News 25’s 25 Teams in 25 Days: Moss Point Tigers

MOSS POINT, Miss. (WXXV) — Last season, John Feaster led the Stone football program to a place it hadn’t been in 31 years. Now, he’s trying to lead the Moss Point football program to a place it hasn’t been in 23 years.

“Ever since he came, I knew he meant business from the first day I met him, so he came in and we just went to work,” said Moss Point senior running back/outside linebacker T.J. Charles.

“This place is rich with tradition,” said Feaster. “We’re a long way away from it, 20 years since we won a state championship, but it’s here. The bloodlines are here, and these kids have got to know that they can be great.”

After seven seasons as head coach of the Stone Tomcats, Feaster left on a high note, returning the program to South State for the first time since 1991.

During his time in Wiggins, his motto was always, ‘Lord Strength,’ now practicing what he preaches as the first-year head coach at Moss Point.

“Lord Strength, the main thing,” said Charles. “He talks about that a lot, Lord Strength.”

“I’m a spiritual person,” said Feaster. “I believe the number seven is very powerful, so it was time for a decision. God was ready for me to make a change. I tell people this all the time, I feel like I was pulled here, and it’s always been because you’ve been around me, it’s been bigger than football all the time, but I just feel like God has greater work for me to do, and he wanted me to do it here.”

Little did Feaster know last year, he played his future school at the end of September, coming away with a 27-point win.

Back in Moss Point, that was the Tigers’ sixth loss in a row to start the season, followed by a one-point heart-breaker at Pass Christian, and just like that, they were 0-7.

“It was more personal than anything cause I feel like we had worked so hard to get to this place and then we lost by one point, and everybody just kind of took it personal since then and we just started busting our butt in practice,” said Moss Point senior defensive end/tight end Malcolm Stokes.

To their credit, the Tigers won the games they needed to win – two straight to end the regular season – good enough to extend their playoff streak to 11 straight, and good enough for a first round home game, resulting in a 48-6 win over Forrest County AHS, followed by a 27-point road loss at Quitman in Round 2.

They ended the year at 3-8 overall and 2-2 in Region 8-4A.

“We weren’t playing on the same page,” said Stokes.

“That’s really the main thing is playing on a Friday night, you’ve got to play as one,” said Charles. “If not, you’re going to lose.”

“We came to our senses too late,” said Moss Point senior center/nose guard DeShawn Feazell. “It was too late to know our worth and our value and what we could do as a team, so that’s why we started off now over the summer, started working out knowing our value and our worth, and let’s go continue on the field.”

Perhaps the best thing to come out of last year’s ups and downs, Moss Point discovered its true RB1 in the form of Charles, a Southeastern Louisiana commit who stepped up due to injury, rushing for more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns in just six games.

He’s also the top returning tackler for Moss Point’s 4-2-5 base defense.

“He’s so dynamic because he’s gifted,” said Feazell. “Everything that he did he worked for.”

“You’ve got to remember, I grew up in Picayune, Mississippi, so we’ve got to be able to run the ball,” said Feaster. “I guess if that means it goes through TJ, it’s going through TJ, and I think everybody knows that. But TJ knows that it goes through the offensive line, and that’s the main thing is we’ve got to make sure our offensive line is gelling together and ready to lead this team because we can only go as far as the trenches.”

Leading the way on the O-line is Feazell, and Stokes on the D-line.

Right now, it’s a two-horse race for the starting quarterback job between Kevon Ford and newcomer Connor White (both juniors).

Overall, Moss Point returns about seven starters and 10 seniors, gracious in victory and defeat.

“Gratitude to me is being grateful for everything that we have,” said Stokes.

“Take everything for a privilege,” said Feazell. “Do not take anything for granted. Do everything with a purpose.”

These days, the word ‘gratitude’ has newfound meaning in Moss Point in the aftermath of the June 19 EF2 tornado.

The Tigers jumped into action two days later, helping clean up debris across the city.

The community paid it forward with a brand new press box and new lights scheduled to go up before the team’s home opener.

“Football is a big thing in South Mississippi, man, and I think our community is looking for something to hang on now,” said Feaster. “Of course, you can’t predict things like that, but that morning we did tell our kids, adversity is going to hit at some point. Well, we didn’t know it was going to hit that afternoon.”

“Everyone donated Powerades and stuff like that,” said Charles. “People came out and helped us clean the field, stuff like that. You can start to see the guys start to appreciate those things like that.”

“It’s not all about us,” said Feazell. “It’s about our community of Moss Point. It’s about our momma at the house. We go through hard times like that. But we’re here, and we go play Friday night. People were praying with us but they’re going to be praying on us when it’s time for the game to start.”

The City of Moss Point is healing through football, more than two decades removed from its last gold ball, and still looking for No. 6, which would be more than any other school from the six coastal counties.

“We’ve all got one goal, to get a gold ball and bring it back to Moss Point,” said Stokes.

“I just want to win a gold ball and bring everything back that Moss Point had,” said Feazell. “I want to bring it back, and my teammates are going to help me do that.”

“We’ve got a saying,” said Feaster. “We say face the champions, so if we’re warming up and we’re turning to our right on one end, it’s face the champions. We’re always going to look at the champions because that’s a reminder of the greatness that they have in them, I mean it’s here. We don’t have 100 kids anymore, but you’ve still got greatness here, man. Those kids need to be reminded of the labor and foundation that has been laid for them.”

As of now, Moss Point kicks off the season at home against Pascagoula in a Battle of the Cats on August 25, following Friday’s preseason jamboree at East Central.