Noxubee County needed a “Kamario Taylor” moment at the most crucial time on Friday night.
Trailing Jefferson Davis County, 22-21, in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 3A playoffs, the Tigers induced a crucial turnover on downs against the Jaguars.
Some 70 yards away from Noxubee was the end zone and a chance to play in a state semifinal, and in a flash, Taylor did what he almost always does.
“Hands down, that’s the best duo in the state,” head coach Teddy Young said. “I got the best quarterback. I got the best receiver, hands down.”
The Tigers quarterback hit teammate Dequadrion Welch in stride down the near sideline for a 65-yard go-ahead touchdown, running in the two-point conversion as well to make it a 29-22 game and sealing an eventual seven-point win for the Tigers (9-4).
Taylor has been that guy time and time again for Noxubee this season, doing so once again on Friday with 262 passing yards and four touchdowns in the win. This season alone, Taylor has thrown for 3,177 yards, 43 passing touchdowns and just five interceptions.
“We dealt with a lot of adversity tonight,” Welch said. “Once we picked things up, it was time to play football. … [Taylor] is perfect. He’s great.”
More than 1,300 of those yards and 19 touchdown passes have gone to Welch, who finished with 146 receiving yards and two touchdowns on Friday.
Two future Division I commits have been the engine behind Noxubee and now, the Tigers get to play for a chance to go to Oxford next week.
“Like I told them, we’re a team,” head coach Teddy Young said. “… My guys, they fight until the end.”
— Alex Murphy
Cavaliers holding heads high after playoff loss to Wildcats
There’s every excuse to lose to the Louisville Wildcats this year. The team is undefeated dating back to September of last year, and won a state championship with a team of mostly sophomores. That team has only improved, and their 39-0 win over Caledonia on Friday was a showcase of their quality.
That doesn’t mean Caledonia is OK with it.
Over the last three years the Cavaliers have become playoff regulars, advancing to at least the third round each year and racking up the program’s only ever postseason wins in the process.
That process may not have them where Louisville is, contending for titles every year, but it’s a process that has seen the program drastically improve under head coach Michael Kelly.
“We’re where we are because of those kids over there and the ones that came before them,” Kelly said after the game on Friday. “They made a commitment, they didn’t want things to be how they used to be. They’ve worked extremely hard every day, and I’ve got a staff that has worked hard with them every day, and we’ve got a community that supports these young men. I’m extremely proud of them, I’m glad of where we are, but I’m not satisfied where we are. I want that known in the paper.”
It takes a lot to build a program that sustains success. It takes passion, know-how, and most of all, time. Louisville is the standard the Cavaliers are aiming for, and it may have felt like a big gap between the two on Friday, but with more seasons like the past three the Cavaliers will have done well to continue establishing a culture of winning where there once was none.
— Colin Damms
Brewer makes his mark in final game for West Lowndes
The Panthers saw their run in the MHSAA Class 1A playoffs end in the quarterfinals against powerhouse Biggersville, but senior running back Gary Brewer went out with a final flourish.
West Lowndes’ offense flowed through Brewer, nicknamed “Crackerjack,” who rushed for just 22 yards Friday night but caught two passes for 58 yards and a touchdown in his team’s 42-8 loss. He also made an impact returning kickoffs and even returned a missed field goal back into Lions territory, although a block in the back penalty negated much of that yardage and brought the ball back to the Panthers’ 35-yard line.
West Lowndes was a young team, with 14 sophomores, and next year will have a pair of key juniors back in quarterback Donivan Edwards and running back Dekambi Evans Smart. But the loss of Brewer will be tough to make up for.
“The seniors we had, they gave us everything they got,” Panthers head coach Anthony King said postgame. “We appreciate everything they did, and they did a great job, especially number 5, Crackerjack, Gary Brewer.”
— Benjamin Rosenberg
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 29 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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