Mooreville High School Troopers

MOOREVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — Youth is the word surrounding the 2015 Mooreville Troopers.

Head coach Kevin Austin has continued to find success with his Mooreville program in recent seasons and this year he hopes the youth will grow up quickly and find success.

“We have a young team and we graduated a lot of guys that played a lot of football,” Austin said. “But I’m excited about this group. It will take some time to get some game experience and I think they’re going to be fine. It may take a couple weeks to get it together but I’m excited about it.”

With 11 seniors including leading rusher Taylor Franks and 2-way athlete Chris Rucker graduating, the Troopers will indeed be young. But, the Troopers do have a big piece returning.

Tay Rucker is back at quarterback for his senior season after passing for 1,750 yards and 22 touchdowns a season ago.

“Tay has really become a leader in the off-season,” Austin said. “He can play defensive back, running back and receiver plus he’s been a two year starter at quarterback for us. He can do a lot of things and we hope to move him around a bit and make him harder to find. He’s a big part of our offense.”

“Our coach is telling us to start from the beginning and learn all over again,” Tay said. “Right now we’re doing technique and we’re just trying to grind.”

Mooreville has been very close to getting over the hump in recent years in the playoffs.

Since 2010, the Troopers have averaged over six wins per year and that’s better than any five year average in school history.

They’ve also made the playoffs three of the last four seasons, something the Troopers have never done in school history.

All of that has Mooreville thinking one thing for 2015…

“That’s easy, State,” Rucker said. “We want to go to state. Our enthusiasm will get us there. Our excitement for the game and readiness the play plus our leadership prepares us.”

“That’s the way I want our kids to think,” Austin said. “That should be the ultimate goal every year. We have a lot of work to do between now and then.

“3A football is tough and we’re in a tough division. It will be a struggle each week but I want them to think they can win the State Championship every year.”

It’s not outside the realm of possibility, especially in a re-structured 3A North for the Mooreville Troopers. The journey begins at home versus Baldwyn in week 1 before visiting Caledonia the following week.