Rockets face Center Hill in 6A playoffs Friday
The Neshoba Central Rockets will be at home Thursday night when they host the Center Hill Mustangs in the first round of the Class 6A state football playoffs.
The game time has been changed because of pending bad weather. According to the school Facebook page, kickoff will be at 6 p.m.
Both teams come in at 5-5. Neshoba Central is coming off a 16-8 victory over Callaway. Center Hill closed out its regular season with a 47-25 win over Saltillo.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” Coach Patrick Schoolar said. “They like to run the ball but they can pass it. We are going to have to work our game plan and avoid turnovers.”
Against Callaway, the Rockets rolled up 281 total yards while holding the Chargers to 139 total yards. Callaway had seven first downs with three coming on penalties. Neshoba Central finished with 14 first downs.
Neither team scored in the first half. In the third quarter, quarterback Will Williams connected with Tryeston Thompson on a 39-yard TD pass play. John Parker Hancock kicked the extra point and the Rockets led 7-0 with 6:16 left in the third quarter.
On the next drive, there were four penalties flags thrown in a row between the two teams. Finally, Callaway scored on a 31-yard TD pass play. The Chargers scored the two point conversion and went up 8-7 with 1:12 left in the third quarter.
The Rockets scored twice in the fourth quarter. Hancock booted a 32-yard field goal with 6:52 left to put the Rockets in front 10-8.
The Rockets then recovered the ball on the ensuing kickoff on the Callaway 40-yard line. The Rockets ran into a fourth down but a roughing the punter penalty gave them a first down on the Callaway 17-yardline. Williams ran the ball to the Chargers’ one-yard line. Mekhi Gaddis ran it into the endzone on the next play. The try for two failed and the Rockets went on to win 16-8.
Gaddis was the leading rusher with 168 yards on 24 carries. Williams completed 8-of-19 passes for 96 yards. Tryeston Thompson had 44 receiving yards.
Defensively, Will Huffman led the team with 10 tackles.