OXFORD – A slow start proved to be no problem for the Oxford High Chargers. They were dominant once again.

The Chargers knocked off Clarksdale High, 53-13, clinching a playoff spot with the “W.”

The Chargers may have trailed at the end of the first quarter, but that did not last long. The Chargers woke up and scored 40 unanswered points.

“When we got down in the red zone, we weren’t clicking as well as we were in the open field,” Chargers senior quarterback Jack Abraham said. “Once we started getting a couple of plays under our belt, we kind of started clicking again, and that’s when we went on a roll.”

Said longtime OHS veteran coach Johnny Hill, “They hurt us early and drove it down our throat. Our defensive coaches did a really good job at making some adjustments, and I think they tired down just a little bit. We were able to stop them and keep moving the ball on offense.”

The Charger offense was well-rounded.

Abraham completed 12 of his 18 passes for 260 yards and threw three touchdowns.

Jimmy Greaser only had two receptions for 85 yards, but both of them were touchdowns. D.K. Metcalf, Zach Cousar, Barry Flowers and Hiram Wadlington combined for 183 receiving yards. Cousar received a 5-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter.

The Chargers had a total of 206 rushing yards, 117 of those yards came from Josh Patton. Patton had a 61-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. Wadlington carried the ball 12 times for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Metcalf scored the first rushing touchdown of his long career with a 7-yard rush late in the first half.

The OHS special teams played a key role in this game. Connell Yoste and Liam Cooper both hit field goals in the first quarter. The Chargers recovered their own onside kick on the opening kickoff. The Chargers also blocked two punts to give their offense two possessions starting in the red zone.

Defensively, the Chargers’ tackling leader was Jack Turner, who finished with nine. D.Q. Thomas finished with eight tackles. The Chargers forced zero turnovers in the contest.

At first, Clarksdale running back Davion Hill was breaking tackles and gaining good chunks of yardage. Eventually, the Chargers adjusted and kept Hill in check.

“It was more of a mental thing because we just picked up the pace and knew that we had to get it together,” defensive end Marcel Pegues said about his Charger defense.

Extra Points

Turning Point:

The Chargers trailed the Wildcats 7-6 early in the second quarter. The Wildcats were driving to extend their lead and were forced with a fourth-and-1. The Wildcats decided to go for it and got stuffed behind the first-down marker. The Chargers from that point on were not going to be denied. The Chargers scored 26 points in that second quarter and never looked back.

Playmaker:

Jimmy Greaser provided the spark that the Chargers needed in the second quarter. Greaser received touchdowns of 25 and 60 yards to make the score a two-possession game in the period.

Talking Point:

“Our guys have bowed up every week and met the challenge. They’re prepared and they come ready to play,” Hill said.

Notes:

• With this win, the Chargers have now won 20 straight division games

• Next week, the Chargers travel to Olive Branch to take on the Center Hill Mustangs.