AOTW: McMinn leads Mustangs’ defense in close win

Published 5:00 pm Thursday, October 19, 2023

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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Isabella High School’s Noah McMinn is this week’s athlete of the week after his performance against Ranburne High School on Oct. 13.

The undersized linebacker led the Mustangs in tackles against Ranburne with 19 to help Isabella to a narrow 29-25 region win.

“He is just a special player, and some of the best I have coached in my career have been smaller guys that just get after it, and he fits that mold,” Isabella head coach Tate Leonard said. “I cannot keep him off the field. With his size he just gets it done, and his heart is so big. Coaches that we play call me and talk about him, everyone talks about him. He is what you want in a player, and he is going to give it everything he has got for four quarters.”

The junior linebacker has also been stepping in on the Isabella offensive line after some injuries up front and earned a 90% blocking grade against Ranburne.

The win against Ranburne kept Isabella in position as one of the four teams from the AHSAA Class 2A Region 4 to advance to the state playoffs.