There were actual fireworks before the game and figurative fireworks during the game when Kosciusko christened its brand spanking new Landrum Field turf with a 35-8 victory over Choctaw Central that was not as easy as it might sound.
That was especially true in the first half when Kosciusko took a 7-0 lead to the locker rooms despite being outgained 137-113. “Give Choctaw Central a lot of credit. They were able to keep the ball away from us in the first half,” said coach Casey Orr.
The large homecoming crowd on Kosciusko's side of the field was not able to breathe easily until the Whippets scored a third touchdown one minute into the fourth quarter for a 21-0 lead. Prior to that, the Whippets used a break-but-don't-bend defense to keep Choctaw Central off the scoreboard.
In a scoreless first quarter, each team had only one possession. The Warriors took the opening kickoff at their 31 and reached the Whippets seven before quarterback Jeriah Jimmie was sacked on fourth down.
Mainly on the running and passing of quarterback Caden Greer, the Whippets reached a second-and-goal at the two early in the second quarter. But a procedure penalty moved the ball back to the seven and three running plays produced only three yards.
Three plays later, Tyran Mosley came up with the first of his three interceptions at the Choctaw Central 17. A third down pass from Greer to Mosley gave the Whippets first down at the two, leading to a Greer sneak for a 7-0 lead.
The Whippets were in danger of relinquishing the lead when Choctaw Central reached the Kosciusko 22 in the dying moments of the half before Mosley outjumped a receiver in the end zone for this second interception.
Orr never before had a player with three interceptions in a game. “I have had players with two.”
He said the first interception was a case of Mosley being in the right place at the right time. “On the next two he went up and made big time plays.”
The Whippets got some breathing room with a 77-yard drive to open the second half, culminating in a one-yard TD run by Lee Wade.
“At halftime, we felt like we were in control of the game. But you look up and it’s only a one-score game.”
Jimmie took the ensuing kickoff 77 yards before being run out of bounds at the 17. The threat culminated with a wild sequence of plays. Jimmie was sacked on fourth down, but a face mask penalty gave the Warriors another chance. Jimmie ran to the goal line, but the play was nullified by a holding penalty, before another sack ended the threat.
The Whippets third TD came on a 26-yard Greer-to-Wade pass, the fourth on a three-yard run by Wade.
The Warriors finally got into the end zone on a 15-yard pass from Jimmie to Cruz Wilson with 58 second left. Jimmie ran it in for a two-point conversion to make it 28-8.
That would have been the final score if Choctaw Central had not called a time out with 18 second left, rather than letting the clock run out. That allowed backup quarterback Ryan Tillman to connect with Jaquavous Pace for a 50-yard catch-and-run TD.
The Whippets rolled up 361 yards of offense led by Greer, who competed 12 of 14 passes for 123 yards and ran 10 times for 54 yards. Orr said it was his best game.
“His decision making was really good. He’s one of those guys who you see getting better and better, and you’re seeing that show up on the scoreboard. It translates to more points.”
Thomas Olive was the leading runner with 17 carries for 77 yards. Wade ran 10 times for 37 yards and caught five passes for 57 yards.
Inside linebacker Javen Mallett led the defense with 10 tackles, three for losses, including one sack. Derrick Manning had an interception and Eli Kemp recovered a fumble.
Alexis Hernandez was five-for-five on PATs to remain perfect for the season.
The victory came in the Whippets' first Region 4-4A game, improving the record to 5-1. Next up is a trip to West Lauderdale in Collinsville Friday. It's a tall order.
The Knights are 5-0, having outscored the opponents 226-61, with no game closer than 19 points. West Lauderdale began region play with a 43-8 victory over Leake Central.
“They’re a really good football team, the best team we have played up to this point,” Orr said. “They’re big and they’re physical. It’s going to be a big test for us.”
West Lauderdale is the state's fourth ranked 4A team according to the website MaxPreps. The Knights have a balanced attack led by quarterback Jackson Parker and running back Caleb Collins.
Mississippi will revert to 7 p.m. kickoffs this week. August and September games began at 7:30 to combat the possibility of high heat, although that was not a threat last week on a cool night.
