Winona are taking a road trip to face off against Noxubee County at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Winona's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last four matchups.
On Friday, Winona came up short against Aberdeen and fell 44-36.
The losing side was boosted by Landon Crawford, who threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns while completing 88.9% of his passes, and also rushed for 100 yards on only nine carries.
Even if they lost, Winona's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Alejandro White and Jabari Jones, who each picked up 0.5 sacks apiece. Winona received some extra help from Quincy Burt, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Noxubee County ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They walked away with a 28-20 victory over Philadelphia. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi football rankings (they are ranked 28th, while the Tornadoes are ranked 145th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
The critical scores for Noxubee County came from Jadien Taylor, Jykeim Goodwin, and Keon Mason.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Noxubee County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 213 rushing yards. They are a perfect 3-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Noxubee County didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Chadrick Skinner and Tyran Cotton. BJ Payton was another major factor on D, forcing two fumbles, making 12 total tackles (1.0 for loss), and defending two passes.
Noxubee County's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 12.5 points on average this season. As for Winona, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Winona has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 240.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Noxubee County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 222.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Winona was able to grind out a solid win over Noxubee County in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, winning 34-27. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Noxubee County's Kamario Taylor, who threw for 365 yards and three TDs. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Winona to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
