WEBB — In what was supposed to be a showdown for the Region 5-1A title, the Simmons High School Blue Devils left no doubt, defeating the West Tallahatchie High School Choctaws 42-0 here Friday night.
Simmons pushed their overall record to 7-0, while West Tally fell to 4-4.
Both teams entered with an identical region mark of 3-0, and Choctaws head coach Shane Hargett last week had said that his team would have to play a solid game to even have a chance.
They did not, the coach lamented Monday.
“We played horrible,” he said. “We had several turnovers and threw a pick-6 on a little swing pass, and it just snowballed.”
Hargett noted that Simmons did not do anything unexpected, but that they executed very well.
Despite the loss, the Choctaws will be the regional runner-up. As the second seed, they are guaranteed to host a first-round state playoff game on Nov. 3 — their first home playoff contest since 2017.
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The Blue Devils scored three times in the first quarter on runs of 35 and 2 yards, and a pick-6 for 30 yards, according to stats posted on MaxPreps by a Simmons reporter.
Simmons added a 26-yard rushing TD in the second quarter, a 35-yard touchdown run in the third and a 35-yard TD pass in the fourth period.
“I don’t even have a whole lot to say, other than we’ve got to put that one behind us and just worry about senior night against Leland,” Hargett noted, referring to this week’s regular-season finale, to be played Thursday night in Choctaw Stadium.
At 0-9, the Leland Cubs have had a rough season.
“They’re in one of those rebuilding years,” said Hargett. “I think they’re very young, from what I’ve been told, and they may have had some injury issues during the summer. But we can’t overlook anybody. We need to win this game and get some momentum going into the playoffs.”
West Tallahatchie seniors will be honored Thursday night, which provides yet another incentive to play well and get the victory.
“Our goal is to go out and play football, execute, keep everybody healthy and give the seniors one last regular-season win,” Hargett said.
