#HSFT18: Stop #48 – Mooreville Troopers

MOOREVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — Expect the unexpected.

That’s how the Mooreville Troopers want to be looked at during the 2018 season.

“Most people don’t expect us to come out here and do good or whatever but we’ve been working,” junior ATH Kha’sen Mitchell said. “Its been a motivation.”

“We are excited for the challenge,” head coach Jimmy Young said. “You know last year we got the dose of it so hoping this year we can cut the water off a bit per-say and hold our own and compete and play hard. You know I tell them all the time P-T-A. Physical, tough and aggressive. That’s what I want to see out of my young men. This group I’ve got they’re going to give that.”

“We’d love to go out with a bang and get in the playoffs, you know, cause some exciting things to happen maybe,” senior OL/DL Braeden Martin said.  “A lot of people don’t expect us to do much. Maybe we can come out here and show out and show some people we can make the playoffs in 4A.”

It was a tough 2017 season for the Troopers. They went just 2-9, didn’t make the playoffs and finished their season off going 0-45 against Amory. Even after all those struggles the Troopers found the best way to keep-on was by keeping on.

“Even though we had a 2-9 season and things went bad my older kids kept pushing through and kept persevering,” coach Young said. “I think the more positive energy you have around you the more kids are going to want to be involved. I think that’s where we’re getting it. It’s just kids like Braeden Martin and them older kids who just persevered through it and just hung in there with me and kept grinding and kept encouraging kids to get to workouts and come on out and play football. It’s just been a blessing.”

Even while going up against a tough 4A division the Troopers still hammer away toward playoff play and that’s not such an unexpected goal.

“These young guys I just feel like they’ve worked so hard they’re going to step in and give us some good looks and opportunity to be better than what we were last year for sure,” coach Young said.

“Man going into 4A was brutal,” Martin said. “You know, we play a lot tougher opponents and there’s a lot bigger number of teams you know on each team. Instead of us having 40 on a team there’s 50, 60, so there’s a big size disadvantage. But we’re pepped up, ready to go. That’s what summer workouts are all about. We’re here to get stronger, get faster. We’re out here to compete.”

“We play some tough teams,” Mitchell said. “Teams like we’ve never played before. I mean they all seem pretty good, but this year we’ve been putting in work.”

The Troopers will have their first game on August 17th as a home opener against Booneville.