Noxon wins, sets sights on Valier

The Noxon Red Devils were on the road Friday for their last game of the regular season, but the long road trip to Twin Bridges didn’t stop them from adding another win to their record. The Red Devils came home with a 54-14 victory over the Falcons.

“It went really well,” Noxon Coach Lucas MacArthur said. “Twin Bridges has been getting better as the season has progressed.” The only scores allowed by the Noxon defense last Friday were in the second quarter. MacArthur said his defense was playing back rather than reacting to plays, but they quickly corrected their errors and switched their focus for the rest of the game. He credited senior Johnny Knerr with getting the defense back on track. “He’s been a big addition to our team this year and was key in the win,” MacArthur said. “He has been able to start getting the defense lined out.”

The Noxon offense showed why they are the No. 2 seed in the western division Friday. MacArthur said senior Gage Hendrick had over 150 yards rushing against Twin Bridges. The coach added that Ricky Williams had some amazing catches last Friday, including one in which he had to keep his feet planted in the end zone and reach his hands out to catch the ball for a touchdown. MacArthur also said quarterback Brian Risch ran the ball really well in Twin Bridges and was able to advance the ball. “He has started looking downfield and reading the field better. That’s something we’ve been working on with him.”

Noxon’s focus since their bye week two weeks ago has been looking to the postseason. “We focused all of our attention this last week on how we are going to attack Valier,” Coach MacArthur said. Noxon will again be on the road Friday for their first-round playoff game against Valier. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. MacArthur likened this game to the Hot Springs game earlier in the year, which was a tough competition in which Noxon gave up 19 points in the first half before coming back within one score of the Savage Heat. Hot Springs won by one score in overtime at Valier, so MacArthur said the competition will be similar for Noxon. “We need to go out there with momentum.”

MacArthur said Noxon has struggled in the playoffs and has not been able to get a win. “It comes down to how disciplined you are and how much you really want it,” he said, adding that his team is starting to come together. “The idea of winning their first playoff game is something they know is possible for them. We’re excited. This is a game that we can absolutely win.”