Fortnite rises in popularity, students play game in new Esports club (February 2018)
With over 45 million users playing and many Oxford High School students taking part, Fortnite has quickly become one of the most popular multiplayer games of 2018. The game incorporates a “last man standing” theme with elements of survival and fighting.
One particular fan of Fortnite is junior Matthew Swales. He had played the game before it became popular and enjoys many of its unique gaming aspects that other games don’t have.
“My favorite thing about Fortnite is the ability to build and manipulate your opponent’s move based on every action you take,” Swales said.
One primary reason Fortnite has been so successful is because the game is free to download. Junior Dan O’keefe was one of the many who downloaded the game to play for free.
“Normally I buy games that I think look fun or whatever, but thankfully for Fortnite I didn’t have to pay anything,” O’keefe said.
There has also been talk about incorporating Fortnite into an Esports club at OHS. While the Esports club hasn’t had an official meeting yet, students will be able to talk about and play video games together. Swales is a founder of the club and is excited by the prospect of Fortnite becoming a part of the club.
“The point of the club is to unite gamers together, have a good time and learn about Fortnite and other various Esports,” Swales said.
Some teachers have also heard talk of Fortnite between students, such as Physics teacher Charley Sabatier. After hearing some of his students and soccer players discussing Fornite, he asked them about the game and did some of his own research.
“When I first heard about Fortnite, I thought it was some sort of inappropriate joke that kids were talking about,” Sabatier said. “All of a sudden, everybody was talking about it.”
Fortnite obviously will not appeal to everyone, but has become popular throughout OHS and other schools.
“A ton of people in our school play, so it’s cool to be able to play such a fun game with a lot of my friends,” O’Keefe said.
Franklin wins first Regional Poetry Out Loud contest (February 2018)
Oxford High School student and junior Anna Claire Franklin won the Regional Poetry Out Loud contest on Feb. 5. Poetry Out Loud is a contest where students memorize and recite poems, which helps them master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about poetry.
“It’s a competition where you memorize and recite up to three pieces of poetry, and you’re judged on things like accuracy.” Franklin said.
Millions of students around the world have been influenced by Poetry Out Loud, with contests taking place in every state. Franklin was first introduced to the contest during a presentation in her debate class and decided that it would be a good idea to compete.
“Oxford is such a competitive school academically, so anything I can do to stand out and compete in, I should do,” Franklin said.
Competing students are allowed to choose the poems that they recite. They get to pick from a collection of over 1,000 published poems.
“I actually found a couple poems that I really like and I think are beautiful.” Franklin said. “It’s always a cool thing to find something you relate to in a place you don’t expect it.”
Each student has to completely memorize their poems, practice reciting their poems and work on their overall presentation.
“A surprising amount of effort goes into it because the judges can kill you over the smallest gesture,” Franklin said. “You have to practice in a way that makes it look like you haven’t been practicing, which is really hard.”
OHS Librarian Amanda Osborne helped Franklin practice and prepare for the competition. Osborne began helping after Franklin won the school-wide competition and is now helping her prepare for the competition in Jackson.
“We spent some time just working and practicing one-on-one,” Osborne said. “We’ve been working on her understanding the meaning of the poem and how she recites the poem clearly.”
Franklin recited her poems at the regional contest and was genuinely surprised that she won.
“I figured that there were maybe four in the competition that were pretty good and didn’t put myself in that four,” Franklin said. “Then they announced my name, and I realized that I had actually won.”
After winning the regional contest, Franklin will advance to the state competition on March 6 in Jackson, Miss.
“I’m pretty nervous about state, but I’m really just going to try and have a good time and compete,” Franklin said.
New club RISE brings awareness to student health through events, projects (May 2018)
RISE, standing for reach, inspire, support and empower, is a newly formed club at Oxford High focused on bettering the lives of other students and advocating for their health. English teacher Kakky Brown is the club’s sponsor and helps lead the club.
“RISE is a group of OHS students who are passionate about the health and wellness of the Oxford School District community,” Brown said. “We connect students to reliable health and wellness resources and promote healthy behaviors through public service campaigns in the school community.”
The club focuses on all aspects of students’ health, including the issue of high schoolers vaping and smoking. While the club does focus on smoking and vaping, the goal of the club is not purely focused on and against these issues. Junior Jess Edge is a leading member of the group and feels like some may misinterpret the club’s main purpose.
“Our club isn’t purely anti-tobacco and nicotine, as some might assume,” Edge said. “It’s a club with the purpose to advocate for all of youth and student health.”
The club meets often to talk about and come up with ideas to promote student health in the school. The club regularly meets on Wednesdays, but often times meets more than once per week to discuss more projects and ideas. One of these projects is a free concert for OHS students on May 11 behind the library.
“RISE will be sponsoring And the Echo, an Oxford based band, to provide a free outdoor concert for OHS students,” Brown said. “There will also be health and wellness resource booths available with info and giveaways.”
The club also set up a video with Mr. And Miss Ole Miss, Tucker Fox and Savannah Smith, who helped spread the club’s message about vaping in a video uploaded to Schoology.
“Mr. And Miss Ole Miss highlighted or brought into focus how vaping and jumping can effect not only your health but your future, reputation and goals,” Brown said.
The club can be found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook under the username @riseoxfordhigh and looks to spread their message through these sites also. RISE also welcomes any student who wishes to join the club.
