Alabama 8th-grade QB Kole Moody on record pace...for high school team

It's rare for a high school to get a player who comes in as a freshman and makes an immediate impact at the varsity level. What's even rarer is when an eighth-grader comes in and takes the state by storm.

Alabama is no stranger to eighth-grade phenoms. Thompson junior Trent Seaborn played varsity ball as an eighth-grader, and in the four years he's played as a starter, he's led the Warriors to a pair of state titles.

However, as good as Seaborn has been, another eighth-grader looks well on his way to shattering not only Alabama state records, but national records.

Southside High School in Selma is home to 13-year-old eighth-grader Kole Moody.

All Moody has done since being named the Panthers' starter is lead the team to a 13-0 record and one win away from the Class 3A state championship. Oh, and he's also passed for over 5,000 yards and nearly 60 touchdowns.

Moody actually saw playing time as a seventh-grader for the Panthers. Last season, he went 3-for-36 with 527 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The talent was shown,, but what he's accomplished this year has gone beyond anything anyone could have imagined.

Entering this week's semifinal matchup with Bayside Academy, Moody has thrown 17 interceptions, but that's trumped by 76% completion percentage, 5,089 yards, and 58 touchdowns.

Two Southside receivers, Cedrick Simmons and Derrick Surles, have over 1,000 yards and 18 receiving touchdowns. Simmons is one of the nation's leading receivers with 99 receptions for 2,083 yards.

Earlier this year, Moody broke the record for most passing yards in a game set in 2021 by former Southside quarterback Christopher Thomas. The record was 575, but Moody threw for 584 yards in a blowout win over Bullock County.

He's also already shattered the season passing record set by 2008 Cullman quarterback Tyler Caldwell, who threw for 4,132 yards that season. From 2018 to 2022, Piedmont quarterback Jack Hayes set the state's career passing record with 11,024 yards and 158 touchdowns.

At the rate he's going, Moody could surpass those numbers during his sophomore season.

The 5-foot-7, 150-pound Moody has yet to pick up any major college offers but is well on his way to shattering national records.

Matty Mauk of Kenton (Ohio) holds the passing yardage record. From 2008 to 2011, Mauk threw for 18,932 yards and 219 touchdowns.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: Southside (Ala.) eighth-grader Kole Moody on record-shattering pace