Countdown to Kickoff 2022: Stone Tomcats

WIGGINS, Miss. (WLOX) -The Stone Tomcats didn’t get a chance a a full season last year due to COVID, but after a full fall camp for the first time in a year, the Tomcats are ready to roll for a full season.

“Can’t get our game snaps back. We played catchup the entire season going into the playoffs,” said head coach John Feaster. “I think we forgot what a full camp was like but we’re getting back into the swing of things.”

In addition to missing time last year, the Tomcats sometimes have to move practice with the weather, sometimes having to bus to Mississippi Gulf Coast to get practice in.

For head coach John Feaster he says the team has responded well to the changes.

“I always say kids are resilient,” said Feaster. “They’re much more resilient than adults, they handle change better than adults. I think our kids have shown a lot and battled through a lot just to have a practice on a regulation field. I believe in this group.”

For this year’s squad they say they aren’t taking any snaps or practices for granted, regardless of where they take place

“Last year we didn’t get to play as much as we wanted to so we kind of picked it up this year and had the mentality that no matter what happens, we’re going to try and get these reps in and get better as a team,” said senior Stephen Cantrelle.

“I feel like we can do it because we’ve been doing it. We’ve had to come to Perk,” said senior Kdrian Smith. “We’ve been having it hard, we’ve never had a field. We just adjust.”

The Tomcats have around 16 seniors on this year’s team and they say they’re ready to make a big splash in their final season

“It really means a lot. We all came up from middle school together.,” said senior Bryton McInnis. “We’ve all been playing together.”

“We all got that chemistry from middle school form ninth grade and JV and I feel like we can come together and have a great season,” said Smith.

“I think this is going to be one of the best years we’ve had in a long time and I think this season is going to be a great one,” said Cantrelle.

The Tomcats open up the season at St. Martin.

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