By James Carskadon
Special to The Dispatch
STARKVILLE – Friday night’s game between Starkville Academy and Magnolia Heights had all the makings of a tense night of football. With an opportunity to knock off the No. 2 team in MAIS AAA, the pressure was on the Volunteers to prove they deserve to be considered among the top teams in AAA.
However, in the waning moments of SA’s 27-7 victory, none of that early tension remained as the clock ran out and the Volunteers celebrated their 5-0 start to the season. Starkville Academy defensive coordinator Brad Butler was particularly enjoying the moment.
“That’s the most fun I’ve had since I was out here playing,” Butler told his team during the post-game celebration.
Butler, who played for SA in the 1990s, had plenty of reasons to enjoy the latest in a string of dominant defensive performances. The Volunteer defense has only allowed double-digits in points to an opponent twice this season. Each of the last three games, the Vols have allowed one score or less.
Magnolia Heights (4-1) presented a formidable challenge for the SA defense. Going into Friday night, the Chiefs were averaging 41.5 points per game. But the Vols rose to the challenge, holding the Chiefs to seven points and a modest 253 yards of total offense. An early lapse by the Volunteer defense allowed a 63-yard touchdown run by Yates Pepper of Magnolia Heights, but the Vols did not allow the Chiefs into the red zone the rest of the night.
“Our kids really ran to the ball well,” Starkville Academy head coach Jeff Terrill said. “They tackled well. A big key on a team like Magnolia Heights is you’ve really got to fit well. You’ve got to get more than one hat in there. I thought, except for a play or two, our guys really fit well and played hard.”
Senior Josh Crittenden led the Volunteer defense with seven tackles, while Drew Harrell and Blake Slaughter had 5.5 and five tackles, respectively. Tony Hinton and Jonathan Black both registered four tackles and a sack.
The Volunteer front seven spent the night swarming to the ball, closing gaps and stopping many plays before they could get started. The Vols registered seven tackles for losses and two sacks. For Hinton, who provided pressure from the edge at defensive end, the key to SA’s success was the cohesion in the defensive unit.
“We just played collective football,” Hinton said. “We all did our assignments like we were supposed to do. They hit us hard at the beginning, but we didn’t let adversity beat us. We came back and hit hard, then we didn’t let them back in the endzone.”
Many of the same guys leading the defensive effort were also key contributors to the Volunteer rushing attack that piled up 415 yards. Junior Houston Clark led the Vols with 219 rushing yards.
Colt Chrestman was among the Volunteers contributing on both sides of the ball. His 80-yard run early in the second quarter set up the game-tying touchdown. The junior was also part of a secondary that held the Magnolia Heights passing attack in check. Even with many players going both ways, the Vols knew they would have the upper hand when it came to physicality and endurance in the second half.
“Going into that second half, we could tell they were tired,” Chrestman said. “We knew when they were bending over that we had it in the books.”
The Volunteer defense will now be counted upon to maintain its current level of play as SA moves ahead in the season. The Vols now sit in first place in their district heading into a three-game stretch of out-of-district play. SA will travel to Winston Academy next week and put their perfect record on the line again.
Friday night’s win adds even more expectations and excitement to what has been an outstanding season thus far for the Vols. With the defense averaging five points allowed over the last four games, visions of a state championship may start entering the minds of the Volunteers and their fans.
“We’re not going to get a big head,” Hinton said. “We’re just trying to go all the way. We want that ring at the end of the season.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.