2019-2020
Charger football celebrates 50th season (Aug. 2019 Issue)
A lot can happen in 50 years time, but one thing that has maintained the 50 years in Oxford is Charger Football. As the 2019 season begins, the Oxford community celebrates the 50th season as Oxford Chargers.
“I think that is one of the cool things, especially in this part of the country in particular, is high school sports bring our community together,” head coach Chris Cutcliffe said. “You see people on the football team and at the games on Friday nights are from all different backgrounds, all different parts of the community and all different walks of life and get together to support one thing together,” “That is a really great thing for the community.”
The Charger football team played their first football game in 1970. The team was led by head Coach Bobby Sanders Sr., coach for the first seven years of the team. His son, Bobby Sanders Jr., is a coach, teacher and Charger football alumnus.
“It is really special to me knowing that my dad was the first head football coach of the Oxford Chargers,” Sanders Jr. said. “I played in the early 80s and now I’m back coaching here. Oxford High has always been a special place for my family.”
The Charger football team had a inaugural season with a 6-4 record in 1970. Charger Football has had a major impact on the athletes and staff involved.
“When I was five, six years old, I got to be [Sanders Sr.] water boy and be on the sideline, and that is when I knew that I wanted to be a coach,” Sanders Jr. said.
Along with Sanders Jr., Cutcliffe is also a returning Oxford Charger Football alumnus and many of the coaching staff being alumni as well.
“I think it is really cool because I have been a part of 14 seasons of Oxford Charger Football as a player and as a coach,” Cutcliffe said. “To me, it has been a big part of my life. I think it is pretty cool to see the impact it has had on so many people for them to want to come back and stay around still be involved.”
From a current player’s perspective, senior captain and linebacker Ron Person believes Charger football is more than the sport.
“It means being thankful, discipline, and a lot more. Oxford Charger Football impacts young athletes to be successful and builds your character,” Person said. “It’s an honor to be around this great community, great school and being on a great team with an outstanding coaching staff.”
To celebrate the 50th season, there will be a tailgate where all former players are invited to attend. The tailgate is scheduled for Sept. 6 at Bobby Holcomb Field.
“I know being the 50th season, at the Grenada game we are going to have a reunion with all the teams that have played and hopefully we can get all the old guys to come back and come to that game to honor them,” Sanders Jr said.
For Person, he is excited to talk to former players and compare the past and now.
“It’s really inspiring to learn from former players about their success and their team success which always has a big impact on your team,” Person said.
Coaches Issac Boose and Joe Sabatier, along with volunteer coaches Colton Skidmore and Brandon Thompson, are also former Charger athletes. After noticing the impact Charger football has, Cutcliffe started the program “Charger For Life” where the athletes are allowed to always be a member of the program.
“Once you are a Charger, you are always a Charger, whether it is 50 years ago or last year,” Sanders Jr. said. “Being a Charger is special to us. It takes a lot of hard work to be a charger.
Oxford introduces reinvented Charger mascot (Sept. 2019 Issue)
For the Oxford community, it was time to say goodbye Charlie and hello to Bolt. The Charger mascot was reinvented this new year with a new look. Bolt the horse was introduced to the Oxford community at the first pep rally this year and has continued to make more appearances as the season went on.
Junior Pearson Stevens is the man behind the horse. He has served as the mascot for two years now and was a key factor in the decision to retire the old suit.
“We decided to do it last year after the suit that I had before had a big head, and I couldn’t do what I wanted to in it,” Stevens said.
Cheer coach Mylene Cromwell believes the mascot has had a very positive reaction.
“It is definitely a new more modern look especially with the blue mane and tail,” Cromwell said. “Everyone loves it. Bolt is also able to move around more freely in the costume. The bright blue has made the mascot itself, more kid friendly, as well.”
According to both Cromwell and Stevens, the old suit, Charlie, was very heavy and not fit for the weather in Oxford during football season.
“Last year’s mascot costume is very bulky, heavy and super hot. It was not easy to move around in it,” Cromwell said. “Fortunately, our mascot was able to secure funding for a more modern and comfortable costume.”
Bolt, a smaller horse, was created by a company in Canada who specializes in custom mascot costumes.
“We had to talk with many companies that make suits,” Stevens said. “We were originally looking for the company that made the Landshark suit because we really liked the design that they had, but we ended up going with the second best one.”
Stevens is now able to be around the fans for longer periods of time and have the ability to do more movements.
“With this suit, I can be able to stunt in it, and I can interact more in it with people and do more in general,” Stevens said.
Cheer captain and senior Cofield Collins said the new mascot was meant to get the crowd involved and energized.
“We hope to make Bolt a welcoming mascot for Oxford High School as well as the entire school district,” Collins said. “Bolt is very enthusiastic character that loves school spirit.”
