Chase Richardson’s love for football is evident by the grit and determination that he demonstrates on the gridiron each Friday night when the lights turn on.
As Thanksgiving approaches, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound quarterback has the undefeated Winona High School Tigers on the brink of playing for a Class 3A State Championship with a win in the North State title game this Friday night at home.
Individually, the senior standout’s play has caught the eyes of opposing coaches, who attempt to prepare for him and the rest of the Tigers’ explosive offense, along with college coaches, who can’t decide if they want to use him as a quarterback or a receiver. Needless to say, his talents haven’t gone unnoticed.
Richardson’s exceptional play on the field during the 2023 season earned him the Mr. Football Award for Class 3A earlier this month, which is presented to the top player in each classification by the Mississippi High School Activities Association.
“I’m very excited and honored to be named as Mr. Football for Class 3A,” Richardson said. “This is an award I couldn’t have been able to receive without the help of my teammates.”
Richardson started playing with the varsity team as a freshman during the fourth game of the season. He started under center in the North 3A title game that season when Winona lost a 50-7 decision to Noxubee County. As a sophomore, he played receiver and defensive back before being named the fulltime starting quarterback each of the last two seasons. In his four years of high school football, Winona is 44-6.
“I have worked hard and stayed committed to getting better each and every day,” Richardson said. “I have always been a humble player and just waited my turn, taking advantage of each opportunity I have been given.”
Through 13 games this season, Richardson is 114-of-195 for 1,878 yards and 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. On the ground, he has rushed 119 times for 1,094 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Tigers, which have a veteran team with 19 seniors this season.
“This group of seniors has been together since we were in junior high, losing just one game in three years,” Richardson said. “We are a close-knit group and have bonded together – great team, great teammates.”
Richardson looks to send the Tigers to the Class 3A State Championship at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Ole Miss with a win over Region 3 rival Amanda Elzy, a team that WHS beat 38-6 earlier this season. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Tiger Field in Winona. The winner of Friday’s contest faces the winner of the Jefferson County and Noxubee County.
“We need to come out focused and it starts at practice,” Richardson said Monday morning. “If we do our job, it will be OK.”
Tenth-year head coach Joey Tompkins, who is 94-33 as the head of the Tigers’ football program, said there are many factors that make Richardson the player he is.
“First off, he is very athletic,” Tompkins said. “He does everything easily – it comes to him naturally. Most importantly, he is such an outstanding young man. He is a smart student and he loves football. It’s easy to coach players like Chase.”
Currently, Richardson has three scholarship offers – all from community colleges. Those schools include Holmes, East Mississippi and Coahoma community colleges. He has also been selected to play in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Game
at Gulfport High School on
Dec. 16, as part of the North
All-Stars.