“People should join rise if they have a desire to give back to Oxford High and its students, or have a platform to have their voice heard,” Edge said.
Library earns grant for 3D printer for students, teachers (May 2018)
OHS librarian Amanda Osborne recently received a grant for a 3D printer, which will be placed in the library. A demonstration for how the printer works took place in the commons on April 18. Osborne feels that students will benefit greatly from the printer being available to them.
“3D printing is offered at both Mississippi State and Ole Miss through their libraries for students,” Osborne said. “We have so many college bound students at OHS, so that doesn’t need to be their first time experiencing work with a 3D printer.”
Students will not be able to use the 3D printer for whatever they want and whenever they want. Students and teachers will first have to go through a training session to be allowed to use it, and it will also be given to classes for certain projects.
“I’ll have to draft a policy and figure out what exactly is the best way to regulate students using the printer,” Osborne said. “I’ll have a training session so that students can learn how to use it.”
Osborne had to get a grant so that the library would be able to purchase the 3D printer, a process which can be complex and tedious.
“I did a lot of research into how 3D printers are used in academic libraries, which I included into a written grant,” Osborne said.
While the printer will be available to most students, not all students will use it. Sophomore Cole Marsh is one of these students who says he will more than likely not need to use the printer.
“The printer is pretty cool, and it seems interesting, but I don’t think I’ll ever find a use for it or ever need it,” said Marsh.
The specific type of printer the library will be receiving is the MakerBot Replicator Plus+. The Replicator+ is a very advanced and complex printer that is an upgrade of its predecessor, the MakerBot Replicator.
“The MakerBot Replicator Plus+ is a business, professional grade printer,” Osborne said. “Mississippi State has a MakerBot lab, so I feel that it would be compatible for what our students need to learn.”
With technology and computers becoming more and more popular in society, jobs surrounding these subjects have also become more common. The addition of the 3D printer in the OHS library will help introduce students to new technology, and can benefit them in the future with job opportunities.
“Even though I might not use the printer, I think lots of other students will and that it could benefit them,” Marsh said.
Spanish teacher implements Spanish translations throughout school (August 2018)
According to nypost.com, there are over 41 million native Spanish speakers in the United States. That is around eight percent of all Americans, not counting the millions who speak Spanish as a secondary language. OHS Spanish teacher Emily Maples helped implement the translation of announcements from English to Spanish on the hallway televisions.
“The goal of the announcements in Spanish is to inform students who don’t speak English, or that speak Spanish better, of the announcements and help them understand the announcements,” Maples said.
The televisions that are set up in many of the hallways and in the commons have previously not effectively displayed announcements. This year, they have been managed and have been up to date with announcements from the school, the current time, and other things. Sophomore Josuee Carrasco is a native Spanish speaker who also speaks English, and he says that he hasn’t noticed the monitors in Spanish.
“They didn’t really use them last year for anything, so I haven’t even looked at them this year,” Carrasco said. “I guess it could help like some of the Spanish kids who don’t speak English as well as me.”
From the time that the televisions were set up in many of the hallways, they have never consistently worked throughout a school year and haven’t been successful in displaying helpful information to students. Throughout the first four weeks of school, the television monitors have shown announcements, Spanish announcements, and also the weather.
“Last year since they never kept using them and didn’t put anything on them, I stopped looking,” Carrasco said. “But I guess since they’ve started putting up stuff like announcements, I might try to read them.”
Students in Maples’ multiple Spanish classes will be the ones to translate the announcements from English to Spanish. While helping the Spanish-speaking students, these students will also be learning more of how to read and write in Spanish.
“It’s also an opportunity for my classes to work on their Spanish by translating something and seeing it being applied in a relevant way in the school,” Maples said.
Maples hopes that with the televisions being translated in Spanish, Spanish speaking students will feel more accepted in a school primarily of English students.
“I don’t know if they will be helpful or not, but I hope that if they see just one announcement in Spanish that it will make them feel more welcome,” Maples said.
Hughes speaks to ninth grade classes about public speaking and leadership skills (September 2018)
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and Oxford citizen Jay Hughes came to speak to the ninth grade LeadWorthy classes on Sept. 13. Hughes was asked to come speak to the leadership classes about both public speaking and leadership skills.
“The goal of me coming to speak was to try and give a real-life representation of the importance of public speaking and of leadership skills that carry you through life,” Hughes said.
Freshman Charlie Shull was in attendance to listen to Hughes speak and felt that Hughes brought up good points on why leadership skills are important to have.
“I thought it was pretty cool that someone so important in politics in Mississippi came to talk to us,” Shull said. “And he talked a lot about how having leadership skills could help us and how they helped him.”
Starting this school year, it is required for all ninth grade OHS students to enroll and take the new leadership classes, or LeadWorthy. No students currently in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade were required to take a leadership class when they were in ninth grade.
“I’m not the biggest fan of it because it takes up a whole period,” Shull said. “It would probably be better for us if the class was a more education-focused class.”
Throughout the speech for the ninth grade students, Hughes talked about multiple other topics in addition to talking about leadership skills. He also talked about his life in politics and the problems with public education in Mississippi.
“We are in an environment now where there is so much focus on standardized testing and basic courses in school that we’re leaving out the soft skills that can be needed for success,” Hughes said.
