Winona High School used a stifling defense and a steady run game in knocking off one of the playoff giants in the second round of the North 3A playoffs last Friday night.
The Tigers sent Noxubee County home with a 36-8 victory at Tiger Stadium to advance to the North semifinals, where they will take on North Panola Friday at 7 p.m. in Sardis.
The Tigers held Noxubee County to 166 total yards and just a third-quarter touchdown. Noxubee beat Winona 50-7 in the North State championship game in 2020. The visiting Tigers have appeared in either the 3A or 4A title game in seven of the last 10 years.
“It’s a big deal to beat Noxubee County,” said Winona head coach Joey Tompkins. “They are a regular in North State or State championship games. They have one of the best programs in the state. Their only three losses this season before playing us were to West Point, Amory and Louisville.
“I’m real proud of our guys for executing the game plan. It was pretty simple. We didn’t throw that much, but we wanted to run the ball more with Jekeyvion (Burnley). I still wasn’t satisfied with our offensive line play. We missed a lot of blocks. That will have to change this week. We can’t afford to play like that up front and expect to beat a team like North Panola.”
Burnley, a senior quarterback, was Winona’s leading rusher with 135 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. He scored on runs of 19, 1 and 21 yards. He also threw one touchdown pass and finished 6-of-9 for 52 yards.
“While we didn’t ask Jekeyvion to throw the ball much, we did get him involved more in the run game,” said Tompkins. “He’s such a big guy, and when he runs with the ball, he’s always going forward. He had some big runs, but the most impressive runs were those three- and four-yard gains. He’s done that all season for us.”
Senior tailback Deriaun Townsend played for three quarters before exiting the game with a sprained ankle. He finished with 119 yards and one rushing touchdown on 20 carries. He also had two receptions for six yards.
“It all depends on how he responds to treatment this week, and how he feels Friday night,” said Tompkins on whether Townsend plays against North Panola. “If he can’t go, it’s the next man up. Danarius Robinson ran the ball well, and he also gives us another receiving threat.
“If we don’t block well, it won’t matter who is back there. Jekeyvion ran hard and protected the ball well. We didn’t have any turnovers, and we only had two penalties on offense — one for holding and another for a false start.”
Winona outgained Noxubee County 337-166 in total yardage with 286 of its yards coming on the ground. The Tigers had 18 first downs to Noxubee’s 10, and they also converted 8-of-17 third down attempts. Winona’s defense forced three turnovers (one fumble and two interceptions).
Winona got on the scoreboard in the first period on Burnley’s 19-yard run. Noah Durham booted the PAT. In the second frame, Townsend raced in from 66 yards out. Just before the half ended, Durham nailed a 25-yard field goal for a 16-0 advantage at the break.
Burnley scored from a yard out in the third quarter for a 22-0 lead. Noxubee got a 30-yard scoring pass and a 2-point conversion to make it 22-8 headed to the fourth frame.
Burnley scored his third TD on a 21-yard run and threw an 18-yard pass to Robinson in the fourth. Durham made both PATs.
Sophomore Chase Richardson had two receptions for 15 yards, and Robinson had the one catch and 24 yards rushing on eight carries.
Freshman linebacker Tyler Lockhart led the defense with six solo tackles, three assists, two quarterback sacks and four tackles for loss. Sophomore linebacker Eric Boone had three solos and five assists, and sophomore linebacker Fred Clark had three solos, three assists, one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
Junior defensive back Trey Cox had three solos and two assists, and Richardson and senior linebacker Khristian Williams had two solos and three assists apiece. Richardson also broke up two passes.
Senior linebacker Kamron Robinson and junior defensive back Ja’mes Bays had an interception each.
This Week’s Opponent
The Tigers head up I-55 to face the Cougars in the North 3A semifinals.
“I think they are the top team in the North,” Tompkins said. “Their only loss was to Senatobia during the season. They are explosive on offense and defense. They look to make big plays.
“Their quarterback is really good. He has good receivers and a fast running back. We have to do a good job on defense making tackles.”
Winona played its first two playoff games at home, beating Byhalia 52-0 in the first round.
“I’m hoping our fans will follow us,” Tompkins added. “We really could use the support.”
North Panola is 9-1 overall. The Cougars beat Aberdeen 20-6 last week in the second round and defeated Ruleville 60-6 in the first round.
The winner of Friday’s game moves on to play the victor of the Kossuth-Amory game on Nov. 26 in the North State championship game. The Class 3A title game is Dec. 3 at Southern Mississippi.
