attend the University of Connecticut on a full football scholarship. A 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker, he is the sixth commitment for Huskies coach Randy Edsall for the class of 2008.

On Saturday, he decided to transfer back to West Haven after spending the last two years attending school at Apex (N.C.) High, where he played fullback.

“Me and my mom went up to UConn last Sunday, and we were both blown away,” Moore said. “We sat down with coach Edsall and the coaching staff and they made me feel at home. What impressed me the most is the way they went about their business with both football and academics. I shook his hand and said I’m ready to commit.”

Moore grew up in West Haven and attended West Haven High as a freshman before heading to North Carolina to live with his sister and attend high school. He wrestled with the decision to return to West Haven full time for his senior year, going back and forth several times before settling on a return home.

When Moore left for North Carolina, he was 5-11 and 175 pounds. He’s grown into a physical specimen though hours of hard work in the weight room. He says he currently squats 455 pounds, benches 330 and power cleans 315 while maintaining above average speed (his 40-yard dash time is 4.57) and a world-class vertical leap (39.5 inches).

East Carolina recruited him last season, but never offered a scholarship. It was only when Moore attended football camps at Temple and UConn this summer that he truly began to draw attention. Both schools offered him scholarships after seeing him work out.

“I didn’t really play any defense last year,” Moore said. “We needed some help on offense, so I played fullback. But I’ve always looked at myself as a defensive player. I played outside linebacker at West Haven, and some inside. But linebacker is where my heartbeats at.”

At West Haven, Moore will be a welcome addition to a team that went 9-2, qualifying for the CIAC Class L playoffs last fall. Among those Moore will be lining up with for the Blue Devils is his cousin, O’Brien Johnson, also a linebacker.

“Every summer for the last two years I came home to West Haven and looked up a lot of those guys,” Moore said. “I’m excited. West Haven is a great program, and there’s a lot of fire power there.”