Tornadoes, Rockets alive in playoffs
Philadelphia started their playoff run with a huge 44-3 win over Hatley in the first round of the MHSAA 2A playoffs, improving to 5-6 on the season.
The Tornadoes were led by Christopher Rush, who ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns on offense and totalled four tackles on defense.
Taishon Black was also a standout on defense, totalling seven tackles and an interception in the win.
With that win, Philadelphia will now look towards their second round matchup with North Side, who finished 8-3 overall and second in Region 3-2A.
The Tornadoes will host North Side on Friday night, with kickoff set for 7 PM. If they are able to pull off the win, Philadelphia will host the winner of Leflore County and Union in the MHSAA 2A quarterfinals.
Neshoba Central wrapped up their regular season on Thursday night with a big 33-14 road win against region opponent Callaway.
Senior running back Mekhi Gaddis once again dominated for the Rockets in the win, rushing for 230 yards and a touchdown, while also totaling 37 yards receiving.
Neshoba Central will now begin their playoff journey and will enter the MHSAA 6A playoffs as the two-seed from their region. This guarantees at least one home game for the Rockets, as they will host the three-seed from Region 1-6A, Lake Cormorant, on Friday night, with kickoff set for 7 PM.
If Neshoba Central wins, they will play the winner of Grenada and Callaway in the MHSAA 6A quarterfinals.
Choctaw Central saw one of their best seasons in recent history come to an end on Friday night, falling 42-21 to Itawamba in the first round of the MHSAA 4A playoffs.
The Warriors finished 6-4 on the season, marking their first record at the end of a season since 2010. It was a massive turnaround this year for Choctaw Central, as the winning season this year follows a winless, 0-9 season last year.
To go from not winning a game last year, to being one of the top teams in their region this year is certainly impressive in itself and this is a Warrior program that is trending in the right direction going forward under Head Coach Ed Routh.