WINONA — Noxubee County had kept pace for a half. Yoshawn Hudson made sure it could not keep pace for a whole night.
The Winona running back rushed for 281 yards and five touchdowns on 23 carries Friday, leading the Tigers to a 42–20 victory at Tiger Field. A game tied 14–14 at halftime became Winona’s seventh win in seven tries, with the home team scoring the next 28 points before Noxubee County answered late.
Hudson’s numbers were impressive enough. The way he created some of those yards was worth watching again.
Early in the fourth quarter, with Winona already ahead 28–14, he took a handoff, worked through the traffic near the line and found open field. The NMSN broadcast camera followed him past the midfield Tiger and toward the opposite red end zone, with Noxubee defenders chasing. The extra point made it 35–14. What had been a two-touchdown game was now a three-touchdown problem for the visitors.
That run captured the difference after halftime: Winona was turning running room into touchdowns, and Noxubee was running out of possessions to answer.
It had been a different kind of game before the break. Both teams scored twice in the first quarter, then neither scored in the second. Winona had the opening touchdown, but Noxubee kept coming back. In one of those answers, quarterback Jykeim Goodwin followed the push up front into a crowded end zone, cutting a 14–7 deficit to one point before the conversion tied it.
The visitors had given themselves a chance. They went to halftime even on the scoreboard, with everything still to play for.
Winona changed that in the third quarter. Hudson broke through for the touchdown that put the home team back in front, and another Winona goal-line score helped stretch the lead to 28–14. Noxubee did not score in the quarter. The Tigers in black had finally created some space between themselves and the Tigers in white.
Hudson’s long fourth-quarter run widened that space. He later finished another possession at the goal line, and Winona’s lead grew to 42–14 before Noxubee’s last touchdown established the final margin.
The published MaxPreps statistics credit Goodwin with all three Noxubee rushing touchdowns. On defense, Chaddrick Skinner and Jamrious Little each had an interception, while Tacorey Barnett recorded two sacks and four tackles for loss among his seven tackles. There were productive individual nights on the visiting sideline, even as Winona took control of the second half.
For Hudson, the final line worked out to 12.2 yards per carry. His ability to finish close to the goal line mattered just as much as the open-field speed. Winona got both from him Friday.
A setting worth a mention
Covering this one for NMSN also gave me a chance to see Winona’s newly renovated stadium and field, and I came away impressed. The place looks terrific. The turf, bold red end zones and big midfield Tiger give the field a sharp look under the lights. It was a beautiful setting for our Game of the Week broadcast, and Winona has plenty to be proud of in the facility as well as the football team.
On the field, the result leaves Winona 7–0 and Noxubee County 5–2. Winona is home again Friday for its homecoming game against PURE Academy; Noxubee returns to Macon to face Choctaw County.
For a half, this one offered little separation. By the finish, Hudson and Winona had supplied plenty.
Watch the NMSN broadcast replay.