Many, such as Hughes, feel that leadership skills and public speaking are incredibly important in finding success in life.
“Whether you’re applying for college, applying for a job, or whatever, I think that self confidence and basic leadership skills are sadly missing by too many graduates nowadays,” Hughes said.
Game Preview: Columbus Falcons (0-8) at Oxford Chargers (6-2) (October 2018)
Oxford and Columbus will play each other for the second year in a row at Bobby Holcomb field in Oxford. Oxford is coming off a disappointing 28-17 loss to the Horn Lake Eagles, whereas Columbus is yet to win a single game this year under new head coach Eric Rice. In last year’s matchup, Oxford was victorious with a 17-7 win.
Players to watch:
Oxford QB John Meagher: After starting off the season with 9 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions, the past two games for Meager have been less than stellar. Against Horn Lake, Meagher completed just 7 of 22 passes and only had 59 yards. Coming up against an 0-8 team, Meagher will have a chance to rebound from his past two games and get back in form.
Columbus QB Jaelan Craddieth: Craddieth has had a rough first 8 games of the season having 13 interceptions compared to just 5 touchdowns. If the Falcons wish to have success against Oxford’s stout defense, Craddieth will need to manage the game well and not give the ball away.
Oxford DB Byron “Tank” Pearson: Pearson nearly got his third pick six of the season against Horn Lake last Friday, but it was called back due to a flag. Still, Pearson has four interceptions this year and could find himself another with the Falcon’s poor quarterback play this season.
Columbus RB Devarkus Ramsey: Debatably Columbus’ most efficient player on offense, Ramsey is second on the Falcons team with 490 total yards. Along with that, Ramsey has had three 100+ yard games and 4 touchdowns. On a team that focuses more on their ground attack, Ramsey will be an important factor for the Falcons in tonight’s game.
X factor:
Oxford Offensive Line: The Charger’s offensive line will attempt to forget about last week’s game against Horn Lake and turn a new page against Columbus. Horn Lake’s defensive line had 7 sacks last Friday, 26 tackles for loss in total. If Oxford wants to come out and dominate Columbus like they should, the offensive line will need to give Meagher protection in the backfield and also create the space for the running backs to make plays.
Prediction:
The Chargers won last season’s matchup by only 10 points, but this is a new year. On Friday night, I think the Oxford defense will continue to play at a very high level and that the offense will have a bounce back game. Chargers get the win at home with a score of 34-7.
Game Preview: Oxford Chargers (7-2) at Hernando Tigers (3-6) (October 2018)
The Oxford Chargers will travel to Hernando for their second to last division game of the season. Oxford is coming off of a bounce back 42-6 win against Columbus last Friday and sit at second in the division. Hernando is 3-6 on the season and were defeated last week by division leaders Horn Lake 37-16. Last year, in Oxford, the Chargers won the matchup 15-6.
Players to watch:
Oxford WR De Pegues: With star ATH JJ Pegues being out due to an injury, De and the rest of the Charger receivers will have to step up to fill his spot. While Oxford will not solely depend on their passing attack, Pegues will have a chance to have big plays against Hernando’s secondary.
Hernando QB Dylan Faulk: Faulk is one of the best passers in the district with 1,600 yards, enough for fourth in Mississippi 6A. Out of the nine games the Tigers have played this year, Faulk has thrown 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Oxford DB Javian Gipson: Gipson came up big for the Chargers in last week’s matchup against Columbus with a pick that he returned for a touchdown. Jack Gililland got his fist interception of this season while Byron Pearson recorded his fifth. With fellow DB Scott Norphlet out for the season, Gipson will need to keep playing well in the secondary.
Hernando WR Kelly Smith: Smith leads the division in receiving yards and is fifth out of all Mississippi 6A schools with 595 yards. Facing a talented Oxford secondary, Smith and Faulk will need to perform well through the air if they want to beat Oxford.
X factor:
Oxford Secondary: In the first game of the season, Oxford lost to Starkville 56-7 and gave up 300 passing yards. In the following eight games, the Charger secondary has only given up 99 passing yards per game and have won seven of the eight games. Hernando QB Dylan Faulk and the Tiger receivers have been productive through the air with 1,600 yards, so the Oxford defensive backs will have their hands full tonight.
Prediction:
Coming up against another team with a losing record, the Chargers are again the favorites going into this division matchup. As long as the offense takes care of the ball and the defense doesn’t give up big plays through the air, the Chargers should win easily. Oxford will get the win 27-12.
'Glass' combines well-written story, cast (February 2019)
Wrapping up the stories from the movies “Unbreakable” and “Split,” M. Night Shyamalan’s 2019 superhero thriller “Glass” combines a wonderfully written story and a well-known cast to create a thrilling yet enjoyable film. Shyamalan, just like most of his works, wrote, produced and directed the hit film.
The story revolves around three humans with extraordinary abilities, those being David Dunn (Bruce Willis), Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) and Kevin Crumb (James McAvoy). Dunn and Glass were the two main characters in the 2000 film “Unbreakable” where Dunn discovers that he is, in fact, unbreakable, and Glass is basically a genius. Crumb, however, comes from the more recent 2016 film “Split” where his character, who has 23 alternate identities, kidnaps three teenage girls. “Split” is considered to be the first solo super villain original movie and also Hollywood’s first stealth sequel.
