Alabama defensive back commit Malachi Moore delivered a highlight play to end his senior season.

Moore returned an interception 57 yards for a game-clinching touchdown Friday in a 35-29 victory over No. 1-ranked and undefeated Thompson, putting an exclamation point on a disappointing season for the Hewitt-Trussville.

“I knew they were going to take some shots,” Moore said, “because they were behind, and they were trying to attack the middle of the field. I just sat back ready, and actually one of my teammates got some pressure and hit the quarterback, and the ball was adjusted and he overthrew him. I was in the right place at the right time to make a play.”

Moore and his Hewitt-Trussville teammates did not qualify for the playoffs – the first time the Huskies are out of the postseason since 2012 – but Friday’s victory Moore’s interception return secured a fifth straight winning season and sent the underclassmen into the offseason on a high note.

Moore does have two more games on his schedule – the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic on Dec. 14 and the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, in early January.

Moore finished his senior season at Hewitt-Trussville with 83 tackles, eight pass break-ups and four interceptions, according to MaxPreps, while playing almost exclusively at safety, the position he’s projected to play in college. He returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns.

In his final two games, Moore played perhaps the best football of his high school career. Against Tuscaloosa County to weeks ago, he tallied 12 solo tackles, eight assists, three tackles for loss and an interception. Against Thompson, he had three solo tackles, six assists and the game-clinching interception return.

“Malachi had a great season senior,” Hewitt-Trussville coach Josh Floyd said. “He was very productive in a lot of ways, leading our team in tackles and interceptions. We him to safety this year, and it allowed him to have more of an impact on the game each week.”

How would Moore grade himself in his first season at safety after playing cornerback earlier in his high school career?

“I would give me an A,” he said, “just the way I dealt with everything. We never expected the season to go like this in the summer when we were preparing for the season. As things kept not going our way, I just tried to keep a level head and kept trying to lead the best I could and stay positive.”

How did Moore like playing safety?

“Last year, I played strictly corner for the most part and I didn’t get that many targets unless I was going against George Pickens or Jadon Haselwood,” he said, referring to 5-star receivers he faced in 2018. “There was a couple of games last year when they didn’t even try to throw the ball to the receiver I was guarding, so it was kind of boring. Once I moved to safety, I figured out that I can make plays from sideline to sideline, even if the ball’s not going to me.”

Moore is one of three defensive backs among the 23 players committed in the Class of 2020, alongside 4-star Sandy Creek (Ga.) safety Brian Branch and 4-star Sandalwood (Fla.) cornerback Jahquez Robinson.

Like many committed players, Moore said he’s still recruiting and said he’s been lobbying St. John’s (D.C.) defensive lineman Tre Williams and receiver Rakim Jarrett to make a visit to Alabama. “I’m still recruiting hard,” Moore said.

Moore plans to graduate from Hewitt-Trussville in December and enroll at Alabama in January.

What does Moore think about the upcoming showdown with LSU and star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s health?

“I think Tua is going to be OK. … I know they’ll get him right for the LSU game,” he said.