MACON — Records don’t seem to matter at all for Noxubee County football.
In the first two games of the MHSAA Class 3A playoffs, the Tigers played opponents with a combined record of 16-4 coming in.
All Noxubee County did was blow out both schools, 84-20, coasting to the quarterfinals.
That set up a primetime Friday night matchup, one that could very well determine the 3A state champion, between the Tigers and Jefferson Davis County.
“The kids are really paying attention to the details,” head coach Teddy Young said. “They’re excited. We feel good about it. … We get another chance to play in front of our home crowd against a tough opponent.”
The Tigers (8-4) and Jaguars (10-2) are by many accounts, the two odds-on favorites to hoist hardware in Oxford in two weeks.
Noxubee’s notoriously tough non-district schedule has once again paid dividends for the program as a 3-4 start has given way to an ongoing five-game winning streak.
An already explosive offense, one that averages 36.5 points per game overall this season and 43.8 points per game during the Tigers’ five-game winning streak, is red hot at just the right time.
“We just try to control what we can control,” Young said. “Every week is a different opponent. … Last week, going on the road against a tough opponent and coming out with a win, that was a big momentum booster for us.”
Momentum is the name of the game right now, and both teams have momentum going for them as the bright lights of the playoffs shine brighter.
The Jags, who won their third-straight district title this season, are two years removed from their last state title, but with three state titles since the school opened in 2017, success has been there from the jump.
Noxubee County was even a victim of JDC’s second state-title run in 2019, losing 25-15 in the lone matchup between both schools.
If the Tigers want a shot at their sixth state title – and first since 2017 – they need to flip the script from four years ago, something this program is more than confident in accomplishing.
“We have to dominate the line of scrimmage,” Young said. “Our playmakers, they need to make plays. … We’re just trying to keep it rolling.”
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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 29 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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