MACON — Noxubee County football coach Teddy Young thought his team didn’t run the ball as well as it could have against Independence in the second round of the MHSAA Class 3A playoffs.
So before Friday’s quarterfinal game against Kossuth, Young challenged his offensive line to be better.
The Tigers passed that test and then some.
“We just wanted to win the line of scrimmage, control the line of scrimmage,” Young said. “They came out and did exactly what I wanted them to do.”
Noxubee County’s offensive line opened up holes all over, and junior Martavius Wicks ran through them for four touchdowns in a 32-10 win by the Tigers (9-4) over the Aggies (10-3).
Noxubee County advances to face Amory (12-1) next week in the Class 3A semifinals, hoping for a third trip to the state championship game in four seasons under Young.
“We’re happy, but we’re not satisfied,” offensive tackle Bryson Kelly said. “Job’s not finished. We’ve got two more games.”
Just like they did against Nettleton on Oct. 21, the Tigers jumped out to a 20-0 lead. A month ago, Noxubee County squandered that advantage, falling behind 21-20 before scoring 38 straight points; this time, it righted the ship more quickly.
After a pass interference call kept a red-zone possession alive, Reece Crum scored on fourth-and-goal to break the shutout in the second quarter. Brody Hajek knocked through a 39-yard field goal at the halftime buzzer, and Kossuth — which won the opening kickoff and deferred — started the third quarter with the ball.
But the Tigers’ defense made its stand.
Noxubee County forced a turnover on downs, one of many in the game as Kossuth continually kept its offense on the field on fourth down.
The Aggies never punted once, but it wasn’t because they were constantly scoring. Noxubee County’s defense pitched a shutout in the second half; the Tigers have given up just 32 points total in their three postseason games.
“The defense has been playing great these last couple ballgames, especially in the playoffs,” Young said.
So has the offense, which is averaging 35.7 points per game in the playoffs.
Wicks scored his third touchdown of the game from 16 yards out and added a 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
He scored from 48 yards out less than a minute into the game and added a 15-yard touchdown run with 10 seconds left in the first quarter.
The junior said postgame he “didn’t even think about” the fact he had four touchdowns on the night but that he was glad to hear it.
Wicks, who topped 1,000 yards on the season Friday night, praised his offensive line for lighting his path against the Aggies all night.
“I’m going to have to buy them some donuts,” Wicks said.
Donuts aren’t the only things with a hole in the middle Wicks would like to procure.
He said he hopes to get the Tigers’ seniors a championship ring while he still can.
The path to a title in Hattiesburg ends with a win over either Raleigh or Hazlehurst, but first, Noxubee County must go through Amory again.
The Tigers lost 38-22 in their last tangle with the Panthers, but this time, they’ll have quarterback KaMario Taylor on the field.
As November goes on and the playoffs continue, being at full strength can go a long way.
“It feels great to be healthy,” Young said. “The injury bug hit us early. I’m glad it hit us early instead of late. I’ve got my guys back, and we’re starting to play some good football.”
The Tigers showed it Friday night.
Noxubee County 32, Kossuth 10
Kossuth (10-3) 0 10 0 0 — 10
Noxubee County (9-4) 14 6 6 6 — 32
First quarter
NC — Martavius Wicks 48 run (run failed), clock 11:03
NC — Wicks 15 run (Lamar Stewart run), clock 0:10
Second quarter
NC — Jadquist Clark 38 pass from KaMario Taylor (run failed), clock 10:17
K — Reece Crum 4 run (Brody Hajek kick), clock 4:50
K — Hajek 39 FG, clock 0:00
Third quarter
NC — Wicks 16 run (pass failed), clock 7:17
Fourth quarter
NC — Wicks 3 run (pass failed), clock 9:50
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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