HSFT Stop #25: Nettleton

NETTLETON, Miss. (WCBI) — Kyle Bond is entering his first year as a head football coach. His first goal when he got to Nettleton was to establish a culture that breeds success.

“The biggest thing with that is consistency,” Bond said. “They understand that you have to be here every day and you have to be coachable. It is nothing special, it is just doing what you are supposed to do everyday.”

It didn’t take long for the team to feel a change at practice. The Tigers are learning a completely new offensive and defensive scheme but after a month of practices they are feeling much more comfortable.

“It was really different,” junior running back Cedric Ford said. “He is really straight forward, I like that about him. He is going to teach the game the way it is supposed to be taught and that’s just the way it is.”

Head coach isn’t the only change, the Tigers are looking to replace production all over the field, giving opportunities for younger players to play a big role.

“We lost a lot of people from last year so we are going to have a lot of new guys step up so that is going to be a challenge but we are looking forward to having a good season,” senior lineman Max Smith said.

The leaders know they will be a big part of the younger players’ success. That is a challenge they are approaching head on.

“It all starts with the seniors, with the experience,” Ford said. “We come up here, we have to set the example and set the tone. If they don’t know how to do something, help them out.”

A main focus for Nettleton is being the same team day in and day out. The Tigers were inconsistent at times in 2023. If they can remain steady throughout the season the Tigers are confident they can achieve their goals.

“Good teams stack days, they have a good day and they follow that with an even better day so that is where we are at with our expectations,” Bond said.

Nettleton will look to start stacking wins on August 30th on the road against Caledonia.