MACON — Some coaches stop coaching their players after the final game of their senior seasons.
Noxubee County High School coach Tyrone Shorter isn’t like some coaches.
Fresh off its second Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A state championship in three seasons, Shorter and his staff congratulated six Tigers who signed scholarship offers Wednesday in a National Signing Day ceremony in the Noxubee County High library.
“I am going to be as hard now as I have ever been,” Shorter said. “When you go to your college, you will be representing us. If your coach has a problem, he is going to call me. I don’t expect any calls. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. This is the chance at a free education. This is the type of thing that can change your life, so I expect you to take full advantage of it.”
While Noxubee County has had 12 or more signees in each of the past three seasons, Wednesday’s group boasted the same talent level in smaller numbers. The good news for Noxubee County is seven starters return on each side of the ball from this past season’s 14-2 team.
“This team was special this year,” said Noxubee County senior linebacker Kavorkian Brewer, who signed with Alcorn State. “After losing (in the third round in 2013), the team really came back with a dedication and focus. We knew we had the talent to win it all. We just had to work hard every day and everybody had to do their part.”
Senior running back/defensive back Mahlon Robinson will join Brewer at Alcorn State.
“I have played football all of my life and hoped for an opportunity like this,” Robinson said. “It’s exciting to be playing senior college ball, and I am looking forward to the opportunity. The coaches made me feel right at home. Hopefully, I can go there and help out.”
The Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges ranks also improved with the addition of four Noxubee County players.
Senior wide receiver Tamarcus Silvers signed with Itawamba Community College.
“Being able to play at Noxubee County was a blessing,” Silvers said. “Coach Shorter and the other coaches made me both a better person and a better player. Football is important, but they always made me sure we were in class and doing the things we needed to do. We won a lot of games and had a lot of good times.”
Senior Wesley Bush anchored the defense at cornerback. Part of both the 2012 and 2014 state championship squads at Noxubee County, Bush will play next at Northwest Mississippi C.C.
“Northwest has a lot of tradition,” Bush said. “I am pretty excited about going up there and being a part of that tradition. It will be a chance to go in and play early, and I am looking forward to getting started. The goal is to work hard and try to make an impact right away.”
Another fixture on Class 4A’s best defense was senior linebacker Darrell Brandon, who will play at Southwest Mississippi C.C.
“Even though they haven’t won a lot of games there lately, hopefully we can go down there and change that,” Brandon said. “The main thing is an opportunity to play. You want to go somewhere where you will fit in and be part of a family. I am looking forward to this chance. You work real hard to get to this point, so it is great to see that hard work pay off.”
Senior defensive lineman Trinity Conner is headed to Hinds C.C.
“It’s a relief to be able to play junior college football,” Conner said. “Football has always been a passion of mine. This is going to be a great opportunity. The (MACJC) is full of really great players on pretty much every team. I think this will definitely make me better as a player. Hopefully, it is just the beginning.”
A video of the 2014 state championship game was played prior to the ceremony. Shorter even addressed the 2015 season, saying the team will be “full of experience and certainly is in a position to contend.”
But on this day the future was more about these six young men.
“This group finished 36-9,” Shorter said. “That’s quite a record. They even won two gold balls (for state championships). Far more important than that, though, is the type of young men they have grown into. They have each come a long way in their time in our program.
“In life, you will face adversity. You will find that nothing is easy. Hopefully, we have helped prepare these guys for anything they may face. Football is a lot like life. You learn so much. Now it is their job to put to good use what they have learned.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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