MACON — The talk isn’t going to bother Tyrone Shorter.
In 18 years as a coach at Noxubee County High School, Shorter has heard plenty of whispers, comments, and shouts from fans the stands about the play of the Tigers. That’s to be expected when a program becomes as successful as Noxubee County and wins three state championships in seven seasons and develops a reputation as one of the state of Mississippi’s powers.
Shorter believed the 2015 squad had the experience and returning leadership to be handle the expectations the program faced this season after winning a state title in 2014. In the preseason, Noxubee County was open about its goal to make history and become the school’s first football team to win back-to-back state titles.
That goal is still attainable, but back-to-back losses to reigning Class 5A, Division I power Aledo High (Texas) and to Class 6A Meridian have left people in Noxubee County grumbling and wondering what is wrong with the Tigers. Shorter knows the Tigers have to get their running game going so they’re offense is balanced and doesn’t have to rely so much on senior quarterback Timorrius Conner. He also wants his offensive line, which has three returning starters, to find a way to get the same push it had for much of last season. If he and his coaches can get those issues sorted out, Shorter likes his team’s chances because he knows it has faced arguably the state’s toughest four-game stretch to open the season.
Unfortunately, that start to the season won’t get any easier this week, as Noxubee County (2-2) plays host to Class 5A West Point at 7 p.m. Friday night.
“Good football teams find a way to bounce back and get back on track, and that is what we’re going to do,” Shorter said. “We have a good football team. It showed in the first two ballgames. The last two games we just kind of fell apart, but there is no quit in this team.”
Shorter isn’t go to hide from the fact that players and coaches have been disappointed by the team’s performance in a 10-6 loss to Aledo two weeks ago and in a 28-0 loss to Meridian last week. Both games were on the road. In both, the Tigers had chances to score or to make plays that could have altered the outcome of the action. Against Meridian, Noxubee County failed to score from the 3-yard line on offense and couldn’t’ cash in numerous drives in which it moved the ball. Three of those drives ultimately ended with interceptions of Conner that were returned for touchdowns.
In all of his time as a player and as a coach, Shorter said he never has been in a game when that has happened. He said all of the blame can’t be placed on Conner because the offensive line has been allowing Conner to get pressured and the Tigers haven’t been able to generate a consistent running game. Injuries to three or four of the team’s running backs have contributed to the Tigers’ dilemma.
“I am not going to allow them to be down on themselves,” Shorter said. “I keep reminding them that we are playing some really good schools. The first four ballgames we have played some of the top schools in the state of Mississippi and one of the top schools in Texas, so you’re going to have breakdowns and stuff, but we are not going to allow them to hang their heads.”
Shorter knows Noxubee County can’t afford to be thinking about the past two losses against West Point, which is coming off a 13-3 victory against Columbus. Even though West Point lost to Starkville 16-0 (Noxubee County beat Starkville 26-20 in double overtime), Shorter knows from past experience the Green Wave will be flying high for the annual rivalry game. He said West Point shows a lot of promise and resembles the program that dominated Class 5A earlier this decade. With a roster littered with sophomores, Shorter believes the Green Wave has the potential to reach that same level in the next two years. He hopes his team will be able to contend with an aggressive defense that he expects to come downhill and attempt to put a lot of pressure on the Conner and his offensive line and his running backs. On offense, he said West Point will be West Point and try to control the line of scrimmage and wear the Tigers down and break a big play. That script played out last season, as the Green Wave scored 19 unanswered points in the second half to take a 33-19 win in West Point.
A game at Kemper County remains before Noxubee County opens its Class 4A, Region 4 schedule against Kosciusko on Oct. 2. In past years, Noxubee County has managed to remain perfect on its road to a state. While that won’t happen this season, Shorter still believes his team has the talent to get to Oxford to play for another championship. He said the players have to ignore the naysayers in the community who are criticizing players and doubting the Tigers and pull together as a family. If that happens, he feels Noxubee County will be able to set aside the disappointment of the two losses and begin a journey that will end with a history-making celebration on the Ole Miss campus.
“We just played a terrible game offensively (against Meridian), but I still believe in these kids and in this offense,” Shorter said. “It is the same offense that we had last year that ran up and down the field on people. Our running game was clicking last year. This is the same football team. We are just in a slump and we have to dig our way out of it.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
