WEBB — The West Tallahatchie High School Choctaws, runners-up in Region 5-1A, will host a first-round state playoff game here Friday night.
The 2-8 Leake County Gators, the No. 3 seed from Region 7-1A, will travel to Webb. The game kicks off at 7 p.m.
“We’ve got a tough team coming in here,” said West Tally head coach Shane Hargett, who noted that Leake’s record is deceiving since they played several powerhouses over the course of the season.
“On film, they’re really, really good offensively,” he noted. “They’re better offensively than they are defensively.”
Hargett said the Gators will present some challenges.
“When you watch them on film, they do a lot of things well,” he noted. “They’ve got some good size, they spread the ball out, they’re really athletic, and they throw the ball everywhere.”
Coach Shane Hargett (Photo by Larry Gordon)
One facet of Leake’s game, in particular, will prove problematic for the Choctaws, the coach explained.
“They like to throw the ball all over the field, and we’ve been struggling with defending the pass all year.”
Hargett said the defensive task will be greater now that starting free safety Arlanders Stovall, the team leader in tackles, is out with what is suspected to be a torn ACL suffered in practice Oct. 25. Stovall did not play last week and was to undergo an MRI Wednesday at Oxford Ortho-paedics & Sports Medicine
Stovall also is one of the team’s leading receivers.
It’s next man up, though, the coach noted.
“We’ve got to hunker down and try to find a way to stop their air attack,” said Hargett, who admitted, “It may be a situation where we just have to try to keep pace with them scoring. I wouldn’t be surprised to see both of us score in the 30s or 40s.”
The winner of Friday night’s playoff will advance to face the victor of this week’s 3-7 French Camp Academy at 8-1 Resurrection Catholic first-round contest.
With a win this week, West Tally would host the lower-seeded French Camp or travel to Pascagoula to battle Region 8-1A champ Resurrection Catholic on Nov. 10.
“Hopefully, we can keep winning,” said Hargett. “Now, it’s win or go home. The more we win, the more we keep playing.”
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The Choctaws whipped the Leland Cubs 42-6 in the regular-season finale on Thursday, Oct. 26.
It was senior night at Choctaw Stadium.
“It was a great job to get the win for our seniors in their last regular-season game,” said Hargett. “You’re always happy for them and you always want to do that.”
The Choctaws’ 36-point margin of victory was their greatest since Oct. 28, 2022, when they beat McAdams 48-0. The Chocs also guaranteed themselves a winning regular season for a second consecutive year.
West Tally improved to 5-4, while Leland’s season of futility came to a close after a winless 0-10 campaign.
The Choctaws jumped out to an 18-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back.
Isaac Day had touchdown runs of 40 and 35 yards and also ran for a two-point conversion.
Lester Westbrook added TD runs of 15 and 5 yards and also carried for a two-point conversion.
Tristian Hill had a 15-yard TD run and a conversion run.
Christian Lee scored three, two-point conversions.
