The 6-2 Charleston High School Tigers will host the 1-8 Philadelphia High School Tornadoes in the first round of the state playoffs Friday night.
Admission, set by the Mississippi High School Activities Association, is $10.
The Tigers are fresh off a 48-6 home win over the M.S. Palmer Dragons during the regular-season finale on senior night last Thursday. Philadelphia is coming off a 40-6 loss at Kemper County.
CHS is the champion in Region 3-2A. Philly is the fourth seed in Region 4-2A.
Tigers head coach Rasheed DeBerry said he believes the Tornadoes “are better than their record shows, so we don’t want to take them lightly.”
Philadelphia has “a tall wide receiver about 6-4 or 6-5, two pretty good running backs and a quarterback who likes to run,” he noted.
On film, the coach said the Tornadoes appear “pretty athletic offensively and fly around a little bit.”
Charleston enters the game relatively healthy, with “no serious injuries,” DeBerry said..
The Tigers and the Tornadoes have clashed before in the postseason, with CHS defeating them 44-14 in a second-round contest in 2023.
The winner of Friday’s game will advance to face the victor of this week’s 4-6 Strayhorn Mustangs (Region 2 No. 3) at the 7-3 Hamilton Lions (Region 1 No. 2).
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The Tigers scored twice against Palmer (0-10) in the first quarter on a pair of Devon Olive runs. The quarterback hit paydirt on carries of 11 and 18 yards, with a run by Coreyun Spearman and a pass from Olive to Spearman, respectfully, to tack on the 2-point conversions.
Leading 16-0 midway through the opening stanza, the Tigers became “undisciplined” defensively, according to DeBerry.
The Dragons drove 70 yards in 4 minutes and scored on a 26-yard pass. The conversion try failed.
“We got a little bit out of character on some of our responsibilities and allowed some plays that we shouldn’t have,” DeBerry said of the scoring drive. “Of course, all props to Quitman County for putting a few plays together ... but it was a drive that we were not happy about because of our standard.”
Charleston tacked on more points in the second quarter after a 44-yard pass from Olive to Quentin Carter set up Marcus “Deuce” Flowers Jr., who scored on an 18-yard run with 2 minutes left. Olive hit Quay Kimble for the 2-point try and the Tigers took a 24-6 lead at the intermission.
The Tigers opened the third quarter with a 5-minute drive capped by a 3-yard Flowers TD run. Olive passed to P.J. Goliday for the conversion and a 32-6 lead.
After Palmer went three-and-out on their ensuing drive, the Tigers quickly capitalized with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Olive to Flowers. Olive carried for the 2-point conversion which put the Tigers up 40-6.
The final points of the night came after Lazelrick Taylor broke a 45-yard run before being taken down at the Palmer 1-yard line.
Offensive guard and defensive tackle Lemar Frost was granted the special honor of carrying the ball for the remaining 1 yard to paydirt. In a turnabout of the usual, Flowers passed to Olive for the 2-point conversion.
“We give our seniors a wish for senior night, and his senior wish was to get a rushing touchdown,” DeBerry said of Frost, whom he described as “a staple for us, a leader.”
“So, we put him at tailback and he did get a touchdown,” the coach noted. “I was really happy to get that wish for him.”
Statistically, according to DeBerry, Olive finished 4-of-6 for 125 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also carried the football five times for 31 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Flowers had 10 carries for 101 yards, two touchdowns and one interception returned for 57 yards, noted DeBerry.
