Choctaw County Recovers After The Loss of Moe Hardin

ACKERMAN, Miss. (WCBI) – In small communities, loss is felt by almost everyone.

That’s surely the case in Choctaw County.

Early this morning, Choctaw County High School Senior Moe Hardin passed away after complications following a liver transplant.

Emotions swept over Choctaw County High School, as students and faculty were informed early Tuesday morning about the passing of Senior, Moe Hardin.

“There’s a deep hole to fill in the school and in this community as a result of this,” said head football coach, Ben Ashley.

To understand what Hardin meant to the student body, we talked to some of those who knew him best, his teammates.

“He put a smile on my face every time we practiced, every time he was on the filed,” said senior teammate, Austin Telano. “It’s a sight to see when you get to play with such a great player like that.”

“He was a wonderful person, you know, always had a smile. He encouraged people to do better,” added senior teammate Jalen Esters.

In his senior season, Hardin lead his team in both sacks and tackles for loss.

“I never saw a person like him before. Defense? Amazing,” said Esters.

“He was by far one of the best lineman we’ve ever had come through this county, I believe, because he had so much heart and so much dedication to what he did,” said Telano.

From the time Hardin was hospitalized for his liver transplant to only a short time before he passed, head football coach Ben Ashley said Moe was still Moe.

“He never lost faith,” said Ashley. “When I got to go see him two or three times in the hospital, he always had this electric smile, and he could fill a room with it.”

Through Ashley’s near twenty year career as a coach, he’s made a point of giving a small speech to all of his players.

“One of the coolest things about football is it allows people’s paths to cross that might not otherwise get to, and I’m very thankful that I got to cross paths with Moe’s,” said Ashley.

For the Seniors, they say Hardin’s legacy will live on through the younger players he inspired.

“Everybody looked up to Moe, you know. Moe set a great example,” said Esters.

“He’s going to be in our heads all day and for the rest of the school year. I mean, we are never going to forget him. I think it’s going to be a lot more than ‘miss,'” said Telano.