25 Jan 2012 Noble – an asset to Morrilton athletics

by Mark Oliver

On the outside, Corey Noble appears to be the average man, but to the students, faculty and fans of Morrilton High School’s athletic teams, he’s much more.

Originally from Malvern, Noble moved to Morrilton in the late 1990s. In 1998, Noble was invited to come to basketball practice by former coach John Drake. Soon after, Corey became manager of the Devil Dogs junior and senior high basketball teams.

“I decided I would start helping him because he was my friend,” Noble said.

When Coach Trent Tipton joined the school in 1999, he instantly recognized Noble’s importance to the program.

“He’s my right hand man,” Tipton said. “He’s a tremendous help for us. He always washes and dries the practice gear, hangs jerseys and towels, fills water bottles and dust mops the court for us. He even operates the game clock during practices. He’s a polite, pleasant person, and the people in the community really enjoy him. He’s one of us and represents Morrilton High School well.”

Off the court, Noble can also be seen assisting the principal with jobs, wiping tables in the cafeteria and visiting around the school.

“Everyone knows him, and he knows everyone,” Tipton said. “On the court, he’s always so positive. No coach likes to lose, but he makes the losses better because he’s always so happy.”

Within the last year, Noble took a second job with Action Services in Morrilton, where he shreds paper and works various jobs for people with disabilities. “After I finish my first job, they take me to the school and I work there,” Noble said. “If it’s a game day, I will go get the water bottles, fill them up, dust mop the floor and get the stuff ready for the game.”

Noble, 40, is also the recipient of 11-straight All-State Manager awards, presented to the top athletic manager at Morrilton High School each year.

“He gets a standing ovation every year,” Tipton said. “Every spring, we honor our all-star players, and he always gets a plaque for his services to the school. It’s always the highlight of our sports banquet.”

“If you do the things that I do, you’d get it too,” Noble said confidently. “I like everything about what I do. Coach Tipton gave me my first job, and I really like helping the school.”