“I can’t wait until Friday to see how they are going to respond,” Noxubee County coach Tyrone Shorter said. “It is going to tell us a lot about our team. Even though you have some kids who played on last year’s team, this is a different ballclub. That is why I preach to them, ‘Last year’s team is gone. This is a new team.’ I am anxious to see how we’re going to respond after getting shut out.”
MACON — Louisville week.
That is all anyone in Noxubee and Winston counties has had to say the past four days to get into the mind-set for the annual game between Noxubee County and Louisville high schools. At 7 tonight, the longtime rivals will renew their series under different circumstances. This season, Louisville will play in Class 3A, while Noxubee County, the defending Class 4A state champion, will try to defend its title. The fact that Noxubee County beat Louisville 41-28 and 41-21 last season en route to a 16-0 finish and its second title in school history makes this year’s matchup even more special.
“We need we don’t need any motivational speed for this game. This is a rivalry game,” Noxubee County sophomore quarterback Timorrius Conner said. “We take it personal every year. We just go out and do what we have to do to get the win.”
To do that, Noxubee County (1-1) likely will have to contain a high-scoring offense led by senior quarterback Wyatt Roberts. Coach M.C. Miller’s team, which has 27 seniors and is ranked No. 10 in this week’s Mississippi Public Broadcasting poll, has scored 77 points in victories against Jackson Jim Hill and Wilkinson County. That experience likely will test a No. 16 Tigers team that graduated 23 seniors from last season’s squad and has 17 seniors on this year’s team. A group of 21 sophomores has stepped into the void to help coach Tyrone Shorter’s team challenge for another crown. Many of those players emerged last week in a 21-10 victory against Columbus, especially Conner and sophomore defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. Both players shared The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Week award this week.
Even though Simmons is relatively new to the rivalry, he saw first hand last year how his brother, defensive lineman Dylan Bradley, was someone the Wildcats tried to stop. He knows Louisville will try to be physical up front against him and his teammates so they can give Roberts and a deep group of wide receivers time to make things happen.
“I am going to go hard no matter what,” Simmons said. “All we have to do is get the quarterback.”
A new contingent of Tigers will look to continue the program’s control of the rivalry. In 15 games dating back to 2000, Noxubee County has won 11 times. Louisville’s last victory in the series was a 14-12 decision on Oct. 20, 2011, in Macon. That matchup was a C Spire Bright Lights Football game broadcast live on regional television.
Shorter hasn’t had to dig deep to motivate his players this week, especially after a victory against Class 6A Columbus that helped erase the sting from a 17-0 loss to Starkville in the season opener. Shorter wasn’t sure how Noxubee County was going to respond after the loss, which showed in his comments the week prior to the Columbus game. It is safe to say he is equal parts curious to see how the Tigers will bounce back from a victory against a team that will be hungry to beat them to validate state rankings that show the Wildcats to be a favorite to win the Class 3A state title.
“We wanted them not to take a big leap but a small leap and just get better and learn from the first week and carry it into the Columbus game,” Shorter said. “They grew up a little. They were more serious and more focused in practice, and they realized nobody is going to lay down just because they are Noxubee County.”
Shorter said his team was extra motivated against Columbus because he felt the players were “embarrassed” against Starkville. He said the seniors had a team meeting to address concerns about focus and carrying on the program’s tradition. Shorter knows that learning process will continue throughout the season, especially with non-conference challenges awaiting against Class 3A power Aberdeen and Class 5A power West Point, before team opened Region 4 action. He said it will be crucial for coaches to put players in situations where they can maximize their abilities to build confidence. If they can do that, Shorter believes this team has the potential to march back to Jackson.
“I know what these kids can do,” Shorter said. “Even though they are young, they are talented and we are just asking them to continue to play hard and to keep working hard and good things are going to happen.
“The last two weeks we have been able to put drives together. We just had a team meeting and I just told the kids we are going to have to do the same thing this week because we are getting ready to play the best quarterback in the state. They have some very good receivers and very good athletes. They are a big-play team that can score very quickly. We have to keep their offense off the field and sustain drives.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino @ctsportseditor.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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