Early in the film, the three main characters are all taken into custody and placed in Raven Hill Memorial, a mental institute. One of the only new characters introduced in the movie, Dr. Ellie Staple, is an antagonist to the three “superheroes” and actively attempts to persuade them that they are just normal people. With Shyamalan’s brilliance in writing and directing, the story has many plot twists and surprises that keep the viewer guessing on what happens next.
As of Jan. 30, 29 days after its release, “Glass” remains at the top of the box office, beating out movies like “Aquaman” and “Green Book.” Even with many mixed reviews from critics, the movie has still been fairly successful.
Helping boost the movie to the success it has seen is the great cast and their acting. Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson are veteran actors in Hollywood and have worked on many films before this, whereas James McAvoy is a younger yet still skilled actor. Rounding out the cast are some lesser known but still talented actors, including Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, Sarah Paulson and Charlayne Woodard.
Shyamalan sticks to his theme of suspenseful and thrilling movies with this latest work and once again shows his ability to write a great story. The storyline keeps the viewer intrigued throughout the whole movie and is a very fun watch. Even though Shyamalan has finished the stories of these particular characters and events, he leaves room for the possibility of new works involving this superhero universe.
Nash selected as finalist for Nationalist Tennis Coach of the Year (February 2019)
Tennis coach Louis Nash has been selected as one of eight finalists for the National Tennis Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA). Nash was named as a nominee by the Mississippi Association of Coaches in September.
With this season being his nineteenth year of coaching here at OHS, Nash dedicates much of his success to the individuals he has coached.
“These things [his success] are a reflection of many years of talented, dedicated players excelling at what they do best,” Nash said. “I got on a lot of buses with a lot of very good teams.”
Throughout his lengthy career as a tennis coach, Nash has coached many different athletes, including junior Ben Peeler. Peeler has trained and played under Nash his whole high school career.
“I’ve been playing in front of Coach Nash my whole tennis career cause my older brother played for him when I first started,” Peeler said. “I know that since he’s been doing his job so well for so long that he deserves this award.”
In the past, the Chargers have had some of the best tennis teams in the state of Mississippi. Nash led his teams to ten connective 5A state championships from 2008 to 2017 before Oxford moved classifications. The 2019 season will show a less experienced group on the tennis court for the Chargers.
“This year’s team will be the least experienced on a varsity level than any that I’ve had here in Oxford,” Nash said. “We have good talent and a really good group of youngsters. It will be interesting to see how they respond to being ‘the man’ in a match.”
Since joining class 6A in Mississippi, the streak of state championships has ended, and the team has faced more difficult competition. In 2018, the Madison Central Jaguars defeated the Chargers, eliminating them from the playoffs.
“We could do pretty well in the playoffs this year as long as we play our best,” Peeler said. “Even though we aren’t the most talented team to ever come through Oxford, we still believe that we can win state.”
Alliance of American Football will be successful in opening year (March 2019)
Seven weeks into its inaugural season, the Alliance of American Football (AAF) has been a successful experiment so far in giving players the chance to play professional football. Many football players who never made it the the National Football League (NFL) or were not able to stay on an NFL roster now have another chance to continue their dream of playing football professionally. In addition, this new experimental league is a great way for these players to get noticed and signed by NFL teams.
The league consists of eight different teams located around the United States, including cities like Memphis and Birmingham. Within these eight teams, each player gets a three-year, non-guaranteed contract worth $250,000 that includes an escape clause to go to the NFL. There are also 500 players total on the AAF teams’ rosters with rumors of a four team expansion coming in the next few years.
One major theme of the AAF is second chances. Many AAF players were not able to make NFL rosters and have been given a second chance by the league, including some notable ones like Trent Richardson, Christian Hackenburg, Aaron Murray and most recently Johnny Manziel. Manziel signed with the Memphis Express earlier in March after disappointing appearances in both the NFL and the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Trent Richardson is debatably the second biggest name in the AAF behind Manziel due to his former success in college. Richardson was a star running back for the University of Alabama in 2011 and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting that year. With the third overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Richardson. After a successful rookie campaign, Richardson played in the NFL for three more years, all disappointing. Now Richardson is thriving on one of the best teams in the AAF, the Birmingham Iron, and looks to have possibly turned around his football career.
With all of its recent success, there have been a few bumps in the road for the AAF and its founders. Charlie Ebersol, the co-founder and CEO of the AAF, stated that his league had come very close to collapsing and failing multiple times before the first football games were played. Additionally, the league reportedly almost didn’t make payroll in its second week and was saved by a $250 million investment. According to Fox News, the AAF disputed the report and stated, “Players were never in danger of not getting paid.”
By getting these AAF games on channels, such as CBS, and marketing the league with social media and on television, the AAF has quickly become well-known and popular. As long as the league can continue bringing in money to keep it afloat and can stay relevant within sports media, it should be able to sustain its success that it has found in its inaugural year.
Game Preview: Northwest Rankin Cougars (0-0) at Oxford Chargers (0-0) (August 2019)
For the second game of the season, the Northwest Rankin Cougars will travel north to Oxford for an early season matchup. As one of the most dominant teams in 6A last year, the Cougars will prove to be much more of a challenge for Oxford compared to Charleston last week. Last season, the Cougars finished 11-2 with losses against Brandon and Madison Central in the playoffs. In addition, they achieved notable wins against Pearl, Starkville, Madison Central and Tupelo.
