Chargers fend off Winona for a second time; take on Rosa Fort tonight They say it’s hard to beat a team twice, especially in the same location. But, the County Boys proved it’s not about the size of the dog, it’s about the heart. And they have no plans of letting up any time soon. The second round of the playoffs brought a rematch against the defending 3A champs, the Winona Tigers. And Winona proved they were not going down without swinging. Head Coach Dillon Mitchell said for the first time, in several weeks, the Chargers had to battle but proved they are battle tested and they can dig in and fight. “I was extremely proud of our team. We had to really fight and battle for the first time in several weeks. We faced adversity and. Had what. It took to overcome it,” Mitchell said. “Hats off to Winona for a great game plan and how hard they played they are one heck of a team.” Winona came out the gate recovering a rare fumble and capitalizing on it for a touchdown, making the score 7-0. But after the nerves subsided, the Chargers answered back with an 81 yard touchdown from KJ Cork to Caleb Cunningham and it gave the County Boys the momentum they needed, making the score 7-6. Mitchell said it was just what the Chargers needed to get over their jitters and play their game, their way. “It definitely helped us to settle in. KJ had a great night commanding the game. Caleb was very explosive and impacted us. Our offensive line was really the key leading the way for over 300 yards rushing and Jeramiah was like lightening as usual,” Mitchell said. And it was off to the races from there. Winona attempted to answer back but the Charger defense was a problem all night, making it to where Winona had to find holes to get scores. “[Yoshawn] Hudson and [Zaishaun] Nash are as explosive players on any level and it was a chore to contain them,” Mitchell said. But, he said the County Boys defense stepped up and held Winona. “We did a tremendous job stopping the run. Our defensive front and linebackers played their hearts out and our secondary had a great night defending and providing run support. The Chargers were able to answer again with a run from Jeramiah Miller, making it 13-7. The Tigers attempted to answer again, but were pushed to a three-and-out. On another Charger drive, Cork found Miller and Cunningham, finishing with a 40 yard touchdown run from Cunningham, making it 19-7 going into the half. In the third quarter, the Chargers went back up when Cork went back to Miller, making the score 26-7. Not one to bow out easily, the Tigers were eventually able to answer again in the third, making the score 26-14. The Chargers had to resort to a field goal attempt after a touchdown was called back because of a penalty. The Tigers were able to capitalize on this in the fourth quarter, making the score 26-21, bringing the game close for the first time in the game. But the Chargers pulled away again, this time making the score 33-27. After that, the Tigers were unable to fight back and it was all Chargers with Cork sealing the deal, following with a two point conversion going up 41- 27. Two Winona players received personal fouls for a flare up that occurred toward the end of the game and the two teams did not shake hands. And the Chargers moved on to round three, taking on the Rosa Fort Lions. For Mitchell, he checked a goal off of his list – getting over the second round. “It feels really good. No worse felling than coming up short. We’ve just got to finish,” Mitchell said. With the Rosa Fort Lions in sight tonight, Mitchell said you can’t play slack on anyone and you can’t let a record fool you. Although 6-4, Rosa Fort has won its last five games, recently shutting out Booneville. “Anybody that’s still playing right now has good players and they are playing well. If the thought of not being able to practice over Thanksgiving isn’t enough motivation for them, nothing will be,” Mitchell said. “I don’t think we will have to worry about that. These young men are focused and hungry.”
