WEBB — The 6-3 West Tallahatchie High School Choctaws will play host to the 4-6 Okolona Chieftans for a first-round state playoff game here Friday night.
Admission, set by the Mississippi High School Activities Association, is $10.
The Choctaws are fresh off a disappointing 34-26 loss to Leflore County in the regular-season finale last Thursday. Okolona had success, defeating Vardaman 34-26.
West Tally is the runner-up in Region 4-1A. Okolona is the third seed in Region 3-1A.
Choctaws head coach Shane Hargett said Okolona is a “big, physical football team and looks good on film,” adding, “They don’t have a whole lot of weaknesses.”
Hargett said the Chieftans have played some good football teams this season.
“We’ve got to play hard, do the best we can and protect the football,” he noted.
“Like I told the guys, it’s going to come down to turn-overs and penalties,” Hargett added. “The team with the least mistakes usually comes out on top.”
The winner Friday night will face the victor of this week’s 0-10 Thrasher at 5-4 Falkner contest on Nov. 14. The Thrasher Rebels are the fourth seed in Region 1-1A and the Falkner Eagles are the champion in Region 2-1A.
“We’d love to see a big crowd for the playoff game this week,” said Hargett.
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Last week’s game against the Leflore County Tigers (7-3) determined the region championship and was a hard-fought affair.
“It was a good game; just hate we came out on the short end of it,” said Hargett. “But everybody’s back to 0-0 again for the playoffs.”
Leflore County led the contest 14-12 after the first quarter and also at the half.
The Choctaws’ Jamerrius Johnson caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Kordell Robinson for the first score, and Robinson had a 24-yard run for the second TD. The Chocs missed both conversion tries in the opening quarter.
The Tigers scored on first-quarter runs of 12 yards by Myles Williams (who also ran in the conversion) and 6 yards by Demarius Dunham.
“We took momentum into halftime in a 2-point game and were receiving the kick to start the second half,” said Hargett.
Instead, Leflore County successfully executed an onside kick and recovered the ball in good field position to begin the third period.
“All the momentum we had then was gone,” Hargett explained.
Still, the Choctaws stood tall defensively and stopped the Tigers.
Later in the third quarter, West Tally’s Johnson recovered a Leflore fumble and returned it for a 65-yard scoop-and-score touchdown that put the home team ahead. The conversion failed, but the Chocs led 18-14.
Leflore scored on a 3-yard run by Keveon Cross and a 2-point conversion pass from Eric Cooper to Tyler Davis late in the third, restoring the Tigers’ advantage at 22-18.
Leflore scored twice in the fourth quarter on 5-yard TD runs by Demarcus Bell and Caleb Day.
West Tally tried to mount a comeback, with Kelvin Robinson scoring on a 75-yard kick return for the final touchdown. Kordell Robinson passed to Johnson for the 2-point conversion.
The Chocs attempted an onside kick but Leflore County recovered to ice the game.
Kordell Robinson was 5-of-12 passing for 65 yards. Johnson had two grabs for 30 yards, Althavion Hoskins one for 22 and Kelvin Robinson two for 13.
Kordell Robinson led the Choctaws on the ground with six carries for 68 yards. Johnson added 65 yards on seven totes and Kelvin Rob-inson 60 yards on eight runs.
Kelvin Robinson also excelled on defense, recording 10 tackles to lead West Tally. Cameron Christian had seven tackles, Ledesmond Thomas six and Isaiah Hill five. Kordell Robinson and Demarrion Boyd both added four stops for the home team. Hoskins and Corderrius Madden recorded three tackles apiece in the game.