Players to watch:
Oxford LB Kiyon Williams: Williams, in his senior season, will be a key player for the Chargers at the linebacker position. Facing an athletic and balanced Cougar offense, Williams will be a major factor in the Charger defense’s success Friday night.
Northwest Rankin RB PJ Lindsey: The leading rusher for the Cougar offense last year, Lindsey will likely receive majority of the handoffs for Rankin this season. Standing at 5’8 and 172 pounds, the senior running back for the Cougars is extremely quick, excellent at evading defenders and can show off his strength to run over opposing defenders. If the Rankin offensive line can control the line and allow Lindsey to get into space, the Cougars have a real chance of taking down Oxford.
Oxford ATH Clay Cromwell: In last week’s fall jamboree, Cromwell made a one-handed catch for a touchdown in the first quarter, while playing tight end. For the Chargers this week however, Cromwell’s athleticism and size will be more important on the defensive side of the ball. If Cromwell can disrupt the Rankin backfield and get to the quarterback and running backs often, the Cougars will have a hard time driving down the field.
Northwest Rankin QB Zach Beasley: Unlike most Mississippi football programs, the Cougars focus on the passing game just as much, if not more, than their rushing game. Beasley, now a junior, will be taking the over this passing offense since last year’s starter, Jamari Jones, graduated. As a sophomore last season with five appearances, Beasley threw 170 yards on 19 attempts, with two touchdowns. For the Cougars to be successful against an extremely deep and talented Charger defense, Beasley will have to play well.
X Factor:
Oxford Running Backs: If the Oxford backfield duo of KJ Wadley and Omar Howell can routinely gain yards and first downs, the Chargers will be able to control the tempo of the game. If they can control the tempo, they will have a great chance to win Friday night.
Prediction:
The ever-present storyline for the Chargers this season will be how few players they lost to graduation and the number of starting seniors they have. On the other side, Rankin lost a good number of their starters from last year, including current Mississippi State safety Jarrian Jones. The Chargers senior experience and strong defense will help them win this statement game early in the season. Oxford wins with a score of 30-21.
Game Preview: Oxford Chargers (2-1) at Lafayette Commodores (3-0) (September 2019)
Last week’s MVP: ATH JJ Pegues (111 YDS, 2 TD)
For the 2019 “Crosstown Classic,” the Oxford Chargers will travel across town to William L. Buford Stadium to play the undefeated Lafayette Commodores. Both teams are coming off of wins as the Commodores beat Horn Lake 28-14 and the Chargers defeated Grenada 33-14. In last year’s matchup, the Chargers won a thriller in Oxford 29-27.
Players to watch:
Oxford WR Derrius “BabyDe” Pegues: In last year’s “Crosstown Classic,” Pegues caught a pass on fourth down which set up the game winning field goal. Pegues had his best game of the season last week against Grenada making five catches for 87 yards, including one touchdown.
Lafayette QB Tyrus Carmichael–White: Much like last year, Lafayette’s offense relies on their quarterback’s ability to make plays with his feet. Carmichael–White has performed well in his first three starts at quarterback, rushing for 353 yards and three touchdowns.
Oxford LB Kiyon Williams: The Commodore offense features a system based around the quarterback running the ball. With a team-leading 22 total tackles on the year, Williams will play a huge role in stopping Carmichael–White and Lafayette’s run heavy offense.
Lafayette ATH Randy Anderson: Debatably the most dynamic and talented player on the Lafayette offense, Anderson started as the quarterback last year amassing over 1300 yards through the air and 1500 on the ground. This year, Anderson has become a Swiss Army knife on the Commodore offense, playing anywhere he is needed, including quarterback, running back and wide receiver.
X Factor:
Oxford Linebackers: This will be the toughest offensive line and run game that the Charger linebackers have faced all year. If they can contain the ground game, not allowing many breakaway runs, they can force the Commodores into passing plays on third–and–long.
Prediction:
So far this year, the Commodores have beaten every 6A team that they have come up against. This Friday should not produce the same result. The Chargers bring a more talented and experienced team than last year’s team whereas the Commodores lost many of their leading seniors to college football. It may be closer than it should due to the game being a rivalry, but Oxford should take care of business. Chargers win their third straight “Crosstown Classic” 38-21.
Game Preview: Oxford Chargers (9-1) at Tupelo Golden Wave (7-3) (November 2019)
Last week’s MVP: DB Byron “Tank” Pearson (5 Tkl, 2 Int, 4 PD, 24 Yds)
In the penultimate game of the regular season, the Chargers will travel to the blue turf field of the Tupelo Golden Wave on Friday night. This matchup will decide the final ranking of the division, which Oxford currently leads. Last week, the Golden Wave overcame a comeback against defending 6A champions Horn Lake, winning 28-20. The Chargers won their senior night game against Hernando 36-6. Last year, the Golden Wave came to Oxford and were dominated by the Chargers 33-13.
Players to watch:
Oxford ATH JJ Pegues: In the biggest games of the season, you need your best players to perform. While he may not have the stats that he had last year, Pegues has continued to be the most important part of the offense running the ball, catching and blocking. In last year’s game against the Golden Wave, Pegues did not play.
