The second year of archery at Choctaw County came to an end at the North State meet last week. The Chargers finished 16th out of 19 teams in Class II (3A and 4A schools), failing to qualify for the state tournament. The top eight at North State and the South State, and the four other teams with highest scores qualified for the state meet.
Choctaw County had a team score of 2,696. The score is the total for 12 archers including at least four boys and four girls. The Chargers had 17 participating at North State, 11 boys and six girls.
“The ones who shot last year showed a great deal of improvement last year to this year because of a year of adjusting to the way things work,” said coach Shaine Talley, who is optimistic about the future. “I see great things. The more years they have been shooting, the better they are going to get.”
Archers shoot 30 arrows, 15 each from 10 and 15 meters. There's 10 points for a bullseye, with a descending score as the arrow moves away from the target center. A perfect score is 300.
Choctaw County's top archer at North State was junior Nicholas Harris with a score of 257, including six bulls eyes. Senior Mason Harris and junior Austin Wilson both had 252. Wilson had seven in the center and Harris six.
The top girls were Hannah Huffman, an eighth grader, with 241, including six in the bulls eye, and sophomore Anna Paine, with 238 and four bulls eyes.
Mason Harris also noted the team's improvement. “We're more precise with our shots and we're more confident,” he said. “Coach Talley is a good coach. He enjoys coaching us and we enjoy having him coach us.”
Talley said there is great enthusiasm for the sport at Choctaw County. “The kids love it and the parents love it.”
The top Class II team score at North State was Tremont with a 3,343. The top individual was Parker Flint of South Pontotoc with 294, including 25 bulls eyes.
The competition is part of the Archery in Mississippi Schools (AIMS) program under the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
