On a steamy, sun-drenched Thursday afternoon, the Charleston Middle School Tigers put on a show for the home fans in defeating Quitman County Middle School of Marks by a final score of 30-7 in the season-opener for both squads.
The game, played in Tiger Stadium on the campus of Charleston High School, marked the first regular-season, school-sponsored football game in Tallahatchie County since the fall of 2019.
A Lemar Frost strip-fumble on the second play of the game's opening series set up the CMS Tigers in excellent field position at about the 30-yard line of Palmer.
On the very next play, Marcus Flowers burst outside and raced down the north sideline unmolested for the first points of the season by a Tallahatchie County football team. Flowers also carried for the 2-point conversion.
The Tigers forced several more turnovers in the contest, which was attended by dozens of home fans, many sporting umbrellas to shield themselves from the scorching summer sun.
What was to be the season-opening game for Charleston and West Tallahatchie high schools on Friday night, the "Battle of the Golden Egg," a cross-county rivalry game played each season, has been canceled. West Tallahatchie School District has switched to virtual learning for two weeks, and Mississippi High School Activities Association rules bar a school on virtual learning from participating in sports, even if the virtual situation is temporary.
Charleston High School will play at North Pontotoc on Sept. 3, while West Tally's scheduled game at Greenville O'Bannon on that date also is canceled because WTSD will not switch back to in-school learning until Sept. 7.
