The Noxapater football team faced its share of adversity, including a pair of injuries to key parts of the offense, in a 22-7 home loss lo Starkville Academy on Friday night. But head coach Casey Orr says his team must rebound and be ready to perform when the Tigers travel to face Smithville this Friday at 7.
“We had some injuries Friday night, but we had some kids step up,” Orr said. “Defensive especially we had some guys (Chris Roberts and Chevy Welborn among them) come in and we just keep plugging and playing. We were just never able to put any more touchdowns on the board.”
This week the Tigers open Region 2-1A play against Smithville (3-0). The Seminoles are ranked No. 1 in MHSAA Class 1A by Mississippi Gridiron, while Noxapater comes in at No. 2.
The Seminoles defeated Mantachie 33-7 last week and also have wins over Hatley (33-25), and Belmont 12-0.
“They have beaten two 3A schools,” Orr said of Smithville. “They throw it well. The quarterback gets the ball out his hands quick. They are going to try and get it out to their skill guys in space.
“We have to bounce back,” he said. “Last week was not our best performance.”
Noxapater actually jumped out to a 7-0 lead against visiting Starkville Academy. The Tigers drove 88 yards for the opening score with K.D. Carter sealing the deal with a 55-yard touchdown run. He finished the night with 78 yards rushing on 14 attempts, while Raheem Hathorn had six carries for 23 yards.
Both Hathorn and Ethan Carter were injured during the game. Carter isn’t expected to play this week, but Hathorn should be able to return.
“When they got hurt that really limited our offense and they (SA) were able to key on (K.D. Carter),” Orr said. “That made it tough on us offensively.
Starkville came back to take a 13-7 lead at the half thanks to a blocked punt. Another special teams mistake helped the Volunteers pick up another score late in the game, as the Vols notched a touchdown and field goal in the fourth quarter.
Chris Roberts led the Tigers with seven tackles, while K.D. Carter, Sawyer Roberts, and Kyler Carter had five each. Dontavius Rush, Chase Ray, and Austin Cole had four stops each, while Kyle Phillips picked off a pass.
