MACON — The carries are there for the taking.
Noxubee County High School football coach Tyrone Shorter doesn’t disguise the fact that his team wants to run the ball. Shorter relied on an experienced offensive line and the running of Darrell Robinson to fuel an attack that helped the Tigers win the 2012 Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A state title. Despite the graduation of Robinson and the a few new faces up front, Noxubee County’s plan hasn’t changed. The only difference is the Tigers are relying on a host of players instead of relying on one running back.
Through eight games, that player is bound to change from carry to carry or series to series. That’s because the Tigers have battled fumbles and are still trying to find the right mix on offense. With a playoff spot already clinched, Noxubee County (5-3, 3-0 Class 4A, Region 4) will try to take a step closer to securing the region title when it plays host to Caledonia (2-7, 0-3) at 7 p.m. Friday. It will conclude the regular season next week at Houston.
Last week, Ladaveon Smith was the first running back to get a carry against West Lauderdale. Unfortunately, Smith fumbled at the Noxubee County 45-yard line to give West Lauderdale great field position. True to his word, Shorter held Smith out for most of the rest of the game and gave sophomore Anzarius Taylor, junior Devonte Scott, and sophomore Shannessy Sherrod a chance to carry the load. All three backs capitalized on their chances. Taylor led the way with 13 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Scott had 14 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown, while Sherrod had six carries for 65 yards and a touchdown.
“All of those guys are pretty much equal, but they have been turning the ball over a lot,” Shorter said. “We just told them if you turn the ball over you’re not going to play. One good thing about all four of them is they are really competing. They are competing for playing time. Like I told my coaches, we’re going to take the top three of them and go to try to win football games.”
All four running backs range from 5-foot-8 (Sherrod) to 5-11 (Smith) and are listed between 165 pounds (Taylor) and 180 (Scott). None of them has electric speed, but all three are quick. Shorter said all four have different strengths that complement each other. That could make decisions difficult for the coaches, but Shorter also feels that depth will be a bonus as the team prepares to defend its state title. He said the key will be finding a way to stop the turnovers.
Aside from the opening fumble, turnovers didn’t prevent Noxubee County from beating West Lauderdale 35-0. Scott took advantage of his chances to show he can be a hard-charging runner. In the second quarter, he kept his legs pumping and dug for a 10-yard gain that was part of a 12-play, 94-yard scoring drive. Taylor added a 17-yard run to help set up quarterback Jessie Bryant for a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
In the first quarter, Taylor showed he has the ability to be a scatback type of runner, as he was nearly going too fast before he regained his balance and ripped off a 44-yard touchdown run. He also ran through an arm tackled in the third quarter en route to a 12-yard touchdown.
Not to be outdone, Sherrod displayed some strength in the fourth quarter, carrying a tackler from the 6-yard line to the 1 to finish a 12-yard run.
“It is a good thing to have three or four running backs rotating in because they are all similar and we can keep everyone fresh and wear down people,” Shorter said. “We like our running backs. It is hard to keep them all satisfied and happy now because you’re only going to get so many snaps and running plays.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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