Overall, the team believes that the Bolt is a good decision for OHS.
“We want Bolt to make more public appearances around Oxford and to keep creating spirit at OHS sporting events,” Cromwell said.
The OZONE: the backbone of school spirit, Senior night celebrates athletes, one of final times for OZONE, O-Men (Oct. 2019 Issue)
As Senior Night approaches on Nov. 1, the group of seniors known as the OZONE who reimagined the student section are celebrating the end of their era as the leaders of the student section.
“The OZONE is our student section, and it is one of the things that I am most proud of,” senior Don Frugé said. “Our senior class puts a lot of time and effort into the OZONE, from road trips to planning themes to making edits and running our Twitter account, it is really fun and makes the student section experience special.”
The OZONE has been the name of the student section for several years, however, a group message began last year that started the reinvention of the OZONE.
“It began with a group chat with some of the 2020 guys,” senior Eli Wicker said. “We all got together and all agreed that we need to change the culture of the student section.”
According to Fruge, the group of guys wanted high school memories to be “remember when” and not “I wish we would have.”
From the beginning, the boys painted their chests with the letters that spell “Oxford” and it has grown past the boys to a successful Twitter account and more. The boys known as the O-Men is not a set group of seniors and changes game by game.
“After the first game we painted, we had to change from painting “Oxford” to “Chargers” so that more people could paint,” Frugé said. “We have included more people to paint, and we have started to make our own themes for the student section. We have edits for our twitter, and are able to make sure that everyone knows.”
The OZONE has affected more than football games and has expanded to several Oxford events.
“It has definitely made my high school career better,” Fruge said. “I think that I have been a part of many different clubs, teams and organizations, but this is something that has helped me create a new environment at Oxford. We hope to continue the legacy of the OZONE by having underclassmen paint senior night with us, and hopefully pass the torch.”
According to senior Jackson Roy, Senior Night will mean more for the entire student section and community than just the athletes, spirit squads and band. It will celebrate both the seniors on the team and the class of 2020 as a whole.
“I feel like senior night will be a bitter-sweet moment knowing how we have changed the culture of the student section but it will be a little sad knowing that it might be our last home game,” Roy said.
Similarly, Fruge believes senior night will be emotional for him and the others as it has completely changed his high school experience.
“Senior night will be really hard,” Fruge said. “We don’t play, we don’t put in the time and effort for football like the team does, but we feel like we are part of the team. Senior night will be the end of our run as seniors having home games at Bobby Block, and it will bring back a lot of memories.”
For Wicker, the OZONE has a lasting impact on him.
“I will miss all the Friday nights screaming my lungs out for the Chargers,” Wicker said.
Roy also feels a connection to the OZONE and its effect on his high school career.
“OZONE means a lot to me but I think it also means a lot to everyone else in Oxford,” Roy said.
While their time as the OZONE has concluded, the seniors hope that their hard work does not die with their graduation.
“We are trying to pass the torch to the underclassmen so we can keep the tradition that we have worked so hard to build,” Wicker said. “Hopefully after we leave this school a group of kids will get together and paint their chest and cheer on the Chargers.”
With this home game against Hernando potentially being the last, the seniors reflect on their time and impact they have had on the student section and school spirit.
“I think we have changed the culture of the school,” Wicker said. “When I showed up as a freshman, there was little to no school spirit. We have impacted more sports teams than just the football team. We try to lead the student body in more ways than just the student section. Being seniors we are looked up to by the underclassmen so we try and be role models for the younger kids.”
Chargers are State Champs, Oxford wins first football state championship in school history (Nov./Dec. 2019 Issue)
Mississippi has a new 6A state champion, and for the first time in school history, it is the OHS football team. OHS beat the two-time state-runner up Oak Grove 31-21 in Hattiesburg on Dec. 6.
“Our team feels a tremendous sense of pride in bringing the first state championship to our football program,” head coach Chris Cutcliffe said. “We are proud to honor the 49 teams who have come before us with this championship.”
Going into the game, the team had to both mentally and physically prepare for the Oak Grove Warriors, who had a home field advantage.
“Leading up to the game I was nervous,” senior running back K.J. Wadley said. “I knew the whole state was watching.”
From a coaching standpoint, Cutcliffe had to reassure his team.
“We talked about freedom from failure. I reminded our team that when you’ve prepared well, there is no reason to fear failure,” Cutcliffe said. “I told them they had earned the right to play with confidence.”
With the pressure of the state championship on the line, Oxford’s first half was rough. Despite being the first on the board, Oxford was down 21-3 at halftime.
“The first half was hard for us, but we knew we always had a shot no matter what,” senior quarterback John Meagher said.
With an 18 point deficit, the Chargers had to find a new way to score points, and that is where Wadley came in.
