The 2019 Choctaw County football season did not start out the way the team and its fans had hoped in Jeff Roberts first year as head coach. After opening with a 34-20 victory over Independence, the Chargers dropped three in a row, 42-14 to Winona, 24-21 to Calhoun City and 23-20 to East Webster despite running for 337 yards. But that was followed by 10 straight wins, the championship of Region 4-3A and a trip to the North State final. “We just kept grinding, doing what we were supposed to do,” Roberts said. “The kids worked hard They didn't get their heads down. There wasn't a mindset that we can't get things rolling in the right direction.” The turnaround started with a 48-7 victory over Kosciusko, a 4A school, as the Chargers rolled up 385 yards on the ground. The biggest win came the 10th week of the season, a 28-18 victory over Noxubee County that decided the region, thanks to two defensive touchdowns. Junior Ques McNeal scored on a 56-yard interception return and senior Israel Whitmore on a 27-yard fumble return. In the 3A playoffs, the Chargers defeated Ruleville Central 28-12, defending state champion Water Valley 35-28 and 3-3A champion Amanda Elzy 27-8 before losing a rematch with Noxubee 33-14. Even during the short losing streak, Roberts was optimistic. Two of the losses were by three points and the Winona game was closer than the final score would indicate. The Chargers led 14-13 late in the first half. “That's one of the things that I preached to them. We are very close to getting on a roll,” Roberts said. “They stayed focused and locked in and we pulled off 10 straight.” He said those early games with a new head coach served as a learning experience. “Not only were the kids learning every day, but I was learning as well.” Junior quarterback Tylan Carter led the offense, running and passing for 1,954 yards and 23 touchdowns. He had plenty of help. Sophomore Dicenzo Miller, son of a former Mississippi State star, ran for 1,456 yards and 15 TDs. Freshman Antonio Kennedy showed plenty of promise, running for 760 yards an 8.7 yard average. Senior Kendall Coleman was a dual offensive threat, running for 531 yards and catching 27 passes for 288 yards, while totaling seven TDs. McNeal was a two-way star as a wide receiver and defensive back. He was a big play receiver with 11 receptions for 269 yards and seven TDs and had 65 tackles, four interceptions and a fumble recovery. An all-senior offensive line of Chris Anderson, Logan Stirewalt, Brady Brooks, Kanden Utley and Josh Hall did its part as the Chargers averaged 262 yards per game on the ground Four defenders were credited with more than 100 tackles, led by junior Brian Threadgill with 130.
