DeAngelo Ballard and his Winona High School staff and players are ready to get the regular season started when the Tigers host Class 7A Southaven High School at 7 p.m. Friday at Tiger Stadium.
“As far as the coaching staff, we have come together well considering we’ve only been together since late April and early May,” said Ballard, who has coaching stops at Noxubee County High School and Byhalia High School as well as others along the way. “Everybody is doing a good job. Developing good working relationships is important, and the kids have adopted well to the changes we’ve made, and they’ve accepted the challenges we’ve presented them with.
“It’s going to be an exciting night at Tiger Stadium. We had a good showing last week for Meet the Tigers, and we had a good following for the jamboree game last Saturday. I’m expecting a good crowd. We gave them a little preview of what to expect Saturday.”
The Tigers took on Leake Central High School at the Louisville High jamboree. They beat the Gators 22-7.
“I was impressed with how physical we played,” he said. “We ran the ball well, and the quarterback and offensive line both did a good job. We were effective with the run and the pass. Landon (Crawford) threw two touchdown passes, and Yoshawn (Hudson) ran for a 60-yard touchdown.
“We are ready physically to play, but I want to see how we respond when we have to go a full four quarters. They have been taught well by the coaching staff, and we are facing a stiff challenge in a 7A team to open the season. The kids are excited about it. It’s a big jump for us, but it is one we feel will help us earn respect if we can pull it off.”
Winona is coming off a 6-6 season in 2024. The Tigers made it to the second round of the 3A playoffs, losing 41-27 to Choctaw County. Former coach Joey Tompkins retired after 25-plus years in the public school education field. He was Winona’s head coach for 11 seasons, compiling an overall record of 102-39 and a state championship in 2023.
“Our goal is to use these first six games to prepare us for our district games, so we can make a run at another state championship,” said Ballard. “There’s a lot of talent on this team, and we know the expectations are high.”
