GREENVILLE — Starkville High School football coach Jamie Mitchell is glad the longest trip for his football team is over.
Starkville’s defense was dominant Friday night in a 39-6 victory against Greenville-Weston in a Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 2 game.
Starkville’s defense, without a injured linebacker Taylor Johnston after he broke his hand late in the week in practice, didn’t allow the Hornets’ speed to become a factor. After the Hornets had a 59-yard run to open the game, the Yellow Jackets allowed just 125 yards in the final 59 minutes.
“I thought we did a great job of playing the brand of defense we should be known for at Starkville High,” Mitchell said. “You’re obviously playing a team that is struggling to find any chemistry on both sides of the ball, and, honestly, it can be hard to get the kids excited for a week like this. I’m just glad it’s over.”
n West Lauderdale 27, Caledonia 20: At Caledonia, Tyler Lantz’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Thompson with 24.9 seconds remaining lifted the Knights (6-2, 2-0 Class 4A, Region 4) to their victory against the Confederates.
Caledonia (2-6, 0-2) had a chance to tie the game in the waning seconds as it drove to the West Lauderdale 43-yard line. Backup quarterback Garrett Taylor, who was in the game for an injured Ben Marchbanks, connected with Quavis Betts on a 20-yard pass with no time left on the clock. The officials put one second back on the clock, which gave Caledonia a chance to tie or to win the game. But an interception at the goal line kept the Confederates winless in the region.
Marchbanks scored on a 3-yard run, and Betts added a 2-yard run. James Longmire kicked field goals of 25 and 26 yards to account for the Confederates’ scoring.
n East Oktibbeha 20, West Oktibbeha 18: At Maben, the Titans picked up their first win of the season and snapped a six-game series losing streak against the county rival Timberwolves.
East Oktibbeha quarterback Justin Williams had a stellar night running the ball. Williams carried the ball 30 times for 325 yards and scored all three of East Oktibbeha’s touchdowns.
n Northwest Rankin 13, Columbus 6: At Flowood, the Falcons had a difficult night finding the end zone in this crushing MHSAA Class 6A, Region 2 defeat.
Columbus (3-4, 1-2 Class 6A, Region 2) had more than 350 yards of total offense but were greatly plagued by five turnovers. The last turnover came when quarterback Trace Lee fumbled trying to break the plane of the end zone in the closing minute of regulation time.
Northwest Rankin (2-5, 1-2 Class 6A, Region 2) scored twice in the first quarter and made that stand up. The Cougars managed only 58 yards of total offense but did enough to snap a four-game losing streak and win Homecoming.
Columbus broke up the shut out with Lee hitting Alex Lipscomb on a 31-yard touchdown pass with 3:47 left in the game. The Falcons actually had two more shots at tying the contest but each resulted in a turnover.
n Oak Hill Academy 14, Indianola Academy 7: At West Point, Drake Riley picked off an Indianola Academy pass in the fourth quarter to set up a touchdown for his brother, Drew, as Raiders handed the Colonels their first loss of the season, 14-7.
Drew Riley had two touchdown runs in the game. Drake Riley’s interception came with with six minutes left and the game tied. Drake Riley sniffed out a screen pass and returned it for a score, though a holding penalty brought the ball back to the 18-yard line before his twin brother scored the go-ahead touchdown.
The Raiders (5-3) held the Colonels (7-1) to their lowest point total of the season. Entering Friday’s game, the Colonels averaged more than 35 points per game.
The Raiders forced four turnovers, including interceptions by Drake Riley and John Willis Stevens.
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