#HSFT21 Stop #20 – Water Valley Blue Devils

WATER VALLEY, Miss. (WCBI) – “Potential,” head coach Brad Embry said. “I think we have a lot of it. It is just what it is. We got to prove it.”

“We’re just growing into it,” senior wide receiver and kicker Jon Surrette said.

The Water Valley Blue Devils are a team full of potential. They finished with a 4-5 record last season, which proved valuable for the Blue Devils.

“Our youth showed at times,” Embry said. “Those guys got a lot of valuable experience. This year those same kids are going to be counted on. We’ve had a full summer, a full spring, and I’m really looking forward to what we can do.”

“Last year was a real big rebuilding year,” Surrette said. “We lost a lot of people from the year before. We finished with about five seniors, so there’s a lot of leadership on the team. Everybody had to play a role because, unlike the state championship team in 2018, we didn’t have that many seniors to lead us. So everyone just had to step up.”

Now the senior class looks to step up its game to help this team go back to a place they haven’t been since 2018: The state championship.

“We were freshmen the state year,” Surrette explained. “Leading up, we had something to prove. We were putting in the work. We’ve been trying to lead by example, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”

“When I was a freshman, and we won state, the seniors just pushed the younger guys,” senior athlete Marion Morgan said. “So I’m just looking for us seniors to come together and push the younger guys and helping them get better.”

Morgan went from signaling touchdowns for the Blue Devils as a freshman to scoring them. Embry says he will be a go-to guy for them this season.

“We got to have him out there on both sides of the ball and special teams,” Embry said. “He’s just one of the guys we’re counting on as the season goes to help us reach our goals.”

“He’s one of a kind,” Surrette said. “I haven’t played with anybody like him. He might not have the height, but he has the heart. I love to watch him play. I can’t wait to see how he turns out.”

Morgan and the 14 other seniors hope the younger players can tap into another level that comes with experience.

“They know what to expect,” Morgan explained. “So they can play more fast and physical.”

“As you know, maturity comes more consistency will come on the football field,” Embry said. “I hope by the time we get to region play, we’re more consistent, and that carries on into the playoffs.”

The Blue Devils hunt for a full circle finish to the season starts on the road against Independence on August 27th.