MACON — Tyrone Shorter has been a part of plenty of Noxubee County High School football teams that have been able to produce fireworks.
Two of the most prolific teams — in 2008 and 2012 — just so happened to be good enough to win state championships.
At 3 p.m. Saturday, Noxubee County (13-2) will go against high-scoring St. Stanislaus (13-1) in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A state title game at Mississippi State’s Davis Wade Stadium for a chance to win the program’s third crown.
To accomplish that goal, Noxubee County will have to find a way to slow down a team that has scored 651 points and has scored 40 or more points 11 times this season.
“They screen you to death,” Shorter said. “They might catch a 5-yard hitch or a bubble and take it 60 or 70 yards for a score. That is their strength. They might hit the back flaring out of the backfield and he might take it 60 yards. That is how they get a lot of their yardage.”
To put St. Stanislaus’ scoring ability in context, Noxubee County scored 545 points in 16 games en route to its state title in 2012. In 2008, it scored 549 points in 14 games.
St. Stanislaus advanced to the title game thanks to a 48-14 victory against Purvis in the South State title game. Noxubee County advanced thanks to a 21-0 victory against Greenwood. The shutout was the team’s fourth of the year.
Shorter knows his defense will be put to the test against a team that scored 27 points in its lowest scoring game of the season. That total came in a 27-25 victory at Moss Point. Poplarville handed St. Stanislaus its only loss in a 47-46 victory on Oct. 17.
“This game kind of reminds you of seven-on-seven because I have never seen a team throw the ball as much as they do,” Shorter said. “They might run it five or six times. They throw it every down.”
Considering 84 of the 205 points Noxubee County has allowed this season came in loss to Class 6A Starkville and Class 5A West Point, the Tigers have reason to be confident in their defense. In fact, Noxubee County has allowed only 100 points in its current 10-game winning streak. A dominant pass rush has been at the center of the Tigers’ defense. Last week, the Tigers recorded seven sacks and contained senior quarterback Booker T. Chambers. This week, they will have to find a way to shut down the passing attack of sophomore Myles Brennan.
Shorter said St. Stanislaus’ offense is different from the high-scoring Noxubee County teams of the past. While the Tigers liked to go vertical and push the ball down the field, Shorter said the Rock-a-Chaws will run a lot of pick routes and timing routes. He said Brennan is so effective because he gets rid of the football so quickly.
“It is an offense we have seen before, but the quarterback does a very good job getting the ball out of his hand a whole lot quicker than anybody else,” Shorter said. “They do a good job of breaking tackles. We have to be a very good tackling team because they are going to get those 3- and 5-yard routes, but once they catch those passes, we can’t let them turn them into 50- and 60-yard gains.”
According to maxpreps.com, Brennan enters the state title game with 5,502 yards passing and 61 touchdowns. He has five receivers who have 47 or more catches, and four with 61 catches or more. Senior Chase Rhodes leads the team with 106 catches for 1,328 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Noxubee County junior quarterback Timorrius Conner has thrown for 2,669 yards and 31 touchdowns. Senior Ladaveon Smith leads the team with 54 catches for 654 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Shorter feels good about his team’s defensive game plan. He also hopes the Tigers will play a smart and disciplined game. Last week, Noxubee County committed 18 penalties. Shorter said that can’t happen again. He also said the Tigers can’t afford to get into a shootout with the Rock-a-Chaws.
“It is going to be a big challenge,” Shorter said. “Their quarterback is not a normal 4 or 5 yards back in the shotgun. He is back about 7 or 8 yards, like he is punting the ball. His snapper does a good job of getting him the ball quick and he gets rid of it.
“We are going to have to be very solid in coverage. I think we are going to have to disguise a lot of things and try to confuse them. We are still going to come after him even if he is back that far. We are also going to have to get in the passing lanes and get our hands up. We are still going to come after him. That is our game.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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