“In the first half, I kind of got down on myself, kind of got a little upset that I wasn’t in, but I stayed focused and locked in because I never knew when my name would be called,” Wadley said. “After halftime, my name was called. I knew my team needed me to come through, and make big plays. A lot of people depended on me the second half.”
The first drive by the Chargers after halftime ended with a touchdown, and according to Wadley and Meagher, that is when they knew that they were back in to win.
“The second half felt like a completely different ball game,” Meagher said. “Everyone had kind of gotten over the feeling of being extremely amped up, and it felt like a completely new game. It was an incredible experience to see us come back like that.”
The Charger defense held Oak Grove from scoring in the second half, allowing the Oxford offense to make the 28 point comeback in the last two quarters. Wadley had four rushes for 64 yards. Meagher had a career high of 153 yard rushing and two touchdowns.
“I think the key to the second half was our ability to run the ball on offense and stop the run on defense,” Cutcliffe said.
With a final touchdown by Meagher, the Chargers became the MSHAA 6A champions. The students and fans rushed the field while the players began to celebrate.
“It felt unreal as we was celebrating,” Wadley said. “It was emotional, not only because we won the state championship, but it was the first one ever in Oxford school history, and it was also my last game as a high school football player.”
For Cutcliffe, who has played for the Chargers in a championship himself, the night was memorable.
“It was so great for me to watch our players celebrate,” Cutcliffe said. “Seeing the joy that this brought to them is something I’ll never forget.”
The game was a historic ending to the Chargers’ 50th season with 14-1 record.
“We’ve grown together and built bonds that are unbreakable, and that transitioned to the field every Friday night,” Wadley said. “We always fight for each other and together no matter what.”
The Chargers had not been in a state championship game since 2015 and this was the team’s fifth appearance overall. It was the first time for the Chargers to make it past the first round of playoffs as a 6A team.
“Our team had been counted out all year long. No one believed in us except for us, but we used that as motivation,” Meagher said. “The team came in everyday and worked their butts off. It took every one of us to get to where we did.”
Freeman family has legacy of athletes in Oxford programs (Jan. 2020)
Oxford is the home of many athletes and has had many families play for the Chargers. One family in particular is the Freeman family. Father Brad, senior Luke and sophomore Grace have all worn the Oxford jersey in some form or another.
“I spent my entirety of my high school career in athletics,” Brad said. “In the fall it was football, in the winter it was basketball, and spring it would be baseball. It had a huge effect on my life and how I grew up. I grew up in Oxford athletics.”
Brad, now an NFL referee, played sports for the majority of his childhood and was a highly scouted baseball player. He was drafted as an eighteen year old right out of high school for the MLB.
“It was a very tough decision. I mean I was eighteen. I thought the amount of money offered was like the most amount of money in the world. Looking back it wasn’t even that much but it was a dream of mine to play in the minors and eventually in the majors,” Brad said.
The “tough decision” ultimately lead Brad to his commitment to Mississippi State University to play baseball.
“Weighing all the options, it was the best decision I made to go to Mississippi State,” Brad said. “We went to two college world series and I was a part of a great baseball team.”
Despite their father being an all star baseball player at Oxford, both Luke and Grace have been starting players for the Oxford soccer teams, with Grace playing since eighth grade.
“[Brad] told me a bunch of stories about how he played varsity in eighth grade and I played soccer in eighth grade,” Grace said.
With the different sports, Brad says there is not necessarily a parallel in that sense. However, he sees similarities in their work ethic.
“What I do see is that they are both very good athletes, extremely fast and athletic and play with great effort. And that is something I tried to do at Oxford High,” Brad said.
Going into his senior year, Luke decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and try out for the high school baseball team.
“Playing baseball this year means a lot to me but a lot more to my dad,” Luke said. “I kind of tried out just for fun but when I made it, my dad was so excited.”
According to Brad, sharing the experience of playing baseball in high school creates a full circle.
“Luke has never really been a baseball player, he tried it when he was little and when he told me he was going to go out for it this year, I told him like I’ve told him for everything he’s done if you want to do it, go out and do your best and give it your best effort,” Brad said. “I am looking forward to seeing him stealing several bases and breaking the base stealing record.”
With his father as an alumnus, Luke has heard many stories about Brad’s time at OHS.
“Those stories have shaped me by giving me examples of what to do and what not to do,” Luke said.
Similarly, Tatum Freeman played collegiate soccer at West Viriginia. But despite their parents being athletes, Tatum and Brad allowed their kids to decide their interests and their sports avenues.
“My family never put pressure on me to play sports,” Grace said. “They were really big on letting me decide my own future.”
According to Brad, one thing he hopes his kids learn is that sports don’t always have the outcome you expect.
“I hope my kids learn is that just because things don’t go the way you think they will on the field but you continue to try and give your best effort,” Brad said.