MACON — Noxubee County fell just short of a state title last December, as Magee ran away in the second half to win the championship game 49-26.
Although it couldn’t capture the MHSAA Class 3A trophy, Noxubee County had an impressive run in the playoffs, decimating Byhalia, Booneville, North Panola and Winona by a combined 175-35, including a 50-7 dashing of Winona in the 3A semifinals.
“Overall I’m still so proud of the guys and the work that they put in, but it didn’t end the way that we wanted it to,” Noxubee County head coach Teddy Young said.
Noxubee County was able to keep a majority of the team away from COVID-19 in order to take the field for a full season. Young said everyone banded together to make sacrifices, think smart and stay safe against the outbreak that wrecked many teams’ seasons. He said his team was more than willing to comply with the COVID protocols so that his team could take the field in 2020.
“We had to fight a lot of battles, especially with COVID,” Young said. “I was very proud of the senior class and that group of kids because they had to sacrifice a lot to continue our season and make sure we didn’t have any cases or outbreaks.”
Noxubee County had a strong class of about 20 seniors last year that led the way during their playoff run. Running back Bobby Shanklin and quarterback Chrishaad Rupert kept the offense running last year, putting up stellar performances as the Tigers scored at will for much of 2020. On the offensive line, Ma’teo Chandler and Jordan White were leaders in the trenches and big pieces to the offense’s success.
Defensively, the Tigers had leaders at each position group in the class of 2020. Travorus Hatcher anchored the defensive line, while Trillo Brown led the linebacker group. The secondary saw cornerback Mushune Walker and safety Zack Andrews step into leadership roles.
While the class of 2020 leaves some holes, Young is excited to see his young core step up and take charge in 2021. Young expects big things from senior linebacker Chaunssey Triplett, whom he expects to not just lead the defense but the team as well.
Young expects a lot of the offense, which is understandable considering the number of points they were able to put up in 2020. He sees Vernoris Channey, a stellar athlete who can play quarterback and wide receiver, as a leader on offense. Anthony Little is another receiver who can make a big impact, and Bryson Kelly should be an anchor on the offensive line.
Young does not want his Tigers to overlook any opponent this year, and he wants the team to be playing its best ball by district play, because that will play a role in playoff seeding. The ultimate goal is winning the state title, and controlling the district would be a big step in the right direction for the Tigers to do that in 2021.
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