HATTIESBURG — Tupelo’s Golden Wave washed away a 32-year championship drought.

Jaeden Hill rushed for 224 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught a touchdown pass as Tupelo beat Brandon 28-16 in the MHSAA Class 7A football championship game Thursday night at Southern Miss’ M.M. Roberts Stadium.

Tupelo (14-0) completed the school’s first undefeated season since 1945 and won its first football state title since 1992.

Brandon (12-2) reached the state championship game for the third time in four seasons, but has yet to win one. It has a 55-9 record during that span.

Tupelo got off to a fast start Thursday, with Hill scoring on a 6-yard run and then catching a 37-yard touchdown pass from Noah Gillon for a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Brandon got a field goal by Rhett Griffith and a blocked punt return in the third quarter to get back in it, and swapped touchdowns early in the fourth quarter to make it 21-16.

Hill broke a 32-yard touchdown run with 55 seconds left, however, to seal it for Tupelo.

Sladen Shack was 18-of-30 passing for 175 yards, and Jamaurion McQueen caught five passes for 94 yards for Brandon. Khalil Norwood had nine tackles and one sack.

Gillon was 7-for-13 passing for 87 yards and a touchdown for Tupelo, and also scored a rushing TD.

Class 3A
Choctaw County 34, Noxubee County 27
K.J. Cork threw two touchdown passes, and Jeramiah Miller rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown to lead Choctaw County ver Noxubee County in the MHSAA Class 3A football championship game on Thursday.

Choctaw County (13-1), which opened in 2013, won the first state title in school history.

Cork completed 17 of 25 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 70 yards on 12 carries.

Noxubee County (11-3) lost in the Class 3A championship game for the third consecutive season — all of them were decided by one score — and the fifth time in six years. Noxubee County won five state championships between 2008 and 2017.

The teams traded touchdowns for most of the game, but Choctaw County finally broke serve in the second half. Cork threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Ole Miss signee Caleb Cunningham midway through the third quarter, and Chevez Sellers scored on a 2-yard run with 10:53 left in the fourth to put the Chargers ahead 34-19.

Noxubee County answered with a 24-yard touchdown run by Ladarion Mosley and a two-point conversion to get back within one score, then got the ball back following an interception with four minutes left.

The Tigers got as far as Choctaw County’s 15-yard line before the do-or-die drive stalled, and they turned it over on downs with 1:52 remaining.

Mosley finished with 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and also caught two passes for 56 yards.

MHSAA championship game schedule
All games at Southern Miss
Thursday, Dec. 5
Class 3A – Choctaw County 34, Noxubee County 27
Class 7A – Tupelo 28, Brandon 16

Friday, Dec. 6
Class 1A – Baldwyn (13-1) vs. Simmons (13-0), 4 p.m.
Class 5A – West Point (10-3) vs. Gautier (12-1), 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 7
Class 2A – Charleston (12-2) vs. Heidelberg (13-1), Noon
Class 4A – Louisville (13-1) vs. Poplarville (12-2), 3:30 p.m.
Class 6A – Grenada (13-1) vs. Hattiesburg (13-0), 7 p.m.