Friday night, Winona coach Joey Tompkins addressed his team right after the Tigers defeated Choctaw County, 33-7.
“I'm super proud of you," he said. "That was a good old-fashioned whipping.”
Indeed it was as Winona dominated a team that beat the Tigers last year on its way to the 3A quarterfinals and started this season with a 42-13 win over East Webster.
Offensively, Winona rolled up 350 yards, 299 on the ground. Defensively, the Tigers allowed only seven first downs. In two games, the defense has not allowed a touchdown.
It didn't start off well for the Tigers. Ques McNeal returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a TD to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead, 16 seconds into the game.
Winona responded with a scoring drive on its first possession, going 50 yards on five running plays, four by quarterback Andarius Coffey, who finished off the drive with a 12-yard run to make it 7-6.
“That was big,” Tompkins said.
Perhaps the biggest play of the game came late in the first period after Choctaw County reached the Winona 12. Charger quarterback Tylan Carter fumbled when he was hit hard by Tiger safety Garrett Ables, and Tay'Shaun Pointer recovered the ball for Winona. That was the game's only turnover.
Winona took a 12-7 halftime lead when Jay Lofton went straight up the middle 32 yards for a second quarter TD.
The Tigers added three second half touchdowns – a one-yard run by Jalen Campbell, a five-yard run by Lofton, and a seven-yard Coffey to Lofton pass.
“On both sides of the ball, we won the battle up front,” Tompkins said. “I thought our offensive line and our defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage. Anytime you can do that you are going to be successful.”
Coffey, a junior starting at quarterback for the first time this year, led the way offensively, carrying 23 times for 154 yards and completing 6 of 10 passes for 51 yards. “We wanted to get him started running the ball,” Tompkins said. “He settled down in the second half and threw the ball better.”
Lofton ran 10 times for 82 yards and had the one reception for a TD.
“He's the most explosive player we have so we have to find ways to get him the ball, whether we put him in the backfield or as a receiver.”
The defense was led by Campbell at linebacker with 10 tackles, and Ables with seven tackles including one sack.
“We were playing a run heavy team and that requires our safeties to help on the run,” Tompkins said. “I thought he (Ables) did that very well. He's the guy who was always around the ball. He's a guy who has been starting for three years. He understands the game.”
It's one down and one to go in what Tompkins called “redemption” games. Next up is a home game with Nanih Waiya, a team that beat the Tigers 48-28 last year on its way to the 1A championship game. Despite the graduation loss of 1,000-yard runners Taemaus Glass and Chris Smith — who both went over the century mark against Winona last year — and quarterback Bryce Stanton, the Warriors continue to roll along, winning their first two games 41-6 against Hatley and 42-0 over Union.
“They're really good,” Tompkins said. “Their offensive line will be better than any offensive line we face. They don't look like a 1A offensive line. They are very big up front. Not only big, they get after you. We will have our hands full on both sides of the ball.”
Nanih Waiya is averaging 253 yards a game on the ground, led by junior Shia Moore with 16 carries for 249 yards.
