The Charleston Tigers distinguished the fire of the Choctaw Chargers Friday night as the Tigers advanced to the North Half Championship game against Eupora. The Tigers defeated the Chargers 54-14. The Chargers couldn’t get anything going during the first half of the game. It was littered with penalties, three-and-outs, fumbles, and frustration. The Chargers did have a bright spot with an interception by Caleb Cunningham. But a subsequent fumble ended the drive. In the third quarter, the Chargers saw another glimmer of hope as Terence McNeal returned a 70- yard kickoff for a touchdown. But the Chargers couldn’t capitalize on the drive. They continued to try to get things going, getting a first down – one of very few – but the Tiger’s defense shut down any gains they attempted. In the fourth quarter, the Chargers saw a late glimmer of hope with a touchdown by Antonio “BB” Kennedy and a successful two-point conversion, but it was too late in the game to attempt a comeback. The Chargers were never able to recover from the bleeding. “We can’t have turnovers against a good team. We can’t turn the ball over, and turnovers kicked our tail,” Head Coach Jeff Roberts said. Roberts said he doesn’t believe that Charleston outmatched the Chargers, but they were a different team from the team they saw on film. “They played above what they played all season. It wasn’t the same team we saw on film,” he said. The Tigers shut down the Charger’s key playmakers. “We’ve had to deal with that all year,” Roberts said. He said the Tigers were fast off the ball, and it created a problem offensively. The Chargers finish the season 6-6. A season with a tough schedule, a season of almost a burst that happened once they entered district play. They ended second in the district, and to go to the third round of the playoffs is a great accomplishment. “It’s the third time this group of seniors has made it to the third round. That, at least, is a testament. This group has gotten to the North Half. They have some second-round outs and third-round outs. They’re 7-4 in the playoffs and 14-2 in the district. It’s not the outcome we obviously wanted,” Roberts said. Roberts said the season started off slow but finished fast. He said the team was able to turn it around with five wins and were able to make it to the third round and still accomplished feats others couldn’t do. This season was the last season the Chargers would spend in 2A. In August 2023, the Chargers will begin in 3A meeting up with another familiar rival – the Noxubee County Tigers. But the Chargers for now will turn their attention to basketball, where they have a second chance of meeting face-to-face with Charleston if they’re able to advance to the playoffs. And there’s nothing sweeter than revenge. The player of the week for this week is Caleb Cunningham. “Caleb played both sides of the ball, and we hadn’t had a player to do that. He had an interception and some pass deflections,” Roberts said.
