MACON — Noxubee County’s 2022 season opener was perfect, a 52-15 beatdown of Philadelphia, with starting quarterback KaMario Taylor dominating offensively.
The sophomore had everything working, throwing for 253 yards and five touchdowns, three of which went to senior Anthony Little Jr.
But perfection only lasts so long, and for the Tigers, things dissipated the following week against Amanda Elzy as Taylor suffered a hairline fracture in his ankle.
He could barely put weight on his leg as he was helped off the field. Although an initial diagnosis was not severe, the injury sidelined Taylor for nearly two months.
Taylor powered his way through recovery, sticking to the game plan, and he returned to the gridiron for the Tigers’ Week 9 game against Nettleton.
Now, five weeks later, a state championship is on the line for Noxubee County (10-4) and QB1 at 11 a.m. Friday against Raleigh (13-1).
“It was hard on me,” Taylor said. “Last year, I got hurt, so I thought this year, I was going to be out again for the rest of the year, so when I came back, I tried my hardest to stay healthy and be good for the team.”
Taylor played just one game in his freshman year, sidelined for the majority of the season with a hamstring issue, so having to miss essentially two full seasons of football was not an option.
He just had to wait for the bone to fully heal before getting back into the swing of things.
It became a tedious process, one Taylor would rather not have had to deal with, but there was constant support from his teammates and the coaching staff during his rehab and recovery.
“To get injured in the second ballgame of the season, he was down on himself after what happened last year,” Noxubee County head coach Teddy Young said. “We were hopeful that we could get him back at some point this season. The biggest thing for him was studying film, still being at practice, learning the offense and reading defenses.”
Being present at practice turned out to be a massive help for Taylor, who was still there helping to motivate and lead his teammates, even if he wasn’t out there on the field taking reps.
Staying around the game and staying tuned into the game continued to motivate him through the process, despite the obvious frustration of dealing with another lengthy injury absence.
During Taylor’s absence, Noxubee County struggled, going 2-4, including a three-game losing streak immediately following the win over Amanda Elzy. The offense didn’t click quite the same, scoring just 17.8 points per game in its four losses in that span.
When he finally did come back against Nettleton, the tides changed and the Tigers got back on track. They had their QB1 back, and everyone was happy to have him back.
“He was really happy to be back on the field,” Young said. “He was happy to be back, and the team was excited to have him back … He’s one of our leaders. The kids look up to him, and the kids play hard when he’s in the game.”
Since Taylor has been back on the field, the Tigers have won six straight games, starting with the final two games of the regular season to secure home-field advantage to begin the playoffs.
From there, Noxubee County has run the gauntlet so far in the MHSAA Class 3A playoffs, winning its first three postseason games by a combined score of 107-32, before a stunning, 52-51 comeback overtime victory in the semis against Amory.
Down two touchdowns with four minutes or so to go, Taylor helped orchestrate two touchdown drives to tie the game at 44-44 before a dramatic finish in overtime to clinch a trip to Hattiesburg.
“I just feel like it’s a team effort,” Taylor said. “Defense is doing their job; offense is doing their job. We’re trying to make plays every time we get a chance to … I was in eighth grade the last time we went to the state championship. I was the waterboy, the ball boy. My eighth-grade self would have probably been like there’s no way I’m the starting quarterback right now.”
All that’s left for Taylor and the Tigers is 48 minutes of football on Friday to determine a state championship.
Needless to say, he’s ready, and he’s been ready for this moment since helping out on the sidelines as a middle-schooler.
MHSAA football championships at a glance
Where: M.M. Roberts Stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg
How to stream: NFHS Network (misshsaa.tv), MyMS
How to listen: 89.9 FM
Friday
11 a.m.: Raleigh vs. Noxubee County, Class 3A
3 p.m.: Bay Springs vs. McEvans, Class 1A
7 p.m.: Picayune vs. West Point, Class 5A
Saturday
11 a.m.: Mendenhall vs. Louisville, Class 4A
3 p.m.: Scott Central vs. Charleston, Class 2A
7 p.m.: Brandon vs. Starkville, Class 6A
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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 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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