#HSFT20 – Stop #47 Mooreville Troopers

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MOOREVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — “My son is 18 months old,” head coach Jimmy Young said. “If he’s in that situation as a 16 year old, I’d do the same thing all over again because at the end of the day you’re more than a football coach. You’re a father, a mentor and a teacher so that was more important to me than anything.”

Last season, Mooreville’s playoff hopes came to an unfortunate end. In week five of the season, the Troopers match-up against New Albany became heated and following a mid-game fight, the Troopers elected to call the game.

Later, the MHSAA placed the team under probation for the remainder of the season ending any hope of postseason play. Now, the Troopers enter 2020 hungry to wash away last year’s end and make the playoffs in the program’s fourth season in 4-A.

“It’s been an uphill battle as far as kids actually thinking they can compete in 4-A,” Young said. “It’s always going to be an uphill battle. I got some young men that are willing to fight right now. I tell them all the time you got to keep climbing forward everyday and keep climbing up because if you’re not, you’re falling down the mountain. You got to keep climbing for excellence so I got some kids that are striving in that.”

After losing four of their top five receivers, Mooreville’s receiving core will feature new faces. However, one familiar face remains for the Troopers: quarterback Dawson Phillips. Head coach Jimmy Young says he’s confident in the offense with him at the helm.

“They know they got a quarterback and it fuels their energy,” Young explained. “They’ve been working hard because they know they got someone who’s gonna get them the ball. It’s gone well. We got a couple kids I’m really excited about that I think will step in and do really well.”

“Every step you take and everything you do is being watched,” junior quarterback Dawson Phillips said. “Really just how you act is how a team acts. You got to really keep the same attitude throughout.”

Young says he thinks the unusual off season has added fuel to the team’s drive as they prepare for week one.

“Had really good attendance,” Young explained. “They’ve pushed another and worked hard. Man, at the end of the day, they were ready to do something outside and get out the house.”

Mooreville kicks off the season September 4th on the road against Kossuth.