MACON — Timorrius Conner heard the talk in town.
In a community like Macon that is as passionate about football as they come, it’s impossible not to hear the whispers after one loss, let alone four in a row.
But Conner didn’t let the weight of the expectations for the season or the disappointment of losing four consecutive non-region games erase his confidence. After all, Conner realized the Noxubee County High School football team wasn’t at full strength and that it needed to get its running backs healthy so it could balance its offense.
Now that the Tigers are in better health, Conner has regained the form that made him one of the state’s best quarterbacks last season.
“I think as coaches we asked a little too much of him ourselves,” Noxubee County coach Tyrone Shorter said. “During that time, we weren’t playing good offense. It seemed like something was missing. We asked him to go out and throw 35 to 40 passes because our running game was not there. We had so many kids banged up with injuries at the running back position.
“I think he got down on himself a little, but I think he has pulled out of that and has started back having fun.”
Conner hopes to continue his strong play down the stretch at 7 p.m. Friday when Noxubee County (7-4) will play host to Amory (5-6) in the first round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A playoffs.
“I don’t think I was pressing,” Conner said. “I think the coaches knew what I can and can’t do on the field, and they just wanted me to use my arm and my legs to the best of my capabilities.”
Noxubee County earned a top seed and the right to play host to a first-round game thanks to a 5-0 run through Region 4. A 35-10 victory against Leake Central extended Noxubee County’s region winning streak to 21 games, meaning Conner and his classmates didn’t lose a region game in their high school careers.
But Conner and the Tigers are shooting for bigger prizes. In the preseason, they talked openly about wanting to make history and be a part of the team that helped the football program win back-to-back championships. Conner could dream of accomplishments like that in part because he was coming off a season in which he threw 35 touchdowns and only six interceptions.
This season, though, things didn’t come nearly as easily as Noxubee County struggled to find its footing in losses to Aledo High (Texas), Meridian, West Point, and Kemper County. Mistakes, including three interceptions for touchdowns against Meridian, doomed Noxubee County and caused Shorter to wonder why his players weren’t playing “Noxubee County football.”
Things have changed in the past five weeks. Conner is 48 of 66 in that span with seven touchdown passes and two interceptions. He has thrown more than 20 passes in a game only once in that stretch. In the first six games, Conner threw 20 or more passes five times.
“He is starting to feel good about himself,” Shorter said. “He is starting to get back to the Conner we saw last year, and is starting to make the right decisions and trust in the offensive line more. You can just see the continuity with all of them on offense. I can see week by week it has gotten a whole lot better.”
Conner’s improved play has helped Noxubee County get back to its high-scoring ways and to its defensive dominance. Conner said it was a matter of time for the Tigers to start clicking. He said everyone only had to believe the Tigers’ fortunes would change.
“We were kind of in a slump,” said Conner, who has thrown for 2,093 yards and 16 touchdowns (12 interceptions). “We weren’t making enough plays on offense. Sometimes the defense gave up big plays. It just gave us a chance to see where we were. That four-game losing streak helped us a lot.”
Conner, whose nickname is “Tank,” said his confidence has grown as the Tigers’ running game has clicked. He feels he has come a long way from the one at the start of the season. He feels his ability to read the defense and to make shorter gains to keep drives alive has helped him improve.
Shorter feels his players believe the team can get even better thanks to the confidence it has built in recent weeks. Last week, Shorter said Noxubee County took it to Houston as it built a 35-0 halftime lead. He hopes Conner will be able to keep a steady hand and lead the team like he did down the stretch in 2014.
“His maturity is showing,” Shorter said. “I told him everybody gets into a slump. I like the way he has handled everything, the criticism, and the people lashing out at him. We believe in him. His teammates believe in him.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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