MACON – As the worrisome cheers from Noxubee County’s fans reigned down from the stands on to the field at Tiger Stadium, receiver Christon Glenn sprinted out of the huddle and got into position on the perimeter, only checking with the referee to make sure he was lined up. He then turned his eyes forward 14 yards to get a glimpse of the end zone.
Down 33-28 to Choctaw County in the third round of the Class 3A playoffs with 34 seconds to play, he knew the ball was coming to him and the only thing on his mind was “touchdown.”
The stadium went silent for a brief moment as everyone’s eyes were glued on Noxubee County’s do-it-all athlete Jadien Taylor as he took the snap at quarterback and lobbed a fade to the front right corner of the end zone where it connected with the hands of soaring and twisting Glenn. He hauled in the ball and firmly planted both feet in the blue turf of the end zone, sending everyone in attendance into a cheering frenzy so loud it seemed to shake the ground.
After overcoming an early 14-0 deficit and battling through a missed opportunity to catch a pass a few drives earlier to give the Tigers a shot at scoring in another crucial moment, Glenn’s grab of redemption stamped a 34-33 victory over the team that stole last year’s state championship from the Tigers’ grasp and propelled them to the North Half championship game for the fourth year in a row.
“I told the guys before the game, ‘We are going to be battle tested and we have to have faith – we have to believe. As long as we keep having faith and believing and never drop our heads we are going to fight through anything,’” head coach Teddy Young said with a gleaming smile. “I’m so proud of the guys. They had us down 14-0 and our guys never dropped their heads.”
Choctaw running back Jeramiah Miller punched in two early touchdowns runs for a two-score lead in the first quarter, on the Tigers’ following drive quarterback Jykeim Goodwin was intercepted. There was absolutely no momentum for the Tigers to cling to as the Chargers took over in Noxubee territory looking to pull away early, but then linebacker Ethan Clay made himself known. The junior hammered Choctaw quarterback KJ Kork for a sack-fumble that gave Noxubee the ball back. It was the spark the Tigers needed.
Taylor ran in two 1-yard touchdowns, the second in the second quarter, to tie the game. He then threw a 27-yard touchdown to Glenn and ran in a 2-point conversion for the 22-21 lead at halftime. In the fourth quarter, Miller punched in a 1-yard rush to put Choctaw back on top 27-22, before Goodwin responded with a run from 1-yard out to put Noxubee back up, 28-27. Late in the fourth, after Glenn’s missed chance killed a drive in Charger territory, Miller gave the Chargers their final lead with a 2-yard plunge before Miller and Taylor’s connection.
It’s a win that only adds to the playoff lore between the two teams and one that Young said brought more life to his team.
“It’s big. It puts us in the North State championship game where we want to be,” he said. “ They beat us last year, had us going home crying, so to get revenge from last year, they are still the state champions, but we still knocked them out of the (playoffs). There is going to be a new state champion in 3A this year.”
Noxubee County (10-3) plays at Winona on Friday in the MHSAA 3A North Half final.
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