The Corinth Warriors are the defending 2019 4A state champions and its 2020 title defense has been an adventure
Warriors steamrolled its way to the final, eventually defeating poplarville 55 to 21 to win state.
But that was 2019.
2020 has been a totally different story and for the warriors, their season faced the earliest test as the corinth school district was the first district in the country to go back to school during the pandemic.
(cayden betts) us being on that national spectrum because we were the first one going back, we were like ahh, but we got a system that, stay away from everybody and go virtual if you can so we can have our season and we're doing everything we can to keep our season going.
(track) corinth was forced into the role of guinea pig, but there was an advantage to starting school early.
(todd lowery) i was extremely nervous, extremely nervous, because i didn't know what was going to happen, i mean none of us did.
We got hit hard just like every school has gotten it and kids had to be quarantined but football hadn't started.
(track) head coach todd lowery said the early start showed his players and staff the importance of abiding by the guidelines: wearing masks, staying spaced out, and as a result, the warriors have avoided quarantine.
Coach lowery didn't want the coronavirus to be the reason corinth's title defense came to an end.
(lowery) if you're not practicing, if you're not in the middle, if you're taking a knee getting your shot of water, get your shot of water and put your mask on because its important, that one moment could be the moment that ends football season.
(track) the warriors clinched the district title, the one seed and a first round bye with its win last week.
However, there was a moment in the season where corinth found themselves at 2-2 having just gotten blown out by madison-ridgeland 51 to 17 on its home field.
(cayden) we were just like we have to find ourselves and we've got to come together this year we can't live off of last season's success (parker little) we zoned in, locked in and we wanted to make every second count at practice and we wanted to come together and come as one because we were not playing like ourselves during the mra game.
(track) corinth blitzed district play winning every game by double- digits and for coach lowery, it was special to see the change.
(lowery) i think they realize how special of year it could be.
We'll have coverage of north pontotoc and corinth starting at 5 pm tomorrow night and then of course at 10, we'll have coverage of north pontotoc and corinth starting at 5 pm tomorrow night and then of course at 10, another edition of friday night fever.
North Pontotoc already has its seeding set for the playoffs. Now it's all about taking some positive momentum into the postseason.