HATTIESBURG – Deonte Yarbrough clapped his two hands together to give his center the cue to snap the football.
Yarbrough collected the snap, shifted his head right and heaved the football to the right side of the field toward Niselbylion Kirk. The receiver slipped behind his defender and corralled Yarbrough’s pass just before crossing the goal line.
Yarbrough and Kirk’s 28-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter gave Louisville its first lead of the game and clinched the Wildcats’ 25-20 win over Poplarville Saturday in the 2018 MHSAA Class 4A state championship at the University of Southern Mississippi’s M.M. Roberts Stadium.
“Coach called us into the huddle and drew up a play,” Yarbrough said. “He called a fake slant, go deep, and I saw my boy over there and he was wide open. I couldn’t miss him – touchdown.”
On the play before the go-ahead touchdown, Poplarville was flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that set the Wildcats up with a first-and-10 from the Hornets’ 28.
Louisville’s coaching staff took it from there and crafted the game-winning play call.
“It was the perfect play,” Kirk said. “They had one man over me and I ran a hitch-and-go. I stopped, and then I went, and my quarterback threw the pass to me. It was a touchdown. We got that.”
Yarbrough ended his prep career with the best performance of his injury-shortened season. The senior passed for 140 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 160 yards, both game-highs. He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
“He came back and he played hard and did what he was supposed to do,” Louisville coach M.C. Miller said. “We’re proud of that, and he never gave up. He just kept working hard.”
Saturday’s championship also signaled the end of Miller’s 45-year coaching career. As time in the final quarter ran out, Louisville players found their coach and doused him with the customary Gatorade bath.
“I feel so happy now — winning it, and going out just makes me feel good,” Miller said. “The guys played hard for me, the coaches did a good job for me, and you can’t ask for anything any better.”
The win improved Louisville to an unmatchable 9-0 in state championship contests.
Poplarville and its double-wing rushing attack through the first quarter sliced through Louisville’s vaunted defense. The Hornets ended the opening period with a 10:31 to 1:29 advantage in the time-of-possession battle and Poplarville outgained Louisville 102 yards to 1 in total offense.
Louisville’s offense found its footing in the second quarter.
On Louisville’s second drive of the quarter, Yarbrough found Kirk for a 10-yard completion and Yarbrough added first-down runs of 19 and 25 yards to set the Wildcat offense up with first-and-10 from Poplarville’s 11. Yarbrough capped the 12-play drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Alvius Haynes with 6:11 left in the second quarter to cut Poplarville’s advantage to 14-6.
Yarbrough began the third quarter with a 36-yard run that flipped the field for the Wildcats and gave them first-and-10 from Poplarville’s 26. Running back Kevon Jackson then ran for a 2-yard gain before Yarbrough found Haynes for a 20-yard completion. Jackson darted through the middle of Poplarville’s defense for a 4-yard touchdown run one play later for the score. The 2-point try failed and Poplarville led 14-12 with 10:40 remaining in the third quarter.
“We adjusted in the second half,” Miller said. “I knew the offense was going to make adjustments – I knew they were going to move the ball.”
Poplarville responded with a four-play drive that spanned 66 yards. Hornet running back Tyson Holston broke free on a 44-yard touchdown run, his third score of the game. Louisville blocked Poplarville’s extra-point attempt and the Hornets led 20-12 with 8:10 left in the third quarter.
The Wildcats didn’t take long to respond.
On their next possession, Yarbrough hit Drea Shumaker for a 6-yard gain. Jackson then added a 6-yard run, and Yarbrough connected with David Haynes for a 9-yard completion. Yarbrough took off on a 31-yard rush to move the Wildcats into the red zone and Jackson finished the drive with a 14-yard scoring run with 6:31 left in the third quarter. Louisville failed in its 2-point conversion attempt and trailed 20-18.
Yarbrough’s and Kirk’s 28-yard touchdown and the Louisville defense iced the victory.
Christian Hopkins finished with 18 total tackles and Ashanti Cistrunk added 15 total tackles. Rankevious Johnson recorded a fumble recovery.
Jackson rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Kirk finished with 57 yards receiving and one touchdown on five receptions, and Alvius Haynes tallied 50 yards receiving on three receptions.
With his hands still wet from the Gatorade bath, Miller, with his signature wooden toothpick resting on the side of his mouth, spoke about his final game as Louisville’s head coach.
“This one feels good because I think this is my last one going out, and I feel good about doing that,” he said. “I’m just so happy I don’t know what to think. Our boys are whooping and hollering, and I just feel good about doing it.”
Louisville ended the season at 15-1 on a 14-game winning streak. Poplarville finished 13-2.
