Starkville is the only town in America where the chant “We’re Number One!” is met with the question, “Can you be more specific?”
Two weeks ago, when Mississippi State ascended to the No. 1 ranking in both national polls — its highest ranking ever — the Bulldogs became the third Starkville-based team to enjoy top-ranked status this month.
Unbeaten Starkville High School has held the top spot in Mississippi’s Class 6-A rankings, the largest division in the state, since midseason, while 7-1 Starkville Academy held the No. 1 ranking among private schools for a week before losing a narrow decision at Madison-Ridgeland Academy on Oct. 3. The academy’s football team is currently ranked fourth, with designs on moving back up.
Suffice to say, the giant foam finger business is booming in Starkville these days.
“All I can tell you is that it’s great for the mayor,” says Starkville mayor Parker Wiseman, who was student body president at both Starkville High (1999) and MSU before moving on to law school at Ole Miss. “These days, the potholes are all a little smaller and the sun shines a little brighter.”
The cash registers are flying open with greater frequency, too, especially in response to MSU’s meteoric rise to the top of the college football world.
“It’s really crazy,” said Courtney Martin, who works at The Lodge, a store that sells MSU-related memorabilia and athletic attire. “Since they went to No. 1, we’ve probably had two or three trucks coming in every day and we’re selling a ton, mostly Hail State shirts or anything that says anything about being No. 1.”
It’s that way around town, too, says Wiseman.
“I’m usually terrible at predicting things like sales tax revenue,” Wiseman said. “But I’d have to believe that when we get the sales tax figures for this October, it’s going to show the effect of those first two weekends. They were something else, I can’t remember anything like it.”
Indeed, the Bulldogs packed expanded Davis Wade Stadium on successive Saturdays to begin the month, beating then sixth-ranked Texas A&M and second-ranked Auburn, games that attracted huge crowds hours before kickoff thanks to the presence of two national pregame shows, including ESPN’S College GameDay, which made its first trip to Starkville for the Auburn game.
Crowds came early for the pregame shows and stayed late to celebrate. A day after the win over Auburn, Mississippi State, which had climbed from unranked in the preseason to No. 3, passed defending national champion Florida State to assume the No. 1 ranking.
After an open date last week, the Bulldogs will play their first game as the nation’s top-ranked team Saturday afternoon at Kentucky.
Meanwhile, Starkville High School continues to roll. The 8-0 Yellow Jackets have shut out their last four opponents going into Friday’s home game against Jackson Murrah.
Starkville Academy is also rolling and seems to have suffered no ill effect from its disappointing 17-10 loss to Madison Ridgeland Academy. The Volunteers have rebounded with two straight wins as they prepare to host Heritage Academy Friday.
“I’d say this is probably the best team we’ve had that I can remember,” says Ron Hartness, who has served as Starkville Academy’s P.A. announcer for the past 37 years. “Of course, when you’re winning there’s always more excitement. Our crowds historically, have been very supportive. This year with renovations to the stadium and the success the team has had, there’s been a tremendous amount of enthusiasm.”
Wiseman said he still tries to attend high school games when his schedule allows.
“I’m immensely proud of what (Starkville High) is doing,” he says. “With two young children, we don’t get out to as many games as we would like, but I still follow them.”
The tension that is often commonly associated with public school-private schools, doesn’t seem to apply where the city’s two high schools are concerned, Harntess says.
“I think both schools and their fans are happy for the other school,” Hartness says. “With everybody doing so well, it’s created excitement everywhere around town. It’s a neat deal. This is something that’s pretty unique. Everybody is behind everybody.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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