MACON — Regardless of the score, Columbus High School senior free safety Hezekiah Manigo signed up for four quarters of work Friday night.
“This team will always keep battling,” Manigo said. “That has become our battle cry this year. We are a different team. On defense, we take pride in working hard for four quarters. We didn’t do our job right in the second half. It doesn’t matter how many things go wrong in a game. We have to keep fighting to keep the other team out of the end zone.
“We will keep learning, but we are going to keep playing with this passion.”
Columbus turned in a defensive masterpiece in the first half. Despite defending its goal line the entire half, the Falcons had the answers. In the end, six turnovers proved too much to overcome as Noxubee County ran its two-season winning streak to 13 with a 25-8 victory.
“We came here and did the exact thing we couldn’t do,” Columbus coach Randal Montgomery said. “We could not come here and turn the ball over six times. We did that last year. We did that again. We are a lot better now. We have a competitive team. A year ago, this game would have gotten way out of hand. However, we can’t turn the ball over.”
Columbus turned the ball over six times in a 46-7 defeat to Noxubee County last season. The Falcons were still transitioning to a new head coach, new assistants, and new system. Montgomery said earlier in the week that this year’s game against Noxubee County would be a good measuring stick for how far his young club had come.
“I think we kept battling, and I think you can take that away from this game,” Montgomery said. “This is the type of game that would have unraveled on us real quickly last season. This year, the kids came here with a belief they could win. We made six turnovers. It is as simple as that. You can’t make those turnovers here and beat this team. We played a great team. This team will be as good a team as we face all season.
“To come in here and compete and give ourselves a chance says a lot of about this team. Losing Kendre (Conner) hurt some of the things we were trying to do on offense.”
Conner was sidelined by injury on the first possession of the second quarter. From there, it was up to Kylin Hill and quarterback C.J. Gholar to do battle with the Noxubee County Front Four, considered by many the best unit in the state regardless of classification.
Jeffery Simmons and Qendarrion Barnett didn’t disappoint, as each was credited with 14 unofficial tackles. Still, the Noxubee County defense spread the wealth. The Tigers forced five fumbles and an interception, including two takeaways by Deveon Ball. Janerio Cunningham and Simmons also combined for a punt block at a critical juncture.
On the other side, the Columbus defense held its own. Noxubee County began its first four possessions at midfield or in Columbus territory. Columbus delivered stops on downs three times and picked up a fumble recovery on another.
“We have to learn how to finish as team,” Columbus junior cornerback Derrick Beckom said. “We can’t play well for a half and think that is enough. It doesn’t matter how many times the other team drives the ball on us, we have to make plays and finish. In the second half, as a defense, we didn’t finish.”
Columbus still had its opportunities. Hill (22 rushes, 115 yards) gave the Falcons a chance. Before his injury, Conner had an apparent 73-yard touchdown run brought back by a holding penalty.
Still, Columbus couldn’t capitalize. The Falcons turned the ball over inside the Tigers’ 10-yard line late in a scoreless first half. Columbus was later driving to end a then-scoreless first half. Gholar was stripped at midfield. The ball bounced loosely for about 30 yards before Kalmorris Robinson returned the fumble 24 yards for a 6-0 halftime lead.
Columbus fumbled on the Noxubee County 9 in the first half and Noxubee County 1 in the second half. A 73-yard fumble return by Hezekiah Manigo set up the lone Columbus touchdown – a 4-yard run by Gholar.
“We really played a great game on defense until midway through the second half,” Manigo said. “They beat us on couple of deep plays. It doesn’t matter how many turnovers we have as a team. Our job is to keep battling and to keep the other team out of the end zone.”
Still leading 6-0, Noxubee County put the game away by using its defensive standout on offense. Simmons scored on a 1-yard touchdown run and caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Timorrius Conner. Simmons was left alone on the touchdown pass. It was a rare mistake by Columbus’ defense.
“I am proud of my kids for staying in there and fighting for four quarters,” Montgomery said. “There was a time when we would have laid down. That’s a plus for us. We are right there. We were 30 seconds away from a shutout at the half and had the ball to start the second half.
“If you give another team this many extra possessions, they are going to eventually score on you. That is what happened to us. The defense did a great job tonight. On offense, we have to find a way to do some things. We really competed. This team is headed in the right direction.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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