Over the summer, during voluntary weight and conditioning workouts, members of the Noxon High Red Devils six-player football team spent a significant amount of time thinking about the opportunity at hand.

The highly touted group of freshmen from a few years back were now entering their senior year.  

As now senior quarterback Brian Risch put it... “We’ve been waiting a long time for our senior year,” he said. “We know this is our time, at last, and we have to take advantage of it”. 

That feeling prevails among the team, including head coach Lucas MacArthur. 

“We know what we have to do,” he said recently.  “These guys are a good group and have been working hard”. 

In addition to Risch, the Red Devils will be counting on a healthy Ricky Williams, another of the group of talented underclassmen that have given rise to the quiet optimism for this year. 

MacArthur declined to name who were the top returning players, but for good reason. 

“I can’t pinpoint one or two players that I am most excited to see,” he said. “I am proud of all our guys and the guys and the work they are doing.”

And despite some losses to graduation, MacArthur had praise for the departing group of seniors. 

“We always miss our seniors or players who leave,” he said. 

And with 16+ players out this season, he is optimistic about having depth to keep the team strong. 

“We have a lot of movement on the field this year”, he said. “What I mean by that is we will be able to keep fresh legs on the field for longer.”

Small enrollments and turnout at six-player schools can often be a concern as the season wears on. Last year, Gardner could not field six players early into the season.  Same with Lima, who made the long trip to Noxon last year despite the game being a forfeit before they arrived with just five healthy players. 

In one of the finest displays of sportsmanship, the game went on as scheduled with Noxon “lending” Lima enough players to enable 6-on-6 action and a game when there otherwise would not have been one. 

This year, MacArthur wants his team to keep growing as the season progresses. 

“Like always, we want to keep growing,” he said. “We want to grow in all areas, but we have been specifically focusing on building the team dynamic.”

And as always, one of the key games on the Noxon schedule will be their trip to rival Hot Springs for their annual six-player showdown. 

“We are obviously always looking forward to the Hot Springs,” MacArthur said of their game with the Savage Heat at the end of the regular season, October 25 in Noxon.  

“They are a very well-coached team and a consistent powerhouse.  We want to be prepared for that game, and we also want to take this season week by week.”

Noxon opens this season with a road trip to Power for a game versus Power-Dutton-Brady, a three-town co-op. The Red Devils open their home season the following week with a Sept. 6 game against Valier in Noxon.

    Senior quarterback Brian Risch drops back and looks for a receiver as the Red Devils prepare for their season opener, a road trip to Power this Friday. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
  

    Noxon works on both sides of the ball during a Friday practice this past week as they get ready for their season opener Aug. 30 in Power. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)