Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at the University of Mississippi in Oxford will be the setting for Friday afternoon’s Class 2A state championship football game pitting the Tigers of Charleston High School against the Heidelberg High School Oilers. The game kicks off at 4 p.m.
CHS (12-2) is in search of the program’s second state title in the sport, having won the Class 3A crown in 2011. Heidelberg (11-3) is making its first run at statewide glory.
Charleston advanced to the state game, officially part of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Gridiron Classic, by defeating Union 40-14 to win the 2A North State crown Friday night.
Heidelberg topped Raleigh 16-6 for the South State title.
Both teams are on a hot streak as of late, Charleston having won eight in a row and Heidelberg, six in a row.
THE GAME
Charleston (12-2) and Heidelberg (11-3) will battle for the Class 2A football state championship Friday, Dec. 1, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
TICKETS
Advance general admission tickets for Friday may be purchased online at GoFan for $15 each. On game day at the stadium, tickets will be sold at Gate 22 for cash only. As a bonus, the all-day ticket entitles anyone who wants to stick around after the Charleston game, to also watch the Class 6A championship match pitting the 11-3 Grenada High Chargers against the 13-0 West Jones Mustangs at no extra charge. That game kicks off at 7:30.
LIVE COVERAGE
• Internet: As usual, the Charleston game will be livestreamed by the National Federation of State High Schools (NFHS) Network, through an available subscription. A one-month "pass" is available for $11.99, with the option to cancel at any time
• TV: WCBI/My MS, Channel 4.2 (in northeast Mississippi), and WHCG, Channel 8.1 (in the Delta) are free over-the-air stations that can be received by antenna.
• Radio: The games will be aired on ESPN radio 105.9 FM and Mississippi Public Broadcasting Think Radio, with the Charleston broadcast beginning at 3:30 p.m. on MPB. (In addition, the 2023 Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star Football Game on Dec. 9 will be aired starting at 11:30 a.m. and the 2023 Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Football Game on Dec. 16 will be aired starting at noon. Both of these games feature a player from Charleston High School.)
MPB Think Radio frequencies include:
> Biloxi: 90.3 FM (90.3-1 FM in HD)
> Booneville: 89.5 FM (89.5-1 FM in HD)
> Bude: 88.9 FM (88.9-1 FM in HD)
> Greenwood: 90.9 FM (90.9-1 FM in HD)
> Jackson: 91.3 FM (91.3-1 FM in HD)
> Meridian: 88.1 FM (88.1-1 FM in HD)
> Miss. State: 89.9 FM (89.9-1 FM in HD)
> Oxford: 90.3 FM (90.3-1 FM in HD)
STATE APPEARANCES
The Charleston Tigers are 1-6 in state championship football games, having won a title in 2011, while finishing as the runner-up in 2022, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012 and 2005. The Heidelberg Oilers are making their first trip to the state title game.
TEXT TO HELP CHS WIN $1,000
Fans of Charleston High School may text GRIDIRON4 to 55333 to vote for CHS in the “text to win” contest. The school with the most votes at the end of their championship game will win $1,000. There is a limit of one vote per phone number per day, and text and data rates may apply.
