Charleston overcomes late push by Heidelberg to claim MHSAA Class 2A football championship

OXFORD – Charleston is the MHSAA Class 2A football champion.

Charleston defeated Heidelberg 26-22 on Friday at Ole Miss football's Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

There was plenty of scoring early, with the two teams combining for 40 points in the first half. However, the second half was more of chess match. Charleston (13-2) led 26-14, but Heidelberg (11-4) cut the lead to 26-22 early in the fourth quarter. Heidelberg then had the chance to take a late lead, but was stopped on fourth-and-4 in Charleston territory with 2:42 to play.

It's Charleston's second state championship, the first one coming in 2011.

MHSAA SCORES: Mississippi high school football playoff scores: MHSAA championship results

Offensive fireworks early

It’s difficult to remember the Heidelberg offense going three-and-out because of the scoring that ensued after it.

Charleston took its first drive of the game for a touchdown, then got the ball back again when Heidelberg muffed the kickoff. Charleston quarterback Devon Olive lofted a 14-yard pass to the back corner of the end zone, and wide receiver Deondre Riley beat his defender for the score. A pair of failed two-point conversions gave Charleston a 12-0 lead with 5:55 to play in the first quarter.

Twenty-one seconds later, Heidelberg got on the scoreboard when running back Chase Craft knifed up the middle for a 65-yard touchdown run.

Heidelberg gains first-half lead on crazy defensive touchdown

Heidelberg only led once and it came off of a mind-boggling touchdown.

Charleston had a first-and-goal at Heidelberg’s 1-yard line in the second quarter, looking primed to extend its lead back to two touchdowns.

Quarterback Latese Edwards took the snap and ran up the middle, but fumbled just before crossing the goal line. Heidelberg sophomore Alrekus Graves scooped up the ball and ran 99 yards the other direction for the touchdown.

Heidelberg defense keeps it in the game

Heidelberg entered the night allowing just 31 combined points over its last four games. It also only allowed more than 14 points in nine of its previous 10 games.

But that Heidelberg defense was no brick wall for Charleston — at least in the first half.

Charleston's offense moved up and down the field with ease, doing so with a complementary rushing and passing attack.

Sophomore quarterback Devon Olive was lights out in the first half, completing 10 of 11 pass attempts for 185 yards and three touchdowns. His only incompletion was a drop by senior wide receiver Deondre Riley, who had a step on his defender and might've scored a 66-yard touchdown had he caught the pass.

There was also a heavy dose of sophomore running back Marcus Flowers Jr, who ran for 122 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

But Heidelberg's defense rose to the occasion in the second half, keeping Charleston scoreless. Charleston recorded 409 yards of offense, but 295 of those came in the first half.

Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: MHSAA football championships: Charleston beats Heidelberg for 2A title