MACON — It’s not easy to stump Tyrone Shorter.
The Noxubee County High School football coach pays attention to all of the scores and is tuned in to the state rankings every week. He pays particular attention to the happenings in Class 4A so his team will be well prepared to have a chance to make history and become the school’s first football team to win back-to-back state championships.
Weeks ago, Shorter was quick to point out that nine more wins would help the Tigers win out and realize that goal.
But when asked earlier this week the significance of the No. 20, Shorter was at a loss. After a couple of guesses, the veteran coach relented and asked for the answer. He wasn’t surprised when he was told his team has won its last 20 games in Class 4A, Region 4. It will look to make it four perfect seasons in a row at 7 p.m. Friday when it plays at Houston in the regular-season finale for both teams.
“It says a lot about our program, our coaching staff, and our kids,” Shorter said. “We built something here, and to have that much success in our division, you told me something new. To say we are that dominant for that many games, it says a lot about our program. The kids continue to believe.”
Shorter said seniors Jeffery Simmons, Deveon Ball, Ladaveon Smith, Timorrius Conner, Shunessy Sherrod, and Bobby May all played as sophomores. He said all six players dressed out as freshmen, too, meaning they are part of a senior class that has the potential to close their careers without losing a region game.
Noxubee County (6-4, 4-0 region) has secured the top seed in Region 4 and will play at home in the first round of the playoffs next week. Houston (7-3, 2-2) will be the No. 4 seed from the region and will go on the road to play the No. 1 seed from Region 1. Amory will play at Corinth on Friday to determine the Region 1 champion.
The Tigers have come a long way from the middle of the season when they were mired in a four-game losing streak. Noxubee County has slowly returned to 100 percent health, even if it isn’t completely there. Last week, Simmons returned to action after missing four games. Shorter said he expects to play Simmons a little longer this week to help him get his timing back for the most important time of the season.
“I haven’t seen these kids this fired up all season,” Shorter said. “We are back healthy, and the atmosphere around here and in this locker room is totally different.”
Shorter feels the season has come full circle in that the Tigers have weathered so many storms and injuries. He said there was a time he questioned the Tigers fight and willingness to play “Noxubee County football.” But he said the belief and team unity has returned. As a result, the running game has started to click, which has taken pressure off Conner, the team’s senior confidence.
The defense also has jelled. Shorter said playing without Simmons made that unit stronger and gave the players on that side of the ball they can play without their senior leader. He knows Simmons’ return will make those players even better.
“We have some things to iron out, but I like where we are going into the playoffs,” Shorter said. “We have won our division regardless what happens Friday night, but we want to go out and finish it.”
Shorter said he will play his starters because he doesn’t believe in resting them or saving them for the playoffs.
“You want to go into the playoffs with a win,” Shorter said. “We are going to go play football like we need to win, which we do. I think we need to win and go out and play really well going into the playoffs.”
Shorter doesn’t feel his team is peaking, which is why he wants his starters to continue to get repetitions so they commit fewer and fewer mistakes. As a student of history, Shorter referenced an interception and a subsequent fumble that played a role in a loss to Kemper County and a dropped pass in the end zone that could have helped Noxubee County beat Aledo High (Texas).
Shorter also evoked the memory of a 21-20 loss at Amory in the second round of the playoffs. Shorter felt his team was the better team that night, but he said mistakes prevented the Tigers from putting the game away. He is making sure this year’s team understands it can’t allow those same mistakes to happen Friday or the rest of the season if it wants to make history.
“We have one game to clean all that up,” Shorter said. “When you get in the playoffs, anyone can get beat any given Friday. Amory had a good football team, but we were the better team. We had nine sacks and still lose because we blew some opportunities.
“We are drilling into the kids that you can’t be perfect, but you almost have to be halfway there in the playoffs. You just have to dominate every game in the playoffs because anything can happen. If you get an opportunity to make a play you have to make it.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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