Tupelo WR Trip Wilson: Wilson has been a breakout player for the Golden Wave this year while replacing Jordan Jernigan. Wilson provides the juice on an offense that loves to throw the ball with quarterback Grayson Weir. Wilson, a Memphis University baseball commit, has 743 yards and eight touchdowns on the season.
Oxford DB Byron “Tank” Pearson: Throughout the game, more than likely, Pearson will be lined up against Tupelo’s two big receivers, Jaycob Horn and Trip Wilson. Both receivers are big time players for the Golden Wave, and Horn is even committed to play football at Ole Miss. Whoever he lines up against Friday night, Pearson will have his work cut out for him.
Tupelo DB Carson Rousseau: As a junior, Rousseau had a total of three tackles and one interception on the season. This season, the senior has 73 tackles, four interceptions and a fumble recovery. However, all four of his interceptions came in the Golden Wave’s 42-21 win over Hernando.
X Factor:
John Meagher: Meagher has to limit the interceptions and turnovers for the Chargers to win the game. Tupelo’s defense is not nearly as strong as Olive Branch, Horn Lake or even Starkville’s defense, so the Charger offense should be able to move the ball. But, if there are a multitude of turnovers from Meagher and the offense, it will be a struggle.
Prediction:
In their first six games of the season, the Golden Wave football team went an even 3-3, losing to South Panola, West Point and Olive Branch. Tupelo then went on to win the next four games, and are on a four game winning streak coming into the game Friday. Oxford, on the contrary, has “struggled” the past few weeks. While they have won eight games straight, the Charger offense has slowed down as of late, averaging 20 points a game over the past three weeks, compared to 36.5 the first seven games. But, even with Tupelo’s streak and the Charger’s offensive struggles, the visitors should spoil the host’s senior night on Friday. Chargers win 31-14.
Game Preview: Warren Central Vikings (6-5) at Oxford Chargers (10-1) (November 2019)
Last week’s MVP: ATH JJ Pegues (97 Tot Yds, 2 TD)
Oxford’s second ever 6A playoff berth will feature the Chargers hosting the Warren Central Vikings on Friday. The Chargers defeated division rivals Tupelo last week 14-3, while the Vikings were dominated by South Panola 35-6. In last season’s Red Carpet Bowl, the Chargers and Vikings faced off up until third quarter when the game was cancelled due to weather. The Vikings were up 14-6 at the time.
Players to watch:
Oxford DB Scott Norphlet: Norphlet, who was recently named to the region 1-6A 1st team, is one of the best tackling defensive backs in the state. Norphlet is third on a very strong defense in tackles, with 75. Against a Viking that offense features some players with size, notably a 6’2, 277 pound tight end, Norphlet will have to make plays tackling.
Warren Central QB Parker Kivett: Kivett, a 6’4, 180 pound quarterback, has shown out for the Vikings in his senior season. He has 1487 passing yards on a 61% completion rate, along with just seven touchdowns. Look for Kivett to try and connect with wideout Demond Patton often throughout the game.
Oxford RB KJ Wadley: Over the past few weeks, the Chargers have not been able to get the passing game going. In turn, the trio of Meagher, Pegues and Wadley have had to carry the workload with their feet. Pegues had a big game last week on the ground, so I’m expecting Wadley to do the same this week, given that he gets enough carries.
Warren Central LB Darius Smothers: Smothers, a linebacker standing at 5’10 and 170 pounds, leads the Vikings with 93 total tackles on the season. Along with the tackles, Smothers has 8 tackles for loss, two passes defended and three caused fumbles for Warren Central.
X Factor:
LB Tristan Shorter: Shorter, and really the whole linebacker corps for the Chargers, have been dominant this year. Specifically Shorter has an uncanny ability to create huge plays for the Chargers on defense, such as his interception returned for a touchdown against Lafayette and his huge interception away at Olive Branch. With the offensive struggles likely to continue into the playoffs for the Chargers, one of these big plays may be needed to secure a Charger victory.
Prediction:
This is somewhat of an odd matchup for the Chargers. This Viking team reminds me of Tupelo, but not as good on offense. They had potential to be a very good football team such as when they played Brandon to a 9-10 game, yet then went and lost to Pearl 42-0 and only beat Murrah 12-0. Just like last year’s Game Day Previews with Walker Bailey, the Chargers are being slept on and underrated. In the Clarion Ledger’s playoffs predictions, writer Anthony McDougle doesn’t even mention Oxford while predicting who has a chance of winning 6A. I’m going with the Chargers in this game 20-7 and will keep sticking with them against whoever they play.
Game Preivew: South Panola Tigers (12-1) at Oxford Chargers (11-1) (November 2019)
Last week’s MVP: ATH JJ Pegues (116 Tot Yds, 2 Tot TD)
For the second round of the MHSAA 6A playoffs the Oxford Chargers will host the South Panola Tigers on Friday night. The Tigers won their first round matchup against Tupelo by a score of 39-23. Oxford dominated Warren Central for their first ever 6A playoff win last week, winning 33-14. The two teams faced off against each other last year in a division game where the Chargers came out on top with a 35-21 win.
