COLDWATER — The West Tallahatchie High School Choctaws delivered a 50-0 shutout over the Coldwater Cougars here Friday night.
West Tally improved to 4-3. Coldwater slumped to 0-6.
It was the Choctaws’ third shutout win of the season, the first time that has been accomplished since 2016, when they had a total of four victories in which they held an opponent scoreless.
“I’m proud of the guys defensively,” said head coach Shane Hargett. “We stepped up again.”
He also lauded the offense, which he said did a good job of executing the game plan, and did not turn the ball over.
“Offensively, we had a couple of mistakes early, but after that, it was 28-0 at halftime and we just coasted in.”
Hargett, who calls the offense, said a tried and true formula worked again.
“Every time we go out and are competitive, are in the ballgame and are doing enough to win it, it’s when we just execute and don’t turn the ball over,” he noted.
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A top playmaker for the offense was sophomore Isaac Day, who scored five touchdowns on the night and posted 188 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Day’s longest TD run was 61 yards. Several of his scoring plans came inside the 10, Hargett added.
Senior Ja’Quarius McGee posted two touchdowns, including a long of 78. In fact, McGee surpassed Day in total yardage, carrying 15 times for 200 rushing yards and catching two passes for 78 yards.
Senior Tony Young contributed a 23-yard TD run that was set up by an interception he made from his defensive position moments before. Young returned the INT to the Coldwater 30.
“We were just going to give it to him to see if he could score since he picked it off,” Hargett said. “I think his first run was 7 yards, down to the 23. The next one, he took it in on just a zone right handoff for 23 yards.”
As they did several weeks ago, the coach noted that the Choctaws attempted some PAT kicks “just to practice it.”
West Tally led 28-0 at the half and 44-0 by the end of the third quarter.
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Defensively, the Choctaws were led by Young, who, in addition to one interception, added 16 individual tackles and four assists — a total of 20 — which included four tackles for a loss.
Lester Westbrook had eight solo stops and two assists, including three for a loss; Donovon McCord added four solos and two assists; Artavis Pimpton and Roderick Moss both contributed four individual tackles; and Arlanders Stovall and Reginald Walker had three solos apiece.
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This Friday, West Tally will travel south to Rolling Fork to face the 5-2 South Delta Bulldogs, fresh from a 6-0 win by forfeit over McAdams.
Two weeks ago, South Delta beat Coldwater 52-0.
“We are evenly matched,” Hargett said of West Tally and South Delta. “The two teams are basically clones of each other.”
In 2021, South Delta defeated the Chocs 44-0, but the coach cited one reason.
“They were way better than us last year. During COVID, they really didn’t shut down for anything. We had to come back after a year off,” said Hargett. “We closed that gap. We actually tied them in 7-on-7 this summer a couple of times. ... We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing, protect the football, and, hopefully, we’ll be all right.”
