The Callaway High offensive line has two Southeastern Conference prospects and one of the largest offensive fronts in Class 5A.
But after two quarters in its opening-round Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A North State playoff game at New Hope, the Chargers had 38 yards of offense against the Trojans’ mish mash of small, quick defensive linemen and beefier space-eaters.
The formula has stifled many of New Hope’s opponents this season in the program’s return to the playoffs after a three-year absence. And Callaway, despite a speed advantage and offensive tackles Javious Bardney and Mississippi State pledge Tommy Champion, was the latest to succumb to the Trojans’ slashing front.
New Hope forced five turnovers and safety Gavin Salter returned an interception 55 yards for a score in a 35-12 win Friday night.
The win propels New Hope (10-2) into a second-round matchup at Pearl High next week.
“We knew they were big up front, but we prepared the same way we have all year,” New Hope defensive tackle Tae-kion Reed said. “We believe in our coach (defensive coordinator John Polphus). We’ve believed in him since Day 1. We knew we could stop (Callaway).”
New Hope dropped Callaway for a loss on its first three plays from scrimmage. The Trojans forced two turnovers on the Chargers’ first five possessions. All five of the Trojans’ offensive possessions in the first half started inside Callaway’s half of the field, and four started from the 37-yard line or better, paving an easy road to a 28-0 halftime lead.
“It means so much for an offense when your defense can dominate and play with that kind of energy,” New Hope junior running back Brenton Spann said. “We feed off that when we go on the field.”
Callaway’s simplistic rushing attack also kept the game plan basic for New Hope. Armed with powers and dives, the reads were simple and the formations — mainly heavy sets with one split end — were limited. The lack of a passing attack — quarterback Elijah Rogers was 3 of 9 for 42 yards – also allowed New Hope to play aggressively up front.
“We thought we could slant a little bit and shoot the gaps, keep them off our linebackers and allow them to come over the top and make plays,” New Hope coach Kris Pickle said. “Those guys (Callaway) are big, and they lean on you after a while. Eventually they’re gonna pop one or two. It wasn’t anything special we tried to do but occupy some of those guys and make them block down, get them in one-on-one situations. Coach Polphus has done a tremendous job all year long.”
The Chargers’ heavy sets and three-running back attack was reminiscent of rival West Point’s attack, Pickle said.
“They run the power, kind of like what West Point tried to do: line up in an overload and kick out to the backside,” he said. “(The Chargers) weren’t real multiple on offense, and that made it a little bit easier as far as game planning on the defensive side.”
Despite his team’s success in the first half, Pickle knew the Chargers’ offensive line’s ability to “lean on you” and tire a defensive front would yield big plays. Callaway running back Carlos Ransburgh, who was held to 18 yards on 13 carries in the first half, had 85 yards on 11 carries in the second, including a 34-yard score in the fourth quarter to make it a two-score game.
New Hope’s offense had stalled in the second half, committing three turnovers and failing to get on the scoreboard.
But the Trojans’ defense eliminated any chance of a comeback by the Chargers with a key fourth-down stop. At the New Hope 30-yard line with five minutes remaining, the Chargers lined up heavy on fourth-and-3. Rogers bootlegged left and was dropped for a loss, despite a convoy of blockers ahead of him.
“We got caught early in the game on the naked boot — Callaway didn’t run any routes — but the quarterback kept it and our outside linebacker squeezed too far,” Pickle said. “The positive is the second time they ran it, our linebacker stayed at home and made the play. I don’t think we did anything special with the call. It was more our guys playing smart football and adjusting.”
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