Players to watch:
Oxford ATH JJ Pegues: Like I said for the Tupelo game, you need your best players to perform in the biggest games of the season. Pegues dominated the first round of playoffs with two huge touchdowns, highlighted by a 74-yard receiving touchdown. Last year against the Tigers, Pegues had three receiving and one rushing touchdown in the Charger’s 35-21 win. Pegues will need to emulate that success against South Panola again to ensure a North Half appearance for the Chargers.
South Panola RB/S Janari Dean: Dean is my obvious choice for player to watch on South Panola, and for good reason. A three-star prospect committed to Mississippi State University, Dean has racked up 1568 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. For comparison, the leading rusher for the Chargers has less than half of that, with 752 yards. In the Tiger’s win last week, Dean had 28 carries for 263 yards and three touchdowns, highlighted by an 90-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Oxford QB John Meagher: The Charger offense finally came to life against Warren Central last week, scoring 33 points. Meagher had a huge touchdown throw to Pegues and also had a long run for a touchdown. He and the rest of the Oxford offense will need to step up again against a strong Tiger defense.
South Panola LB Jaqualian Gillespie: Gillespie is the leader of the Tiger defense at the middle linebacker position. He leads the team 128 total tackles, the next closest on the roster having 76. In addition, Gillespie has three tackles for loss, three interceptions, eight passes defended and a sack.
X Factor:
Limiting Big Plays: Last week in the first round, Dean had two huge touchdown runs, one for 90 yards and the other for 80. In their only loss on the season, Oxford allowed the Starkville Yellowjackets to have huge touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, putting the game to bed. While I don’t doubt the Charger defense’s ability to stop the South Panola offense, one or two huge breakaway plays for the Tigers could severely hurt the Charger’s chances of winning. If Oxford plays the way it has all year and limits these chunk plays, I’ll be writing another Game Preview next week.
Prediction:
Everybody around the state is saying it. South Panola is back. Since 1993, the “University of South Panola” has won 11 state championships, seven in 5A and four in 6A. After a three year stretch without a single playoff win, the Tigers seem to be back with their 12-1 record this year. But, they haven’t played Oxford yet. Like I said for the X Factor, if the Charger defense can limit the big plays from Dean and quarterback Anterrio Draper, they should have their second ever 6A playoff win. I’m going with the home team, 32-20.
Game Preview: Starkville Yellowjackets (12-2) at Oxford Chargers (12-1) (November 2019)
Last week’s MVP: ATH JJ Pegues (151 Yds, 1 TD)
This year’s MHSAA 6A North Half Championship will feature the Oxford Chargers hosting the Starkville Yellowjackets for another edition of “The Little Egg Bowl,” a day after the Mississippi State Bulldogs won the real Egg Bowl. The Yellowjackets dominated Olive Branch last week in a 20-3 win. The Chargers defense was up to the task against South Panola, helping the team win 17-7. Earlier in the season, Starkville beat the Chargers in Starkville 45-17.
Players to watch:
Oxford ATH JJ Pegues: Pegues has taken over the last three games for the Chargers on offense, dominating opposing defenses with his runs. In his last three games, Pegues has 364 total yards and five touchdowns. Against a Starkville defense that has only allowed 12 points in the last three games, Oxford is going to have to rely on Pegues once again to make big plays.
Starkville WR Rufus Harvey III: I put Harvey as a player to watch the last time these two matched up, and he certainly was one to watch. He had 62 yards and a touchdown rushing, as well as eight catches for 99 yards through the air. On the season, Harvey has put up some incredible stats with 1012 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns.
Oxford DB Byron “Tank” Pearson: Defensive miscues and too-late adjustments in the secondary killed the Chargers in August. Pearson, who set the Oxford Charger record for most interceptions in a season with eight, will have to play well and lead this secondary on Friday if the Chargers want to win.
Starkville QB Luke Altmyer: In just his junior season, Altmyer has thrown for 2,885 yards and 35 touchdowns, with just four interceptions. In comparison, John Meagher has 1,484 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In August’s matchup between these two, Altymer threw for 339 yards and three touchdowns.
Oxford K/P Jack Tannehill: Be on the lookout to see if Tannehill, an Ole Miss commit, can hit a 35-yard kick.
X Factor:
Coaching: In the matchup earlier in the season, it just felt like the Chargers got out-coached by Starkville. Defensive adjustments were made too late in the game after Oxford was already down multiple scores, making a complete comeback unlikely. The Yellowjackets and Altmyer relied on screen passes to get yards throughout the whole first half, with the Chargers not making the proper adjustments in time. While the two teams match up pretty evenly on both sides of the ball, coaching will be crucial in deciding the winner of this huge game.
Prediction:
45-17 is not an accurate representation of how the first matchup went. The game was very close late into the fourth quarter, and Starkville got multiple touchdowns in garbage time, widening the gap. This time around, Oxford’s defense is completely different and has been dominating almost every team they come up against. Last week, Dandy Dozen member Janari Dean was held by the Charger defense to just 37 yards on 20 carries. In addition, the Yellowjackets are much stronger at home than they are on the road, with their only two losses this season coming when they were away from home. Like usual, Oxford is being slept on and are the underdogs coming into this game. And, like usual, I’m picking Oxford to win 17-14.
Chargers defeat Starkville, advance to 6A state championship (November 2019)
For the first time since 2015, the Oxford Charger football team is going to the state championship. The Chargers defeated the Starkville Yellowjackets 25-16 in the game for the North Half. In the previous rounds, Oxford beat out the Warren Central Vikings and the South Panola Tigers.
