BY CALEB GARNER
Special to the Dispatch
MACON – Noxubee County went into its matchup with Kosciusko looking to accomplish two goals: establish the run and end a four-game losing streak.
The Tigers did both on Friday night, defeating the Whippets 22-12 in both teams’ Class 4A, Region 4 opener.
Noxubee County (3-4, 1-0 region) began its night by establishing a balanced attack, culminating the drive with an 8-yard pass from Timorrius Conner to Ladeveon Smith late in the first period. Conner completed 15 of 23 passes for 154 yards. He also threw an interception.
“When we can run the ball and pass it, it will be hard to stop,” said Smith, who caught six passes for 54 yards.
Conner added, “We have a powerful passing game. When we run the ball well, it will open up our passing game. We hope to get stronger in both.”
Kosciusko, on the other hand, came out committed to being a force on the ground, rushing it 23 times in its first three drives. The Whippets moved as far as the Noxubee 25-yard line, but the drive was halted by an interception by Tiger defensive back Deveon Ball.
The Tigers drove 91 yards in 13 plays to score on a one-yard plunge by Conner. Conner toted the ball five times for 27 yards on the ground.
The Whippets managed to put points on the board right before halftime, as quarterback Josh Dodd ran into the end zone from a yard out. Dodd carried the ball 15 times for 85 yards on the night. The score by Dodd put the halftime score at 15-6 in favor of the Tigers.
After halftime, it was clear that Noxubee County planned to put more of a focus on the ground attack. That was something that head coach Tyrone Shorter had stressed over the past few weeks.
“We stressed all week that we have to get our running game going and it will open up our passing game,” Shorter said. “I believe that to win in this division and get to the playoffs, you have to be able to run the ball. Tonight was a start.”
Noxubee County ran the ball 38 times for 169 yards as a team, led by senior running back Shunnessy Sherrod, who had 56 yards on 17 carries. While that may not seem like much, the Tigers utilized a number of backs to get the job done.
Sherrod said, “Our mindset was to come out and run the football.”
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Tigers stood on the Whippet 1-yard line facing a third down and goal. It was then that they took a 22-6 lead following a touchdown run by Sherrod and the extra point by Samuel Lowery.
On the defensive side, the Tigers were again without senior defensive lineman Jeffrey Simmons, but the Tigers held strong on defense. Despite giving up 291 yards on the ground to the Whippets, the Tigers allowed fewer than 100 yards through the air.
The majority of Kosciusko’s passing yards came on its last offensive play of the game–a 92-yard hook-and-lateral play from Dodd to Robert Dawson, who lateraled to Stefan Harmon for the score.
“We had confidence that we could move the ball on them,” Kosciusko head coach Trac Baughn said. “(The hook-and-lateral) was message to our kids to keep fighting, regardless of the score.”
On the ground, the Whippets were led by its big senior running back Narkist Hutchins, who gained 98 yards on 18 carries.
Shorter was quick to credit Kosciusko with its play on the field, saying, “Kosciusko is a very good football team and will most likely be a playoff team.”
With the Tigers riding a four-game losing streak, the first since 2006, they had hoped the win would help get things back on track.
“I think this win gave us a whole lot more confidence. I’m hoping that we can get back to playing the type of football we played earlier in the season against Starkville and Columbus,” Shorter said. “We’re getting healthy and getting our team back. And we’re doing it at the right time.”
Shorter went on to say, “I’m proud of our kids with the way they’ve bounced back from the past few weeks.”
Noxubee County hopes to get another win when it travels to Carthage next week to take on the Leake Central Gators (4-3, 0-1), who lost 22-9 at Louisville.
Kosciusko (4-2, 0-1), on the other hand, will return home to face the Houston Hilltoppers (6-1, 1-0), who defeated Caledonia 39-7.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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