MACON — Tyrone Shorter doesn’t know why M.C. Miller started using a toothpick when he coached football games.
Nineteen years ago, when Miller hired Shorter to be an assistant coach with the Noxubee County High School football team, Miller already had developed a reputation for his ability to keep the toothpick in his mouth while he was getting on his players
Shorter still isn’t sure how Miller manages to get on his players and not lose the toothpick, but he admits he never considered emulating his longtime boss, who is now the head coach of the Louisville High football team.
“Sometimes I just used to look at him (and wonder) how that toothpick didn’t come out of his mouth the way he fussed and hollered,” Shorter said. “He could roll that thing around (in his mouth). He has a gift for keeping that toothpick in his mouth.”
Instead of following Miller’s ways, Shorter opted to take a page from another coach. As someone who admits he likes to dress nicely, Shorter said he was impressed when he saw former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel wear a sweater vest and tie on the sidelines. Shorter vowed that he would incorporate a sweater vest into his ensemble when he became a head coach.
At 7 tonight, Shorter’s sweater vest and Miller’s toothpick will go head to head when the Noxubee County Tigers (4-4) and the Louisville Wildcats (4-4) face off in the annual “Toothpick Bowl.” WLSM-FM 107.1 will broadcast the game live.
“I really feel like the team that wins this game is going to win our division,” Shorter said. “It is a rivalry game, so you can throw away the records. It is two well-coached football teams that are kind of similar.”
The matchup will help sort out the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A, Region 4 race. Noxubee County, which has won 23-straight region games, Louisville, and Houston enter Week 9 of the regular season at 2-0 in the region. Shorter’s team has games remaining against Caledonia and Houston, so he knows the Tigers still have all of their goals in place after a non-conference slate that saw them to 2-4.
Shorter likes how his team has rebounded from a three-game losing streak prior to the start of Region 4 play. Last week, Noxubee County continued to make strides in a 41-13 victory against Leake Central.
Louisville is coming off a 42-35 victory against Caledonia. Shorter watched film of the game and came away impressed with both teams. He feels the Wildcats will test the Tigers with a versatile offense.
“We started off slow last week, and we started off slowly the week before that,” Shorter said. “I told the kids we have to score in the first quarter because we had opportunities to score the last two weeks but we didn’t.
“The last few years, we were jelling at this time. We are slowly getting into it. As long as we see some improvement every week in the division, I am OK with that. We are just about there as a team to make a run at it.”
Shorter said sophomore Maliek Stallings will remain the Tigers’ starter at quarterback. But he said Noxubee County will use Stallings and junior Armoni Clark in games because both are capable of running the offense. Last week, Clark was 8 of 10 for 162 yards and three touchdowns in relief of Stallings. Clark’s effort was part of a 319-yard passing night. A 239-yard rushing effort helped to give the Tigers one of their best offensive outputs of the season.
“They are very equal,” Shorter said of Clark and Stallings. “Armoni Clark probably would have been our starter if he hadn’t sat out a year, but now he is starting to catch back up. I played him a little earlier than I expected to Friday night. He came in and had a heck of a game.”
On defense, Shorter likes how the Tigers continue to respond to his decision to simplify the scheme. Now that he is making the play calls, Shorter said the Tigers are playing faster and are making fewer mistakes. Still, he said Noxubee County has to correct some things to put it in position to compete for a third-straight Class 4A State title.
“I can see the difference,” Shorter said. “We just can’t give up the big play. That is what we did last week. Overall, I thought we played very well defensively. I hope we can get a step better every week.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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