2015 High School Football Tour – Stop #32: North Pontotoc

July 23, 2015

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ECRU, Miss. (WCBI) — Times are changing at North Pontotoc High School, home of the Vikings.

A school that had one division title prior to 2013 now has three and North is expecting more.

“The last couple of years, we’ve started to win football games,” head coach Brian Sutton said. “And when people come watch you play in the spring, they expect you to win. That’s good for our school and community. Our kids are working hard and wanting to keep the tradition going.”

North Pontotoc is enjoying a run of success the school has never seen.

Two division crowns in two seasons plus two double digit win seasons in a row is breaking new ground with the Viking football program and coach Brian Sutton.

With 1,500 power rusher Zay Cullens returning in the backfield, it will be a ground attack that coach Sutton hopes will lead the way in 2015.

“That’s something we’ve worked on offensively in the spring was our run game,” Sutton said. “That’s a strong suit for us. We have all our offensive line back except for one and the kids understand they all have to do their part to keep making us successful.”

The North Pontotoc football program has come a long way since its inception.

From 1987 to 2002, the Vikings managed just two winning seasons. Now since 2008, NP has had seven consecutive winning seasons and with that success comes heightened expectations and a bulls-eye on their back going into the 2015 season.

“We used to say we don’t want to be a one and out team and now we’ve gotten over that hump,” Sutton said. “It’s gotten to the point where we get in the playoffs and we want to make a run and go deeper and deeper. Everybody’s goal is to play for a State Championship and those words were hush-hush around here for years . But we want to get back in the playoffs and make that run. You can’t make one if you’re not in it.”

The Vikings will certainly be in it with a wide open 3A North this season and they hope this is their year to win a State Title, a first in school history.