MACON — Tyrone Shorter didn’t lack confidence.
Despite his offense’s struggles moving the ball, the Noxubee County High School football coach felt that unit was going to correct its mistakes in time to pull out a win.
Trailing Senatobia by five points, Noxubee County took over at midfield with a little more than two minutes remaining. Before his offense took the field, Shorter said, “Guys, we’re going to win the ballgame. Get your heads up. We’re going to win the ballgame.”
Quarterback Maliek Stallings proved Shorter was right by hitting Kyziah Pruitt for a 50-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive to propel Noxubee County to a 24-21 victory Friday night in the second round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 4A playoffs.
“I just felt like we were going to make a play. I just felt it in my heart we were about to make a play, and we did,” Shorter said. “I just told the guys, ‘It’s not over with until you see double zeros on the clock,’ and we made a play.”
Noxubee County, the two-time reigning MHSAA Class 4A State champion, will play at 7 p.m. Friday at Pontotoc in the third round. Pontotoc beat Greenwood 35-14 to advance.
Niageria Young intercepted Stallings, a sophomore, on Noxubee County’s previous drive, but the Tigers forced a three-and-out.
On the clinching touchdown, Stallings took the snap and looked to his right and hit a wide open Pruitt between the numbers. Pruitt raced down the sideline and scored with 2 minutes, 1 second remaining.
“We had a talk on the sidelines and I told him, ‘Put your team on your back,’ ” Stallings said. “I told him I was going to get him the ball, and I told him to run as fast as he could and get into the end zone, and he got it. He’s a great receiver.”
Shorter praised offensive coordinator James Patterson for calling the correct play in that situation. There were only three defenders on the left side and they had four players to block.
Pruitt credited his offensive line for getting out to block for him and giving him a lane. He knew he was going to the end zone when he beat the second man. Pruitt, a sophomore, knew the ball was coming his way and was praying he didn’t let his team down.
“I just asked the Lord, ‘Can you please help me make a play?’ ” said Pruitt, who had three catches for 91 yards. “I had to put the team on my back and I was like, ‘I got y’all, I got y’all bro.’ They gave me the ball and I took it to the house.”
The Tigers had 215 yards of offense. The Warriors had a good game plan under first-year head coach Brooks Oakley, who spent the last seven seasons as the defensive coordinator at Starkville High. Oakley was pleased with the defensive effort and said that group played well all season.
Oakley wasn’t surprised to see Pruitt race down the sideline and score.
“That kid can play,” Oakley said. “We knew they were going to throw the key screen or the bubble out there, and we just didn’t make a tackle. That guy can run, and he’s going to be exceptional.”
The Tigers (9-4) took a 9-0 lead after a safety and a 26-yard Jataquist Sherrod 26-yard interception return with 3:44 left in the opening quarter. The Warriors (8-4) cut the lead to 9-7 on a Denata Sipp 21-yard touchdown with 1:12 left in the first quarter.
Stallings (9 of 20 for 136 yards and two touchdowns, two interceptions) hit Jakerrius Oliver for a 5-yard touchdown on third-and-goal midway through the second quarter. The Warriors answered with a 17-yard touchdown by Young to cut the deficit to 16-14 at halftime.
The Warriors took a 21-16 lead on a 61-yard Maurice Toney punt return with 5:12 left in the third quarter.
“We made this game tough,” said Shorter, whose team had 15 penalties for 130 yards. “I’m not taking anything away from Senatobia. Senatobia has a good ball club. We fumbled the ball here and we just stunk up the field. We finally found a way, and I think good football teams find a way to win it.”
Stallings said a shaky start led to frustrating after each drive. With tears in his eyes, Stallings said the Tigers “got away with one.”
Pruitt credited Senatobia, but he said Noxubee County stopped itself. He hopes the Tigers will have a different attitude Monday at practice. If the Tigers don’t, he said they will sit at home for the rest of the playoffs.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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