WEBB — As Lorenzo Pimpton begins his ninth full season as head coach of the West Tallahatchie High School Choctaws, he finds his team in a new league: state athletic class 1A.
The Choctaws have been in Class 2A for as long as anyone around these parts can remember, Pimpton noted.
“We were Class 2A back when I attended school here,” he added.
The Choctaws made a lot of noise in 2A, especially in recent years, but they are coming off the program’s worst season in more than two decades.
In 2018, West Tally finished 0-11, the team’s first winless campaign since 1996.
“When I look at last season, I look at a rebuilding season,” said Pimpton. “I had to work through some things, and I had a young group of guys who had not really played much ball at all. But sometimes I look at it like this: When you’re down like that, you can’t do anything the next season but go up.”
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The Choctaws’ offseason included participation in 7-on-7 tournaments at Mississippi Delta Community College and Ole Miss.
“We also did a lot of things at home, because we’re so young,” said Pimpton. “We worked on fundamentals and tried to get stronger.”
The summer has been an active one for the team, the coach stressed.
“We’ve been working. It’s been one of those summers where we’ve put a lot of work in,” he said. “We’ve got a great group of kids. Expectations are high.”
Pimpton said this squad reminds him of a junior high team he coached in 2000.
“They never complain about anything I put on them. They don’t complain about the work. I like that in those kids. This group will just work and say, ‘Coach, what’s next?’ They have a desire to be better.”
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Each year, Pimpton adopts a team motto, a rallying cry that sets the tone for the upcoming season.
This year, it is WE.
“It’s just two letters,” the coach noted. “But when you’re working everyday — WE, working everyday — you can’t do anything but get better. We’re going to try our best to be better this year.”
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The 2019 Choctaws roster is littered with players whose position is designated only as “athlete.” Eleven guys in all bear that job description.
Pimpton said there are so many generic position titles because so many of his players are multitalented and, therefore, interchangeable.
The same is true for the team’s three signal-callers, all of whom are listed as ATH rather than QB on the roster.
Sophomore Dontrel Byrd (6-2, 167) has the edge and is likely to be the starter this season, Pimpton noted, explaining that he has the best overall quarterbacking skills, including arm strength and accuracy. “He’s pretty good,” he said.
Sophomore Rodarius Moss (6-1, 160) also has a good arm, and senior Malique McGee is a savvy veteran.
“He’s got grind,” Pimpton said of McGee, a former starter who missed the 2018 season with a knee injury that required surgery. “When you think you have him down, he rises to the occasion. He’s shifty and he’s fast.”
The coach noted that either one of the three could be the quarterback, explaining that they all will contribute and he will be rotating them in and out all season long.
“I put the word ‘athlete’ beside their name because you can move them from quarterback to receiver or running back, and they’re still going to shine,” Pimpton said. “Depending on the situation, you may see either one of them in there at quarterback, but you never know where you will find these athletes. All three of them are going to be on the field.”
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Pimpton said center Dontavius Garner, a 5-7 junior, is the only returning 2018 starter who will play at the same position this season. He also will play at defensive tackle.
“This is a pretty new crop,” the coach explained.
Among starters back at new positions, according to Pimpton, are:
» Junior Charles Spurlock (5-9, 140), a defensive back who will see more playing time on offense this year as a wide receiver
» Junior Atrayviontay Clark (5-6), who will see time at running back and linebacker
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Jalen Madden, a 5-11, 240-pound sophomore, will play at running back and linebacker, said Pimpton.
“Jalen has made almost a 360 turn in his work habits,” the coach noted. “He’s a big, fast kid, and he’s a tailback. Some people think a big guy like that would be a fullback. He’s something to see.”
Jesdarius Williams, a 4-9, 160-pound freshman, will add to the Choctaws’ stable of running backs. Pimpton described him as “a tough grinder with good speed.”
Junior Kevonte Thomas (5-10, 190) is another person fans can expect to see carrying the football for the Green and White West Tally team.
The starters at some other positions remained up in the air last week, according to Pimpton, who declared, “I don’t know who I’m going to start at some of these spots, because each day you see kids getting better and better.”
Position battles aside, the coach said there is enough talent on the team so that “there is going to be some rotating going on. We’re going to share the workload.”
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One adjustment the Choc-taws will experience in their move from Class 2A to 1A is playing a greater number of regional (district) games.
Last year, in Region 3-2A, West Tally faced six regional foes. This year, in Region 3-1A, there will be eight.
“1A has a lot of district games. Our schedule is loaded with district games,” said Pimpton.
That means eight of the Choctaws’ 12 games this season will count toward playoff seeding, making more outings important.
Among regional teams for West Tally are Ray Brooks, Ethel, Leflore County, Shaw, McAdams, West Bolivar (Rosedale), Hollandale Simmons and Coffeeville.
Like the Choctaws, Leflore County and West Bolivar dropped from 2A to 1A.
Pimpton expects a lot of tough battles within the region.
“Some of these Fridays are going to be slobberknockers,” he noted. “It’s going to be who wants it the most. If you want some good football, come and watch 1A or 2A.”
Non-regional games for the Choctaws this season are Charleston, Coahoma County, Coldwater and Riverside.
All games kick off at 7.
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In the opener Friday night, West Tally will host cross-county rival, the Charleston High School Tigers, at Choctaw Stadium in Webb.
“This is a game people want to see,” said Pimpton. “I know it’s been lopsided for years — they’ve been winning for years [Charleston has won the last 32 meetings between the schools] — but it’s an old rivalry where the people come out and just mingle. ... It’s also a good measuring stick. It’s going to help me see where my kids area. When the game is over, we can see what we need to fix and what we need to work on. My kids are really excited about this game.”
At halftime of the Charleston game, Columbus McKinley of Sharkey Road, who in 1967 became the first African-American football player at West Tallahatchie High School, will be honored. Dubbed “The Leaping Lizard,” McKinley played at strong side tackle and was a track athlete for the Chocs.
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In addition to being head coach, Pimpton serves as the defensive coordinator. Shane Hargett is the offensive coordinator. Germaine Hampton coaches defensive backs, and he and John Horan share duties coaching the offensive and defensive linemen.
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At the end of the day, Pimpton made no predictions, saying, “I just want the people to support the kids and come out and enjoy them performing on Friday nights. We are going to try our best to be very competitive this year.”
IN THE PHOTO: Pictured is the 2019 West Tallahatchie High School Choctaws varsity football team. Kneeling (from left) are Rodarius Moss, Ja’quarius McGee, Jalen Madden, Atrayviontay Clark, Malique McGee, Rodriquis Simmons, Devente Pugh, Charles Spurlock, Gerald Hill and Jhalil Allison. Standing in the second row (from left) are assistant coach John Horan, Andy Little, Dontrel Byrd, Kevonte Thomas, Kentarius Huddleston, Khylia Thomas, Lettertius Fultz, Markeevion Hawkins, Dontavious Garner, Cornelius Collins and head coach Lorenzo Pimpton. Standing in the third row (from left) are asssistant coach Germaine Hampton, Koreunta Harvey, Don Harris, Kevin Ramsey, Adalius Christian, Rodkevian Redd, Jamie Fairlee, Lyndon Christian, and assistant coach Shane Hargett. The Choctaws kick off the 2019 season Friday night by hosting cross-county rival Charleston. (Photo by Larry Gordon)
