Choctaw County sees third round encounter against North Panola
Big-time football is back in Choctaw County. Tonight, the Choctaw County Chargers (10-2) host North Panola (12-0) at 7 p.m. in the third round of the Class 3A playoffs. A trip to the North State title game is at stake.
Back before Ackerman and Weir High Schools merged to form Choctaw County, important contests on the gridiron were a yearly occurrence. Since becoming the Chargers, Choctaw County has found postseason success a little tougher to obtain, but under firstyear head coach Ben Ashley, here is Choctaw County still making noise as the football season comes down to its final couple of weeks.
“The folks outside of our locker room are surprised by all this, but I promise you our kids aren't,” Ashley said. “This is Choctaw County. For a long time, Choctaw County kids have played in big football games. It just so happens that it has been a while, but these kids have uncles and brothers and cousins and daddies that have grown up in Choctaw County and understand. It's almost in their DNA that we're supposed to be playing this time of year.”
The Chargers were able to get to this point on the back of a stingy defense and a talented rushing offense. Choctaw County's defense has allowed more than 14 points in a game just three times all season. Couple that with a ground game that has averaged 295.6 yards per game and you start to get the picture of how the Chargers rolled to the Class 3A, Region 4 championship and then dominated in a pair of playoff games over Independence and Ruleville Central.
While Choctaw County has racked up win
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