Q&A with starting Falkville wide receiver

Lauren Estes-Velez

Hartselle Enquirer

Falkville senior Noah Holmes said he did not realize the extent of his impact he would have on the field alongside the rest of the Blue Devils.

With four wins in four weeks the impact speaks for itself.

The win against Vinemont was sealed by the interception Holmes made in the last seconds of the game.

Currently, Holmes leads the receivers with his 15 catches for 312 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He also has a record 15 tackles in four games as well as three kickoff returns on the season for 43 yards.

Although the record states that Falkville is perfect thus far, their biggest trial is yet to come as they face R.A. Hubbard on the road Friday. Holmes said he is excited and nervous for the challenge.

“This Friday is probably going to be one of our most difficult games this season and the Decatur Heritage game might be a challenge, but if we pull off the win this Friday … then that will be a big step in our season.”

Holmes has set several goals for himself – specifically in receiving yards and overall consistency on the field.

“I’m looking to improve on my ability to catch the ball and get down the field better,” Holmes said. “My goals for the season are at least 800 receiving yards and scoring 10 touchdowns.”

Something that is special for Holmes is he is not only a leader on the team with other players, but he is also a role model to his younger brother, Austin.

“He’s a tenth grader and playing alongside my brother is special to me because I want to be a positive influence to him,” Holmes said. “I want to lead him to be the best player and leader he can be too.”

The Enquirer asked a few questions of Noah Holmes on his favorite things surrounding the game.

Q: What is your favorite pre and post game meal?

A: “My pre-game meal would probably be steak and potatoes because that seems to fill me up the best and gives me the most energy for the game. My favorite post-game meal would be McDonald’s or Huddle House because that’s really the only two things open after a game and most of my teammates go with us to hang out after games.”

Q: What are a couple of your favorite moments so far this season?

A: “My favorite moment would probably be the interception I had against Vinemont with under a minute in the game-because that pretty much sealed the game for us. My second favorite moment would be the 63-yard touchdown in the Woodville game because that was my first real chance to show my speed.”

Q: If you could play any other position on the field, what would it be and why?

A: “I would like to play quarterback because that’s what I played most of my football career. I played quarterback up until the eighth grade and that’s when I switched to receiver.”

Q: Who is a collegiate or professional player you look up to?
A: “I look up to Julio Jones who plays for the Falcons because he has been one of my favorite players ever since he played at Alabama. He is just a level-headed guy that doesn’t  talk much, but shows up on the field.”

Q: What is one specific team goal Falkville has set for themselves at this point in the season?

A: “The team goal for this week is to go 1-0. We’re not worried about the past or the future this week. This is the biggest game of the season so far and we just gotta get past them and the rest of the season is to not lose a game after that. We hope to make a deep run into the playoffs and then, make it to state.”
Q: What’s a piece of advice that has stuck with you?

A: “When coach talks to the team he always talks about work ethic and working together, something he said was: “We can’t win together if we don’t play together.” This is meaningful to me because it tells me that I need to work with my teammates and not get mad or angry if I don’t get the ball every play-because it’s a team game that we play.”

Q: If there was one thing you could share to readers or fans that you feel gets left out, what would it be?

A: “None of us on offense would be getting the yards and touchdowns without the offensive line blocking for us. Most of the line from last year graduated and that meant that linemen needed to step up and that’s what they did. They get overlooked by everyone, but that’s a big part of our success.”