#HSFT19 Stop #53 — Louisville Wildcats

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LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — The ‘Grind for Nine’ is complete, a storybook 2018 to send longtime head coach MC Miller out a state champion.

Fast forward seven months, it’s a new era in Louisville, Mississippi.

Former Noxubee County head coach Tyrone Shorter takes over the Wildcats football program, and with a new era comes a new message, ‘Locked in for 10’.

“What I told these guys the very first time I met them, there’s no reason why Louisville shouldn’t be leading the state in state championships,” Shorter said, “I told them in two years, we’re going to be tied with South Panola for the top of football in Mississippi.”

“We’ve been working really hard this offseason, it’s been intense compared to last year,” senior inside linebacker Kristian Hopkins said.

“Last year we worked hard, but we’re the hunted this season. We’re trying to defend what we earned. So we had to work that much harder, because we realized we’ve got a target on our backs.”

Fourteen Wildcats from the state championship squad signed to play college football, so new and eager talent will have step in to key spots.

The offense will be lead by senior quarterback Drea Shumaker, surrounded by plenty of playmakers to keep up the Wildcats up-tempo style.

“I got two big time receivers, that’s [Niselbrion] Kirk and David [Haynes], we’re going to make some plays, make something happen so we can send our players to another state championship,” Shumaker said, “If we keep working like we’ve been working this offseason, we’re going to make it somewhere.”

“They have that winning tradition here,” Shorter said, “these guys, they have that mentality of next man up. It’s been easy getting these guys, you know, they’re stepping up, and they’re really doing a great job for us.”

If there’s one thing to count on in Louisville, it’s a fast, hard-hitting defense.

Shorter said this year will be no different, and the ‘PowerCats’ plan to continue its reign as one of the state’s top defenses.

“We have speed. I’ve always built my defenses off speed. We don’t have to be really big on defense as long as you can run. That’s what we’re building this defense on. We feel really good about this year.”

Louisville begins 2019 with a major rivalry matchup with Noxubee County.