East Central looking to finish the job in 4A State Title Game

Having never previously made it past the second round of the playoffs, the East Central football team has already made history.
Now the team hopes to bring home the program’s first ever state championship without taking a single loss in the process. It’s been quite a ride for those Hornets from Hurley.
On the eve of the 4A State Title Game, the undefeated Hornets still have one last job to do. Running back Tony Brown said, “Going through this whole thing, I’m just glad to know that the state championship will be my last game I ever play for the Hornets. And it’s a great feeling I get to share with my brothers, and it’s amazing.”
Free safety Andrew Seward said, “It’s pretty emotional, but I mean it’s exciting at the same time. Us seniors are kind of sad it’s our last game, but why not our last game be playing for State in Oxford?”
And why not win that last game? After all, East Central’s rise to the top on the back of 15 seniors has been a long time coming. Center Austin Kitchens said, “It’s a blessing, honestly. Back when we were in seventh, eighth grade we never thought we’d be here. Coach Smith has made this program change for the better.”
In five short years, Seth Smith has taken the Hornets from 1-10 in his first season to perfection at 13-0. Head Coach Seth Smith said, “All you heard was you can’t win here, you can’t do this, the kids aren’t fast enough, they’re not big enough, they’re not strong enough. And then we go 1-10 our first year, but even through that first year you could see growth. You could see growth mentally and physically, and as kids continued to believe that they could, you believe you can and you will and they’re proof of that.”
They’re also proof that it’s never too late to change the culture, claiming the state crown with a victory over Noxubee County, a school that won it all in both 2014 and 2015, would complete that process. “It means a lot. I mean most people would say it was a baseball or softball school, but with us going 13-0 the whole community got behind us and we just ain’t let up.”
“It would definitely change how people look at us, and it would open people’s eyes towards us and it’d be really good for our school to get a little bit more recognition than we do already, and it’d be great.”
The Hornets are already great, knocking on history’s door with a chance to cement their legacy as the greatest football team Hurley, Mississippi has ever seen. “You never would have thought that this little town, this little school would be getting all this recognition. But now it’s happening, and it’s unbelievable.”
“Whether you live to be 100 years old, 50 years old or if the Good Lord takes me home tomorrow it’s a time in my life I’ll cherish forever and it’s one that I hope these kids will cherish forever, and I hope they’ll use this season to springboard them for great things in their life.”
“Last game, give it 120 percent. It’s just something we’re going to do, it’s something we’ve got to do. Go ahead and get that ring.”
The Hornets and Tigers will kick things off at 3 p.m. tomorrow from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.