Choctaw County has beaten Noxubee County once this year. The Chargers will have to do it again to reach the MHSAA Class 3A State Championship Football Game. The Chargers and Tigers meet Friday at Choctaw County to see who will play for the state title.
The winner will advance to the state championship game at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 at the University of Southern Mississippi’s M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg. Unbeaten Columbia plays Jefferson Davis County in the South State final.
It took two days and two venues, but Choctaw County advanced to the North State final with a 27-8 victory over Amanda Elzy. The game began Friday on an already-wet field at Amanda Elzy. Five minutes into the game, thunder roared and the skies opened up. The rain stopped, but the field was deemed unplayable and the game was suspended until the next afternoon at Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena, with Choctaw County in possession of the ball at the Amanda Elzy 5.
The Chargers failed to score on that possession. “We slipped down in the mud twice. It was really bad footing,” said coach Jeff Roberts.
The defense stepped up. On the first play after the change of possession, Ques McNeal forced a fumble and Brian Threadgill recovered in the end zone for a Charger TD.
Choctaw County added two more first half TDs on passes of 44 and 15 yards from Tylan Carter to McNeal. The Chargers made it 27-0 in the fourth quarter on a six-yard run by Kendall Coleman. Amanda Elzy finally scored midway through the final period, but the Chargers were then able to put together a drive to run out the clock.,
Choctaw County has used a basic formula in winning 10 straight after beginning the season 1-3 – run the ball and play solid defense. That worked against Amanda Elzy.
Led by Dicenzo Miller (25 carries for 157 yards), the Chargers ran for 313 yards. Coleman added 17 carries for 126 yards and Carter completed six of 11 passes for 107 yards.
Defensively, the Chargers were able to contain Dephabian Fant, the state’s leading 3A runner, most of the game,
The Chargers had to take the bus back home after the game was suspended, then another bus ride to Valley the next day, and Roberts gave credit to his players for their resilience. “It’s not easy to start a game and stop, then come back the next day That’s a big feat in itself.”
Choctaw County defeated Noxubee County 28-18 a month ago in the game that decided the championship of Region 4-3A. Noxubee earned a second shot at the Chargers by edging Houston 14-12 in triple overtime. After regulation ended 6-6, both teams failed to score in the first two overtimes. Each scored a touchdown in the third overtime, but Noxubee made a two-point conversion and Houston failed on its attempt.
Offensively, Noxubee is led by senior quarterback Marlon Windham, who passed for 267 yards and ran for 105 in the first meeting with Choctaw County. But it’s the Tigers’ defensive line that Roberts finds most impressive.
“It’s probably one of the best defensive lines in 3A, if not in the state. Those guys up front are big and they can run.”
