HSFT Stop #23: Water Valley

Last season, Water Valley took another step forward. The Blue Devils finished 9-3, claimed a region championship and fought their way to the second round of the playoffs.

Now, as head coach Clint Faust enters his third season, the expectations have changed. Water Valley knows it can compete, and now the focus is on seeing just how far the program can go.

“I always look at year three to see where our program’s kind of trending,” Faust said. “So with us, you know, winning nine ballgames last year, winning a region championship, making a little playoff run, I think we’re headed in the right direction. We just want to build on that. We want to obviously win the region again, make a little deeper playoff run, if not playing for that gold ball.”

Inside the Water Valley locker room, on the field and in the weight room, there’s one word you’ll find on the back of every player’s shirt: relentless.

It’s more than a motto. It’s the identity the Blue Devils want to carry every time they step on the field.

“To me, that’s the team that’s not going to quit,” Faust said. “We’re going to be the same we were on the first snap to the last snap. I want the team that we’re playing opposite us on the opposite sideline to look over there in the fourth quarter and say, ‘Those guys are not quitting.’ Whether the score’s in our favor or not in our favor, that can really play into the psyche of another team.”

Running back and safety Tre Adams said the message is simple.

“‘Relentless’ kind of use it as, like, to keep going when you’re tired,” Adams said. “We don’t give up. Everybody’s tired. We’ve got to just keep going.”

Receiver Shaddai Freeman believes that mindset has fueled the program’s steady rise.

“It means just even when we’re tired, even when the other team is, we know we’ve got to do it,” Freeman said. “So just put the other opponent down.”

For a team that has shown steady improvement each of the last two seasons, the players believe that one word perfectly describes who they’ve become.

“That’s just our motivation,” Freeman said. “That’s what’s going to push us and keep us going this season. The progress we’ve made, we’ve made progress from last year, prior year, the year before, and I think there’s just a year to go in it.”

While the goals are lofty, the Blue Devils know they’ll need the next generation of players to continue that climb.

Water Valley will rely on several younger players to fill important roles this fall, and Faust believes the experience those players gained last season could pay off when the games matter most.

“The good thing is our young guys got some playing time last year based off of some scores of the different games and things like that and just needs at different positions,” Faust said. “We’re looking for some of those really young guys, ninth and 10th graders, to step up, especially up front.”

Leaders like Adams understand their responsibility extends beyond making plays. As one of the team’s seniors, he wants to make sure the Blue Devils’ standard never changes.

“As a senior, I’m trying to keep the young guys motivated to keep playing, don’t give up,” Adams said. “I’m just going to try to give my all so I can get it to the state championship.”

Now, Water Valley will see if its relentless mindset can carry the Blue Devils from contenders to champions.

The Blue Devils open the 2026 season on Aug. 28 against Independence.