CLINTON — The Starkville Academy defense was usually the unsung hero in this year’s turnaround.
“Defense wins championships,” Starkville Academy senior defensive lineman Angus Catchot said. “Coach Terrill always says offense puts people in the stands and the defense wins championships, and you see where we are.”
Starkville Academy had allowed 10.5 points per game entering its Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division 2 championship game against Washington School on Friday afternoon. That statistic stayed true, as the Volunteers’ defense only allowed 13 in a 20-0 loss.
Catchot had 51 tackles entering the game Friday and was the anchor of the defense. He doesn’t like to take credit for how the defense plays and believes it’s all teamwork.
“We came together as a team and we played hard,” Catchot said. “It’s not just one person who is leading the team. It’s everybody stepping up doing their job. The teamwork we have has really held us together all the way to the state championship game.”
Playing as a team is something the defense has lived by. It recorded 454 tackles before Friday with seven sacks and 69 tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Ryan Mann knows the importance of teamwork and defense.
“As a defensive unit we try to make every play,” Mann said. “When you play in big games you never know when a defensive stop will be the turning point.”
Entering the game, defense was the key. The Generals had only allowed 9.5 points per game all season, and the Volunteers’ plan was to attack the offensive line.
“Washington is a real physical team, and they are big up front and block well,” Mann said. “Our challenge was to respond to that on our side of the ball.”
The Volunteers had to respond all year, and the defense responded well.
“It’s not about how hard you get hit, it’s about how hard and fast you come back,” Catchot said. “We got knocked in the mouth, everybody does. It’s just how you respond to that.”
Defense can be the difference in a game and the Volunteers have shown that this year. Mann knows the offense feeds off of the defense.
“Football is a game of confidence,” Mann said. “When we go out and do our job and make stops it keeps the whole team energized.”
The Vols have come a long way from 0-11 two years ago. Catchot and his classmates on defense are leaving a blueprint for the next team.
“We won three games last year and the seniors laid the building block and the seniors this year turned the program around in the right direction,” Catchot said.
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