Yazoo City High School won their second game in a row to create a streak of a different variety on Friday night when they defeated Rosa Fort 30-26 to improve to 2-7 (2-1 in the district).
The season felt dead for the Yazoo City Indians after their 40-16 loss to Clarksdale that dropped their record to 0-7.
They were 0-1 in the district and needed something to change in a hurry to get out of a detrimental playoff situation, if they made the playoffs at all.
It felt like a lost cause.
Then a galvanization happened; they were turned into something new, something unfamiliar, something good.
Rodney Adams, the architect behind the galvanization process, felt this could occur all along, though to be there, he knew he would be facing criticism at every turn.
He willingly put his team in a position to be embarrassed at times, but he did so with the knowledge that it would prepare them in a way that nothing else would.
“I planned all of this to go this way during last fall when I put our schedule together,” Adams said. “I scheduled games against the best teams in Mississippi from 6A, 5A, and some more very good teams to prepare us for this very game. I took a lot of losses and criticism from fans and the community. They don't understand sport strategies, which can be a risk. I could have put together an easy schedule and went 9-0 this year. But what good is that if you get knocked out the first round of the playoffs? So, I wanted my players to be ready for tough competition.”
After winning their first district contest a week ago against Gentry, the Indians were pitted against a far more difficult foe: Rosa Fort.
The battle was an intense one, but the Indians knew this type of battle well.
In the end, the players from Yazoo were named victorious, giving them an opportunity that very few thought they would have a couple of weeks ago.
“I am very proud of my team,” Adams said. “They played hard; they played with passion; and the played until the end. I have been waiting on them to come together as a team, and it's happening at the perfect time. Now, we have the opportunity to be the number 1 seed and district champions again by defeating Greenwood.”
Only Greenwood stands in the way of Yazoo City’s championship, but what an obstacle they are.
The Bulldogs are 9-0 on the season after trouncing Clarksdale 28-0 on Friday night.
Adams knows they will be the underdogs in the contest and knows it will be a difficult mountain to climb.
That’s okay. He’s ready for it.
“Greenwood is the toughest team in our district,” Adams said. “It's going to a battle, just like David and Goliath. My team will be ready to challenge them regardless of what happens. That's all I can ask from my players.”
With the game against Greenwood looming, Adams has one strong sentiment standing out above the rest.
Since one major streak has been broken already in recent weeks, he believes it is time to break another.
“The last time we were district champions was in 2006,” Adams said. “That's 13 years ago. It's time to win it again.”
Kickoff at Greenwood is set for 7 p.m.
