As the adage goes, football is a game of inches.
Nobody knows that better than Poplarville head coach Jay Beech, who had previously lost four different state title games in the previous eight years.
But inches finally went in favor of the Hornets.
With the game on the line, Louisville opted for a winner-take-all two-point conversion. The Wildcats quarterback fired the ball that was tipped and landed in the hands of Kameron Triplett, who just stepped out of bounds.
Poplarville held on to defeat Louisville 29-28 to win its first-ever state championship and spoil a potential three-peat for the Wildcats. In fact, the Hornets' victory hands Louisville its first-ever loss in the state title game after previously being a perfect 12-0.
“I thought we had brought better teams to this game and nothing against our guys now, but that just shows the heart, character and determination,” Beech said. “We have gotten beat on a two-point conversion. We’ve had some heartbreakers, but tonight went our way.
“It was just our time.”
The defining play of the night was Poplarville’s onside kick call with just under eight minutes left in the game. The gamble paid off. The Hornets’ quarterback Jason Blackmon competed a 50-yard pass to set up the go-ahead touchdown for Poplarville running back Nick Miller.
“We thought we needed to try and get a possession back from them,” Beech said. “Their return game was so good that they were returning to midfield anyway, so we decided to go for the onside kick.”
The Hornets opened the game with a 9-play, 63-yard drive that ended with Blackmon finding Zack Case for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 20-yard line. Later in the quarter, Louisville running back Zaiden Jernigan broke away for a 96-yard touchdown to give the Wildcats an 8-7 lead after making a two-point conversion.
Louisville (12-2) maintained the momentum with a 13-play, 78-yard drive that ended with quarterback Xavier Hunt finding Xzarion Haynes for a 17-yard touchdown. However, the Hornets answered after sophomore running back Ty Keys returned the ensuing kickoff for an 83-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 15-14. But midway through the third quarter, Jernigan ripped a 26-yard touchdown run to push the Wildcats’ lead to 22-14.
“He’s that little spark,” said Beech of Keys. “He’s the extra spark. He’s the explosion that we need. We have been blocking our tails off all year. He’s that extra burst, and then the kickoff return was a game changer.”
In the fourth quarter, Keys, who was named the game’s MVP after totaling 130 rushing yards, tied the game up with a 27-yard touchdown run to set up the onside kick.
Lousiville managed to put together one final scoring drive that resulted in Hunt throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-5 to set up the dramatic ending.
"It’s hard to describe," Beech said. "We got over the hump. The good Lord Jesus Christ gave this to us and provided a way for us. We are very thankful for our community and our fans."
Poplarville finishes the season 12-2.
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