MACON — Noxubee County is back on the gridiron on Friday, facing possibly their biggest test of the season,a trip to Louisville to renew a rivalry with a familiar opponent and a familiar face.
“This is a big rivalry for us,” Tigers head coach Teddy Young said ahead of the matchup. “The kids have been locked in since Monday. We know what kind of game it’ll be, that’s a well-coached team. We can’t turn the ball over, have to play well on special teams and limit flags.”
Former Tiger Tyrone Shorter and his Wildcats have won three state championships in four years, including three wins over the Tigers. Young’s team came up short at home last season in a 7-6 battle with the eventual undefeated 4A champions.
The Tigers are 2-2 in 2024, with losses to Starkville and West Point. Getting young players up to speed has been a process, but that work is starting to pay off.
“We’ve gotten better each game and that’s what we ask for,” Young said. “The team has gotten better, there’s still room to improve but as long as we can keep improving we have a shot at reaching our goals.”
Last week the Tigers recovered from a heartbreaker in West Point with a 40-7 thumping of Shannon. Quarterback KaMario Taylor threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns, adding another 60 yards on the ground. A big positive on the offense was the eight different receivers with at least one catch, an area Young was looking for improvement from after the number of drops and wrong routes against the Green Wave.
“The receivers are picking up the playbook well now,” he said. “They block hard, they’re working hard. They’ve got room to improve but I like what I’ve seen from the first few games.”
The matchup is an opportunity for the Tigers to test themselves against another likely contender, but ultimately the test is getting back to the state championship game and finishing the job this time around.
“I’ve seen a lot from the spring to the offseason,” Young said of his team’s dedication to getting back to the 3A title game. “They’ve been in the weight room, studying the playbook and gelling as a team. We’re trying to win a state championship. We know it takes a lot of hard work and preparation, but the kids have been doing their part. We’re just trying to stay healthy to make this run.”
The Tigers are looking for their first win over Louisville since 2019, and Young is looking for a second win against the man who taught him how to build a program.
Young is 49-24 with the Tigers since taking over in 2019, stepping into the role vacated by Shorter. The Wildcats have been nearly unbeatable since then, and Shorter’s team is currently on a 30-game winning streak that dates back to 2022.
“We talk all the time,” he said of his friendship with Shorter. “He gave me my first opportunity to coach and he’s been a mentor to me. I model my program after how he did things here. I know it’ll be a great atmosphere with the community on both sides and hopefully, we can go and stop that winning streak.”
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