MACON — When Noxubee County senior linebacker Terry Joiner was given his team’s sack number Friday night, he had to have the number repeated.
“Eleven sacks is hard to believe. I had no idea really,” Joiner said. “I knew we were back there a lot. I knew we were making plays and having fun. I knew this was a lot better game than last week. That’s still a big number.”
If second-week improvement was taught in a classroom, the Noxubee County football team would have received all A’s Friday night. Behind a dominating performance from the defensive line, Noxubee County delighted most of a capacity crowd with a 34-9 victory against Columbus.
Noxubee County bounced back from a 43-3 loss to Starkville in the season opener. Despite battling another Class 6A foe, the Class 4A Tigers made it look easy by holding the Falcons to 74 yards of offense (with 60 of those coming on the final four plays).
“We just executed the game plan. I don’t think it can be simpler than that,” Noxubee County senior defensive end Miles Smith said. “Hit the quarterback as soon as he has the ball. Disrupt what the other team is trying to do. Get the ball back for the offense. This team has some high goals. One loss wasn’t going to change those.”
In 2014, Noxubee County used a 51-19 loss to Starkville as motivation to win a Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 4A State championship. Coach Tyrone Shorter is trying to do the same with this squad.
Joiner insists it was business as usual when the team returned to practice Monday.
“Coach (Shorter) simply told us we are good football team and that we need to go out and play like we are a good football team,” Joiner said. “That message was simple. It worked.”
Noxubee County looked every bit of a title contender Friday night. On defense, the Tigers had 11 sacks, forced five fumbles and recovered three of them, and forced Columbus into 10 punts. The Falcons had two first downs with less than two minutes left in regulation.
“It’s the most speed up front we have had since I have been here,” Shorter said. “That is saying something.”
On offense, the Tigers are still a work in progress. Junior quarterback Maliek Stallings and senior quarterback Armoni Clark had moments. Junior running back Jaqualyn Smith became the team’s first 100-yard rusher this season with 119 yards on nine tries. Junior wide receiver Kyziah Pruitt remains one of the state’s top prospects.
Senior wide receiver Rashad Eades is providing a spark that was missing from last season’s team. Eades’ junior campaign was cut short by injury. He provides play-making ability as a receiver and on kick returns.
“He is a factor in everything we do,” Shorter said. “His value was not lost on us before he went out. After he did, everyone knew.”
Eades said Shorter challenged the team to play better in the second half. Noxubee County led 19-3 at halftime, but that was thanks in large part to Noxubee County fumble recoveries on the Columbus 4-yard line and 9-yard line.
Smith took the challenge and ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half. He also had a 35-yard punt return to set up the Tigers’ final score.
Eades also had two 30-yard returns to complement a 279-yard output in offense.
Stallings threw touchdown passes to Eades and Pruitt. Smith, L.C. Clemmons, and Clark had rushing scores.
“We have pieces,” Shorter said. “I really like this team a lot. On offense, we have pieces. On special teams, we have pieces. On defense, we have size, speed, length. It’s exciting to practice with these guys each day because we know the capability.”
Eades took it one step further.
“This is a championship team,” Eades said. “We just have to be patient and work at it. Each day, this team has to get better. We have speed all over the place. It’s an insane amount of speed.”
Smith started the sack count with four in the first 14 minutes. Malcomn Purtue had three sacks, while Ma’teo Chandler was in on two. Smith also had a fumble recovery, while Joiner had the other two.
“There was a time in the second quarter where (Columbus) had no idea what play they could run that would be successful,” Joiner said. “They didn’t have answer for the pressure. It’s a great feeling on defense when the other team doesn’t have anything it can go to. It makes you excited.”
That effort produced a better feeling than in week one.
“That was a horrible loss in front of all of our friends and family,” Smith said. “There were no guarantees in this game tonight, other than that wasn’t going to happen again.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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