There definitely is excitement in the air at Neshoba Central. Now, Rockets coach Chuck Friend hopes better play comes with it.

    Neshoba begins Division 2-5A play tonight when Yazoo City visits for a 7:30 p.m. kick. And fresh off a playoff berth last season, Neshoba is hoping for a fast start in the district to make up for a 2-2 record.

    “Hopefully with the week off, we’ve improved some and with it being our first division game and at home, it’s certainly a big game for us,” Friend said. “Hopefully, with all that, we’ll be able to play better than we’ve been doing.

    The main reason the Rockets are .500 coming into the division has been the development of a stingy defense. Neshoba had a seven-year postseason drought before last season in part due to defensive struggles over the years. That is no longer the case as Neshoba has allowed just an average of 16 points per game. The Rockets shut out West Lauderdale on Aug. 24 and held Northeast Lauderdale to two scores on Sept. 7 as they evened their record.

    “I think we’ve got some experienced players over there, and overall, we haven’t played that poorlyon defense,” Friend said. “As coaches, we always think we can play better. But there’s been some improvement there and it’s held us in some ballgames.

    “We’ve cut down on the number of big plays that we’ve given up. I think we’ve been really good against the run.”

    Even in the Rockets’ two losses, the defense played well. Quitman, the No. 4 ranked team in Class 4A, scored 29 points behind star quarterback Franklin Jones, and perennial 4A power Louisville used a few big plays in a 21-3 win.

    That defensive effort has been needed as Neshoba has tried to overcome an injury to senior running back O’Neal McCarty. McCarty, who has started since he was a freshman, was hurt against West Lauderdale and has not played since. With the loss of their most dynamic offensive weapon, the Rockets have had to turn to some new faces.

    In his absence, Neshoba has turned to freshman Kavante McCarty, who has rushed for 131 yards on 26 carries. Patrick Burrage has added 78 yards on 20 carries. The Rockets have also leaned more on junior quarterback Joseph Willis, who has thrown for 387 yards and one touchdown with just one interception. Willis, though, is completing just 39.2 percent of his passes.

    “I think we’ve made a lot of improvements the past couple of weeks in finding some other guys that can pitch in and between several guys pick up the yardage that we otherwise would have gotten out of him,” Friend said, adding that McCarty is likely still out this week but is nearing a return.