STARKVILLE, Miss. — Calhoun City relied on its trademark defense and a steady running game on a rainy night to hold off Simmons 14-8 and claim the MHSAA Class 1A state championship Friday at Mississippi State’s Davis Wade Stadium.
It marked the Wildcats’ third state title overall and first since 2016.
“The weather played a role but both teams had to play in it, so we did a good job of executing and coming out with a victory. We had to win the battle in the trenches and were able to move the ball in the run game,” Calhoun City head coach M.D. Jennings said. “It’s a great feeling. This group of kids worked their tails off and the hard work paid off so I’m extremely proud of the kids and the community.”
Simmons struck first when Damien Gibson intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown. A successful two-point conversion gave the Blue Devils an 8-0 lead with 7:43 left in the first quarter.
Calhoun City answered on a 6-yard touchdown run by Demarious Pittman and another two-point conversion to tie the score at 8-8 with 2:27 remaining in the opening period.
The score remained deadlocked until Xavian Pittman broke free for a 33-yard touchdown run with eight seconds left in the third quarter, breaking a pair of tackles on his way to the end zone and giving the Wildcats a 14-8 advantage.
Pittman rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on nine carries to lead Calhoun City (13-1) and was named the game’s most valuable player.
“Just had to go beast mode and they couldn’t stop me on the touchdown run,” Pittman said. “The linebackers did a great job of making plays It’s a blessing and a dream I’ve had since I was a freshman and it came true.”
Simmons drove into Calhoun City territory twice in the fourth quarter but turned the ball over on downs both times.
“The defense did an outstanding job. Simmons had some short field at times but our guys did a great job of not panicking and stepped up and made plays” Jennings said. “It’s a great feeling to bring state title back home and exciting for these kids.”
The Blue Devils managed just 97 yards of total offense.
“We kept kicking ourselves in the foot with penalties, turnovers, and getting behind the chains,” Simmons coach Jarvis Williams said. “Defense played tremendously, but offensively we couldn’t capitalize on some big plays. We had a lot of success in my first year as head coach but I promise we will be back.”
