A combination of excellent skill players, an experienced offensive line, and strong senior leadership has Noxapater Tiger football fans looking forward to the 2019 season.
“We have eight seniors and five of those guys started since the ninth grade,” said veteran Noxapater head coach Casey Orr, who led the Tigers to a 10-3 mark last season. ”They have been on the field and know what it is about. They know what works and has not worked. We are looking to them for leadership.”
Noxapater jumped out to a 10-1 start last year, stringing 10 consecutive wins together after dropping its opener to St. Andrew’s. The season closed out with a loss in the regular season finale to Nanih Waiya, followed by a loss to East Marion in the first round of the playoffs.
This year the Tigers are looking to go much deeper into the playoffs, but Orr also recognizes that realignment has made his team’s path to the postseason a little tougher.
“In the past you played some teams that you felt confident that if your guys showed up and played that you would win,” Orr said. “This year there are very few of those games. We have four or five teams (in our division) that are pretty good. The teams in our district are well coached.”
This year the Tigers are playing in Region 2-1A, which will have them playing in the North for the first time in recent memory. Making the transition to the new region with Noxapater is defending MHSAA Class !A State Champion Nanih Waiya.
While French Camp, NW, West Lowndes, Vardaman, and Ethel joined Noxapater in the move, there are also some new faces such as Okolona, Smithville and Tupelo Christian.
“Those are some teams with some history,” Orr said. “You are going to be going toe-to-toe with some pretty good football teams.”
To get ready for Region 2-1A play, the Tigers have a stout non-league schedule opening the season with back-to-back road games against Choctaw County (Ala.) on Aug. 23 and Eupora on Aug. 30, before hosting MAIS power Starkville Academy on Sept. 6.
Noxapater then opens league play against the three unfamiliar names on the schedule, visiting Smithville on Sept. 13, hosting Okolona on Sept. 20, and traveling to face Tupelo Christian on Sept. 27.
Then comes the big rivalry game with Noxapater on Oct. 3, followed by West Lowndes, Ethel, Hamilton and Vardaman to close out the regular season.
Orr is counting on strong, experienced offensive line play to help his team be able to control the ball and put points on the board.
“Our strongest positions are probably our offensive and defensive line,” Orr said. A Trio of seniors are part of that reason. “Ryan Whitfield, Kylan Carter and Sebastian Gunnin have that experience and can adjust to whatever is facing them,” he said.
Whitfield and Gunnin are the guards, while Carter and Ethan Easley are at the tackles and Austin Cole is the center. D’Antray Anderson and Sawyer Roberts, who also plays H-Back, will provide depth on the line.
On the defensive side of the ball, Whitfield and Roberts are the ends, with Carter and Cole playing inside. Gunnin and Anderson will also seeing playing time there.
Running the offense for the Tigers will be sophomore quarterback K.D. Carter, while Raheem Hathorn and Ethan Carter will get most of the touches out of the offensive backfield.
“They each bring their own thing to the table,” Orr said of Hathorn and Ethan Carter. “Raheem is a physical downhill type of runner and Carter is more of a speed guy.”
Orr also says he has a nice weapon in K.D. Carter. “He started for us last year as a ninth grader. He is a supreme athlete and a competitor.”
Manning the wideout spots are Rashad Hornesbuger and Dontavius Rush, with Connor Thrash and Chevy Welborn providing depth. Caleb Ellingburg is the tight end.
D.J. Kelly is the place-kicker, while Landon Bailey is handling the punting.
Playing behind Noxapater’s experienced defensive line is a strong set of linebackers in Chris Roberts, Chase Ray, Hathorn, and Ethan Carter. Kyle Phillips, Hornesbuger, Rush and K.D. Carter will see most of the time in the defensive backfield.
“Experience there is our biggest concern,” Orr said of the defensive backfield. “We have at least one ninth grader and three 10th graders back there. They are still learning and growing. Our biggest help there is going to be our senior D-line helping by getting to the quarterback.”
