To say Nanih Waiya has rich football tradition, especially over the past five seasons, would be an understatement.
The Warriors, who won the 2019 MHSAA Class 1A Championship with a thrilling 21-18 win over 1A power Hollandale-Simmons last Decenter, finished the year at 15-1 and has won its last 41 region contests, including going 8-0 in winning the region 5-1A title the past five years.
Despite heavy graduation losses, especially on the offensive line, second year Nanih Waiya head coach James Courtney knows full well those expectations didn’t graduate, and he’s fine with that.
“I wouldn’t work at a place that didn’t have high expectations,” Courtney said. “Our goal every year is to do the best we can do. When your parents have high expectations of their kids it’s good. We have good parents.
“This is a great program to be at,” he said. “It helps for the tradition to already be at a place and you don’t have to turn something around.”
Nanih Waiya’s run at defending its state championship will be a tough one. “Everybody is looking at us,” Courtney said. “That’s a good thing.”
He also noted that the region competition will be a little stronger this year.
Nanih Waiya — as well as Noxapater, Ethel, West Lowndes, French Camp, and Vardaman — are moving from Region 5-1A to Region 2-1A where they will be joined by Smithville, Tupelo Christian, and Okolona.
“It’s definitely going to be a tougher (region) on paper,” Courtney said. “You have ‘Pater who is loaded and Smithville, TCPS, and Okolona — that’s pretty tough.
The Warriors should be well tested when they get to region play. Nanih Waiya opens with MHSAA Class 4A West Lauderdale on Aug. 23, and follows that up with games against 2A Union and 4A Choctaw Central.
“We like playing good teams early,” Courtney said. “As long as you stay healthy, it helps get your team ready for the division.”
Among the big graduation losses for the Warriors were offensive linemen Caleb Warren and Kyle Holdiness. The line is a place Courtney knows needs to play well for his team to have another outstanding season.
“We have got to get our line going,” Courtney said. “We have had some good days and some bad days (in practice).”
The key returnee on the line is 6-foot-2, 255-pound junior Cody Warren. He will be at right tackle with 5-foot-11, 205-pound junior Braxton Stokes playing next to him at right guard. Kris Eaves and Prentiss Eaves are both on the line with a battle going on for playing time at left take.
While Courtney is expecting the line to improve as the season goes along, he knows exactly what he has in the offensive backfield — explosiveness and power.
Leading the way are a trio of seniors — Shia Moore and twins Donovan and Devean Turner.
“Our backs are good players,” Courtney said. “If we can give them a little room they are going to do what we need them to do.”
Moore rushed for 1,809 yards and 24 touchdowns on 160 carries last season, while quarterback Donovan Turner picked up 1,540 yards rushing and scored 18 times on 16 carries. He also threw 10 touchdown passes while hitting on 47–of-94 attempts for 718 yards.
Devean Turner rushed for 715 yards and 11 scores on 67 carries, while Austin Sanders, now a sophomore, scored 13 touchdowns and rushed for 734 yards on just 59 attempts.
Sanders will see action in the backfield, as well as at wide receiver along with Tylan Glass, Blake Young, and Trevor Holdiness. Shaw Adcock and J.T. Stokes are the tight ends.
Defensively Devean Turner and Tristan Connor will be at the ends, while Cody Warren and Adcock will be on the interior of the line.
Manning the linebacker posts will be Moore, Glass, and Taylor Higginbotham.
Ked Moore, Dawson Eaves, Trevor Holdiness, and Donovan Turner are at the corners, with Sanders, Tatum Luke, and Blake Young playing the safeties.
Taylor Higginbotham is the place-kicker, with Adcock the deep snapper, and Holdiness the punter..
