Different attitude in Noble
Danny Arebalo remembers how Noble football struggled in the past. He and his teammates wanted to change that — and so far they’ve done it.
Danny Arebalo remembers watching the losses pile up each season.
Only a kid, he told his teammates they wouldn’t have the same struggles the Noble High School football team had then.
“I told myself we’re never going to lose how they lose,” Arebalo said.
The Bears would win games and become a perennial playoff team. The losing seasons had to stop.
Now a senior running back and linebacker for Class 5A No. 9-ranked Noble, Arebalo feels that idea is coming true. Noble is 4-0 entering Friday’s district matchup at Coweta. It’s the Bears’ best start since 2003, when they went 10-2 and won a district title.
“We have been different,” Arebalo said. “It’s just totally an accomplished feeling. Everybody has confidence. We don’t have that feeling that we need to do better this game because we’ve won all our games. Everybody is happy all of the time. It’s a great feeling, to be honest.”
Arebalo is a big reason for the Bears’ recent success. He makes them go.
In last week’s rout of McAlester, he rushed for a whopping 343 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 10 tackles on defense.
“He’s been huge,” Noble coach Greg George said. “Offensively, he runs the ball hard. He’s a big kid. He’s not afraid to lower his shoulder. He’s not going to try to avoid you.”
But Arebalo’s main concern is leading Noble to the playoff for a second straight season. Last season, Noble was nearly perfect in the regular season, but fell apart in the opening round against Tahlequah.
Arebalo thought the team got complacent. He’s making sure that doesn’t happen again.
“This year I know that everybody is constantly working hard and nobody is settling,” Arebalo said.
The season has started out promising, but the Bears have beaten four teams with a combined 1-15 record. Coweta is 2-2 and features a talented passing game.
A win on the road would be huge for a team looking to prove the past is just that.
“We’re just trying to make Noble one of those places where every year we’re a playoff contender and we get deeper into the playoffs,” George said. “Hopefully we’re in the mindset this is where we’re supposed to be and continue to work hard.”