There’s a pretty big game on the way this week for the Louisville Wildcats and it’s had the Wildcat players excited since the start of the season which has been a challenge for Tyrone Shorter and his staff.
Before the Wildcats could get to this week and one of the best games in the state on Friday night against Starkville, they had to take care of business in Columbus. When the lights came on, LHS did just that.
38 points in the first half was the ticket for the Wildcats as they coasted to a 45-20 victory over the Falcons. It was the first half that Shorter wanted and the fourth quarter that he didn’t, but it was a win.
“I thought our kids came out and did what we wanted to do in the first half,” Shorter said. “We came out with a lot of energy. I couldn’t have asked of more from our guys in the first half. We got to play a lot of players, especially in the end. I’m kind of disappointed with how the game ended because we gave up two touchdown passes, but we want to give them experience and build for the future. We wanted the shutout, but sometimes that won’t happen when you’re playing younger guys.”
LHS had a well-played game from its starters. Quarterback Xavier Hunt was 11-of-17 for 140 yards and three touchdowns while rushing four times for 47 yards. Jaylin Jordan led the team’s 133 rushing yards with 48 of his own on 11 carries and two touchdowns while Kamron Triplett had three catches for 58 yards and a score and Deniro Jackson had four catches for 53 yards.
It was another strong offensive performance for a unit that continues to improve this year. Shorter gives a lot of the credit to what they’re doing on the offensive line.
“The offense starts with our big boys up front. They were young last year and they’re still young, but they have a year of experience. We’re leaning on them,” Shorter said. “Our quarterback is getting better and better every week and he’s making good decisions. He’s doing a great job and we want him to continue to get better every week. You can’t ask for anything else from him. We like the direction he’s going.”
The offense was on fire early. Hunt led the team down the field on the opening drive and threw a 3-yard score to Jackson just over 2 minutes into the game. A couple of minutes later, Jordan had a 59-yard run for a score and the lead extended to 17-0 when Cedrick Hunt hit a 34-yard field goal in the waning minutes of the first frame.
After Columbus answered with a 59-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-8 heading into the second quarter, LHS stepped on the gas and pulled away. Jamarion King had an interception returned for touchdown early in the second quarter that extended the lead and then Hunt would make it 31-8 with a 28-yard passing score to Xzarion Haynes.
Hunt hit one more for good measure right before the half as he found Triplett on a 32-yard score to make it 38-8 at the break.
With a running clock in the second half and the backups in the game, the Wildcats gave up a couple of touchdowns late in the game. The first team unit was impressive again, however.
“I feel like the defense is playing at a high level. We’re aggressive, we’re playing smart and fast,” Shorter said. “Once we get healthy on defense, we can be at our best. I don’t think right now we’re playing at our best and that’s a good thing. We’re getting better and better as a team. I want them climbing the ladder every week until we reach our destination.”
With that game behind them and a 3-0 start, the Wildcats have earned the right to put every bit of focus on this week’s matchup on the road with Starkville tonight. The defending Class 6A state champions also come in 3-0 with three impressive wins over Noxubee County, West Point and Meridian.
This game against the Yellow Jackets is personal for the players at LHS and the team has gotten closer and closer to winning the matchup each year. In a game that was once played yearly, SHS and LHS stopped playing from 2011-18.
It picked back up in 2019 with the Wildcats losing 35-7, but the team dropped a 24-14 game in 2020, 28-23 in 2021 and 21-20 last season. This year, Shorter and his team is doing everything they can to finally get over the hump.
“Our guys remember last year. Even the last three years, we’ve had a chance to win the game going into the fourth quarter. We’ve got to make sure this year that we’re ready for that final quarter and keeping our guys fresh because they wore us out the last three years with their depth. They’ve got the numbers and more kids, and I think we’ve got to do a good job making sure that our guys can finish,” Shorter said.
“They’ve got a good football team, a good quarterback and receiver. It’s going to be a tough task for us, but we’re excited.”
