West Broward High football program aiming high coming off its best season ever

West Broward Bobcats football coach Brian McCartney predicts that his former star wide receiver, Joshua Moore, will start this year as a true freshman at the University of Miami.

The Bobcats, who have never won a state title, had the best season in program history last year, going 9-4 and reaching the regional finals for the first time.

Moore, at 6-4 and 220 pounds, caught 57 passes for 1,020 yards, a 17.9 average and 11 touchdowns.

“Josh was one of the big reasons why we had so much success,” McCartney said. “He stayed loyal to us and helped bring players in.

“His work ethic is second to none, and he is very explosive. It might take him a game or two to figure it out (at the college level). But once he does, he will have an incredible season.”

McCartney hopes the same is true for West Broward in 2025.

One thing that is not in doubt is the amount of attention the Bobcats are now getting. This past spring, more than 60 college scouts stopped by the West Broward campus in an effort to recruit Bobcats players.

“Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Miami, Florida State, Florida ...,” McCartney said. “All the big dogs were here.”

Six years ago, when McCartney was hired, the Bobcats couldn’t draw scouts even if they offered free pizza.

The Bobcats at that time were coming off a 1-9 season, and they were ranked the second-worst team in Broward County.

By McCartney’s third season in 2022, the Bobcats finished 6-5, winning a district title for just the second time in program history. The Bobcats that year also beat rivals Flanagan and Cypress Bay for the first time ever.

The next year, the Bobcats went 7-4 and repeated as district champs.

Last season was even better, and that’s why the scouts have turned up at Bobcats practices and games.

“West Pembroke Pines has always had talent,” said McCartney, who currently has about 20 of his former players competing in college football.

“The problem in the past was that many of those talented players were leaving here to go play at a private school such as St. Thomas Aquinas, Hollywood Chaminade or American Heritage.”

Now, a lot of those kids are staying home to play for the Bobcats.

“It’s about building relationships with kids and having them trust you,” McCartney said. “Our goal is to turn young boys into quality men.”

McCartney has several quality players this season as he returns six starters on offense and five on defense.

in addition, he added the names of about a dozen transfers to his roster.

“I didn’t bring in transfers – they just showed up,” McCartney clarified. “They meshed well with the guys.”

The Bobcats, who will compete in Class 6A again this season, believe a state title is a realistic 2025 goal.

“We’d have to go through defending state champion West Boca Raton as well as Miami Southridge,” McCartney said. “Up north, I’d expect Jacksonville Mandarin and Kissimmee Osceola to be tough.

“But I tell my kids this all the time: If you win a state title at West Broward, your name will go down in history forever because you’d be the first.”