#HSFT16: Stop No. 9 – Noxapater Tigers

NOXAPATER, Miss. (WCBI) — Since Tyler Peterson’s arrival, Noxapater has quickly become a stable and stout football program.

Head coach Casey Orr expects that to continue in 2016 and he’s been able to depend on his kids going out of their way to improve.

Our guys get after it in the weight room,” Orr said. “I have guys come up here on their own which is something I’ve never been blessed with. I have guys that come up here at night that come up here on days they have off and they’re pulling tires and pulling sleds and I think in this day and age it’s a blessing to have kids that come up and work on their own like that.”

It’s a talented group returning for coach Orr’s third season as head coach of the Tigers.

Speed and skill are all across the field and there’s a special group of upperclassmen that return for an important season.

I’ve been extremely proud of my junior and senior class,” coach Orr said. “Our quarterback James Hunter Stalcup, has done a good job leading. Our receiving corps Malik Miller and Demaret Woods have done a good job of stepping up. Keonte Daniels is one of our senior running backs. Had a great year last year and another guy we count on to lead us.

“We are excited about our junior and senior class. The skills they have and they way to go about leading this group.”

Five years removed from their special State Championship season, the expectations haven’t changed for a program that averaged 8 wins a season over the last 5 years and has lost just one division game in 4 of those 5 seasons.

Yes, going back and winning again is still the goal but the Tigers start at the bottom and build their way up.

“We feel with our program when we set goals, achieving and striving for a district championship is something we’re supposed to achieve every year like the playoffs,” Orr said. “Once we get in the playoffs, anything can happen. We want to get there and we know we have a lot of youth.

“We’ll use the first part of the season to get their feet wet because we’ll have several freshmen have to step up and play key roles for us.”

Noxapater will start the season at home versus JZ George before finishing August on the road at East Webster.