NORTH SHELBY &8212; Oak Mountain athletic director Jerry Hood didn&8217;t have to look far for someone to take over the Eagles&8217; cross country and track program, as he recently hired Oak Mountain middle school coach Jim Moore.

&8220;He&8217;s done an excellent job and he really has a great rapport with the kids,&8221; Hood said.

Moore, who started the middle school cross country program in 1998, looks forward to coaching some of his former runners again.

He fills the vacancy left when long time Eagles&8217; coach Marty Springfield was relieved as head coach in early May, weeks after a third place finish at the outdoor track state meet.

Moore hopes he can continue where things left off.

&8220;There will definitely be big shoes to fill,&8221; Moore said. &8220;I hope to take it as far as we can go. Our focus of course is state. Coming in third last year in track and field I think gives us a good advantage, at least in excitement.&8221;

Despite losing a large number of seniors, Moore hopes his freshman class will helpe pull the team together