MOORE — Matt Mobley’s game is all about passion.

Whether it’s the exuberance he shows after converting a steal into a monster dunk or the anguish from missing a game-tying shot, the Westmoore senior wears his emotions on his sleeve when he is on the hardwood.

“That has always been there,” Mobley said. “Ever since I played little league. I just love the game of basketball .An when you love the game you’re always excited to play it. The emotion just comes out when you are playing the game.”

However, when he was younger, that unbridled enthusiasm for the game sometimes got Mobley into hot water.

“In my sophomore year, I would get too excited and kind of get myself carried away. It led to too much emotion leading to a turnover or something we didn’t need. Dad would be on me until about 2 a.m. in the morning talking about ‘Calm down. Slow down sometimes.’”

But for the past two years it has been the 6-foot-3 Mobley’s fire that’s been the lifeblood for a Jaguars squad climbing to reach the top of the mountain in Class 6A basketball.

Even more than his slashes to the basket or mid-range jumpers, it is the excitement Mobley brings to the court; excitement that has propelled the Jags to a top-10 ranking for much of this season.

“As a team we feed off of Matt’s energy,” Westmoore coach Robert Foreman said. “He is our catalyst. If he is playing with a high energy level it usually carries over to the rest of the team.”

But amazingly, that energy stems from tragic losses Mobley has experienced in his life. From the death of a parent to the passing of an aunt, the18-year old has experienced enough grief to break most teenagers.

Instead, Mobley has grown in the face of the hardships.

“I lost my mom when I was at the age of 11,” Mobley said. “Of course that is something that you will never get away from. Before that it was my granddad. It just seemed like every year someone was passing away. As you grow you understand that things happen for a reason and God has a reason for everything .And I have learned to deal with those things.”

Such was the case earlier this year when Mobley found out his aunt has died. It was during one of the toughest stretches of games Westmoore would have on the season.

“It was definitely a hard task because I have been dealing with death my whole life,” Mobley said. “It was just tragic things that just happen to you. But at the time when it happened, my aunt was very dear to me. And that was something the whole family hated to happen. And, of course, the time that it happened was during the Putnam City tournament. We had faced No. 1 Putnam City, which was a good game at first. Then turn around and play Del City. It was kind of mixed emotions because I was kind of going through certain things. But there is no excuse for those losses. But it was definitely a hard, tragic task that I had to get through it.”

Not only has Mobley gotten through the pain of losing his loved ones, the experiences have made him value each day he is alive, which is why he plays the way he does.

“You learn not to take things for granted,” Mobley said. “When I step on this floor it may be the last time I get to play. When you see death so much, you realize that nothing is given to you. If you want something you have to go get it. We are not given anything. We are not given tomorrow.”

With that on his mind every time he steps onto the court, Mobley knows that this season is his last chance to reach the state tournament.

“He has a tremendous desire to be the best,” Foreman said. “He has a passion for the game and he is not going to be out worked. Matt has matured as a person. He better understands what we are trying to accomplish as a team.”

According to Foreman, Mobley is being recruited by numerous junior colleges as well as a couple of Division II schools. After a couple of seasons, he could move up to a D-I program.

But with the postseason starting this week with the regional tournament, which will be held at Westmoore, Mobley wants to leave everything on the court when it’s all said and done and his prep career is over.

“You can expect to see a player that is going to give everything,” Mobley said. “Each and every game. It doesn’t matter if we are playing the lowest team or the best team. You are going to see somebody that loves the game and is going to give it his all. And try and get it out of his teammates as well.