As it has been all season, the Charger defense showed out. On Starkville’s very first drive the ball was snapped over quarterback Luke Altmyer’s head with the Charger defense pouncing on it for a touchdown. Long snapper Kortlen Wilfawn then caught a pass for a 2-point conversion, putting the Chargers ahead 8-0 early in the first quarter.
After a big defensive stop with two sacks, it was the offense’s turn to show off what they can do. With good field position after a Yellowjacket punch, John Meagher ran it in from 20 yards out for the Charger touchdown. With just nine minutes gone, Oxford was up 15-0. The final score from Oxford came from kicker Jack Tannehill. Tannehill hit from 42 yards out to extend the lead to 18-0.
The turning point in the first half was when, in the second quarter, a for sure touchdown pass was dropped by Oxford receiver DK Johnson. The Yellowjackets then took over and drove down the field, scoring on a touchdown catch by Joshua Aka. The Starkville defense stood strong when they went back on the field and forced a punt by Tannehill, which they blocked. The ball went out the back of the end zone and the lead was just 18-9 for the Chargers. And finally, at the very end of the half, things went from bad to worse for Oxford. Altmyer connected with star wide receiver Rufus Harvey on an 18-yard touchdown to make it an 18-16 game going into the half.
Once the second half started, the momentum shifted again. Tannehill kicked and recovered an onside kick from the kickoff. While the possession didn’t amount to any points, the play signaled a change in momentum for the rest of the game.
With four minutes left in the third quarter, Johnson was able to redeem himself. Meagher hit Johnson on a third down slant for the 15 yard score, which would ultimately be the last points of the game. The Charger defense took things into their own hands and closed things out in the fourth quarter. Defensive back Scott Norphlet intercepted Altmyer on the goal line, preventing the Yellowjackets from getting any points in the red zone. After one more stop, Meagher and the offense were able to get into victory formation and seal the victory, 25-16.
Oxford will be facing the Oak Grove Warriors in the state championship in Hattiesburg. The winners from the South have a record of 11-3 on the season and upset the Petal Panthers 35-28 in overtime.
Game Preview: Oxford Chargers (13-1) at Oak Grove Warriors (11-3) (December 2019)
Last week’s MVP: DL Jeremiah Pomerlee (3 Tot Tkl, 2 Sacks, 1 Fmb Rec, 1 TD)
The Oxford Chargers and Oak Grove Warriors are facing off in the 6A MHSAA State Championship game in Hattiesburg. Oak Grove will get to stay home for this championship whereas the Chargers will be making a four hour drive down south for the game. Oak Grove won an overtime thriller against Petal 35-28 last week while Oxford beat out Starkville 25-16.
Players to watch:
Oxford QB John Meagher: Meagher does not need to throw for 300 yards and four touchdowns for the Chargers to win, while that would obviously help. He needs to control the game with the run game on reads and limit turnovers, like he has done the last few games. In the last two playoffs games against South Panola and Starkville, he has thrown for just 99 yards, showing that Oxford doesn’t have to throw to win.
Oak Grove QB Damon Stewart: At the beginning of the season, Stewart was a relatively unknown transfer from Georgia tasked with replacing John Rhys Plumlee for the Warriors. Stewart fit in nicely in Plumlee’s absence, amassing over 3,300 total yards and 46 total touchdowns. The 6’1, 175 pound senior has, arguably, been the best quarterback in the state this year.
Oxford DB Scott Norphlet: Oak Grove and Stewart excel in the passing game. Norphlet and the other defensive backs for the Chargers will have a tough time covering the Warrior’s talented receivers. Stewart also has a very strong arm, which Norphlet will have to make sure to be wary of as he plays deep in coverage. Last week, Norphlet had a clutch interception on the one-yard line to help win North Half.
Oak Grove WR Tavion Smith: Smith, physically, is much larger than a somewhat small Charger secondary. He is 6’4 and has 848 receiving yards this season, along with 13 receiving touchdowns. Whatever defensive back he matches up against will present a mismatch in favor of the Warriors.
Oxford ATH JJ Pegues: The Chargers, on offense, have relied on Pegues throughout this playoff run. There’s not much else to say except that Pegues will be fed the ball and, if he isn’t contained by the defense, Oxford will likely win.
Oak Grove DL Graham McCarty: Standing at just 5’10, 185 pounds, McCarty is undersized for an interior defensive lineman. While undersized, McCarty uses his speed and his jump off the snap to beat out bigger offensive linemen. Luckily for Oxford, they have fared much better against defensive lines that are on the smaller side.
X Factor:
Who wants it more: Last year, Oak Grove lost this same exact game to Horn Lake and many of those same players are back in this year’s game. These Chargers watched, while in middle school, the high school team lose the 5A state championship game three years in a row. The players that want this game more and put everything out there on the field are the ones that are going to win it for their team.
Prediction:
Outside of Oxford, not many sports writers or people in Mississippi believed in this Charger squad. Somehow a team loaded with seniors on defense, a senior quarterback and debatably the best player in the state was slept on all season and has proved everyone wrong up until now. And finally, once again, the “experts” are picking against the Chargers again. Pegues and Meagher are going to pound away at an average Warrior run defense and the Charger defense is going to do what they’ve done all season. Chargers win 33-20.