Junior season spent as starter, captain gives FPD’s Dalton Cox plenty of confidence

Dalton Cox is ready to take on all the responsibilities of being a captain and the starting quarterback for the FPD Vikings.

After all, he served in both roles last season.

Spending the 2016 season as the Vikings’ starter and a captain helped prepare Cox for his senior season, which begins Aug. 26 against Central at Mercer.

“Dalton’s a very skilled player and has worked very hard. He learned a lot about being a quarterback and became a very good quarterback, and so now what we need for him to do is to be a very good leader,” FPD head coach Greg Moore said. “He understands that. He and I have talked an awful lot about his role on our team, and I have an awful lot of confidence and trust and respect for him. I think the guys do, too, and I think he’ll have a great year.”

Cox certainly had a strong junior season in helping lead the Vikings to the GHSA Class 1A private school playoffs. He completed 180-of-304 passes for 2,268 yards with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions and was named to the Region 7-1A first team.

“I was lucky to be named a captain last year so I got my feet under me. I’m just get ready to get rolling with the guys,” Cox said. “We got to know each other over the summer and everything, so we’re just ready to get things going. (Last year) helped me a bunch.

“Once you get going, you get your feet wet the first year, and now I’ve got some experience, and I’m ready.”

Moore certainly believes Cox is ready, both as a quarterback and a leader.

“We haven’t had a whole lot of guys be named a captain as a junior over the course of the years. So that was a big sign of respect from his teammates,” Moore said. “I do think it matters when you step in the huddle on offense that you trust and respect and have a lot of confidence in the guy who is calling the signals for you. I think that matters to a football team.”

Cox is just one part of a strong senior class, along with players like offensive lineman John Lester, tight end Blaine Kizer, wide receiver Titus Moore, linebackers Ryan Jones and JaCobe Singletary, defensive back Robert Johnson and defensive linemen Bryant Beall and Seth Wilson, Greg Moore has a lot of confidence in.

“The list is long, I could name a lot of them. We’ve got 16, 17 seniors,” FPD’s longtime head coach said. “We need all of them to play a part. They know that, and the way this thing goes over the course of the years, seemingly the way your senior class goes is kind of the way your season goes in terms of leadership.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2017 at 9:52 AM with the headline "Junior season spent as starter, captain gives FPD’s Dalton Cox plenty of confidence."