Everybody gets hit with a punch now and then. It’s how you respond that matters.
Noxapater head football coach Casey Orr was more than satisfied with the way his Tigers dealt with a little adversity in their 32-15 road win over Eupora on Friday night.
Twice Noxapater responded to Eupora touchdowns by putting together solid drives that led to scores.
“That was one of the big things the game that I was really pleased with,” Orr said. We were able to regina our composure. To me as a coach and us as a staff it shows our mentality and our mindset. In the past we haven’t responded to adversity well. That’s something you are going to need to do if you are going to be a championship team.”
The Tigers, who play host to a 1-1 Starkville Academy team on Friday night at 7, got the ball to start the game when they recovered the opening kickoff. The Tigers then drove 46 yards in nine plays as K.D. Carter scored on a 2-yard run. The PAT failed and Noxapater led 6-0.
The Eagles bounced right back as Cade Adkins hit Tra McComb on a short pass that the speedster turned into a 61-yard touchdown. Kimble Dillinger booted the PAT and Eupora led 7-6.
The Tigers answered Eupora’s score with another long scoring drive as they went 75 yards in eight plays as Carter scored on a 4-yard quarterback keeper. The PAT failed and Noxapater led 12-7.
After a Eupora punt, the Tigers ate up most of the second quarter with a 12-play, 70-yard drive as Carter scored on a 14-yard run with 3:36 left in the half. The two-point try failed and Noxapater led 18-7.
The Eagles put together an impressive drive to end the half as they got down to the Noxapater 1 but couldn’t crack the end zone as the Tigers defense stiffened, allowing the winners to go into the intermission with an 11-point lead.
Noxapater received the ball to start the second half but fumbled it on a bad snap, giving Eupora the ball deep in the Tigers territory.
The Eagles needed six plays to find the end zone as McComb scored on a 5-yard touchdown run. The try for two was good as Adkins hit Travon McMillian to cut the lead to 18-15.
But the Tigers answered right back as the offense went 60 yards in four plays. Carter ripped off a 43-yard run and then scored on a 14-yard run with 6:28 left in the third. The PAT was good and the Tigers led 25-15.
Noxapater added one last score late in the fourth as Carter scored on a 4-yard run for the final margin.
“I really liked how physical we were,” Orr said. “Eupora is a very physical team and our guys met that challenge head on. That was something I was really glad about.”
K.D. Carter led the Tigers in rushing with a whopping 186 yards on 20 carries, while Ethan Carter had 64 yards on eight carries, Raheem Hathorn had 15 attempts for 60 yards and Chase Ray ran for 20 yards on six tries. In all the Tigers posted 326 rushing yards and K.C. Carter passed for 40 more.
“I was proud of our offensive line and our three running backs,” Orr said. “Ethan Carter, Chase Ray and Raheem Hathorn all did well.”
Sayer Roberts and three catches for 30 yards and Hathorn caught one for six. Orr noted that his Tigers liked to run the ball, but can certainly pass it as well.
Orr’s Tigers face the Volunteers of SA in Noxapater’s home opener on Friday. He said that Starkville Academy was unique for a high school in that one of the Volunteers major strengths was their special teams play.
“We are going to have to tighten up on our specials team plays, because that’s something they are gong to take advantage of,” he said.
Starkville Academy picked up its first win of the season last week, taking a solid 23-0 road win over French Camp Academy.
