STARKVILLE — The top-ranked Starkville High School football team is down to a two-game regular season.
After clinching a playoff berth with a 31-6 victory against Murrah in a Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 2 matchup at Yellow Jacket Stadium, Starkville has narrowed its focus to finishing the regular season undefeated and nailing down the coveted home-field advantage in the playoffs.
“It is always about the next game, but we know we have two games left and we know how important those games are,” Starkville senior wide receiver Raphael Leonard said. “We haven’t played our best game yet, which is great when you know you have some really big games left.”
Starkville improved to 9-0 and 5-0 in region. Elsewhere in the region Friday night, Clinton upset Warren Central 14-13. That means Starkville and Clinton (8-1, 5-0) are tied for first place in the region, with Warren Central (8-1, 4-1) a game back. All three teams clinched playoff berths Friday night. The top two will play host to first-round playoff games Nov. 7. If the seeds hold in the playoffs, a potential meeting between the Region 1 champion (present leader South Panola) and the Region 2 leader would be hosted by the Region 2 champion.
“We are in the difficult part of the region schedule,” Starkville coach Jamie Mitchell said. “We know what the last two games hold for us. With Warren Central and Clinton, you are talking about two teams who have played very well this season. It’s good to be in the playoffs, and that means you have a chance (to win a state championship), but it is a much better position to be first (in the region), so we know we have a lot to play for the next two weeks.”
Starkville overcame an atypical sluggish start to put a serious dent into the playoff hopes of Murrah (6-4, 1-4). The Mustangs will have to win their final two region games if they want to have a chance to make the playoffs.
Starkville didn’t score on its first possession for the first time this season. The Yellow Jackets quickly made amends for that a possession later by driving 56 yards for a touchdown. Brady Davis hit A.J. Brown for a 44-yard touchdown.
Davis has thrown 27 touchdowns, with Brown joining Leonard for the team lead with nine touchdown catches.
Another bizarre twist took place in the second quarter. After shutting out four-straight region opponents, the Starkville defense proved it was human. The Mustangs drove 68 yards in a six-minute stretch. Starkville appeared to have another stop when a 28-yard field goal try by Fred Fleming was no good. However, a roughing the kicking penalty extended the drive.
Malik Dear then found the end zone on a 6-yard run that ended Starkville’s streak of scoreless quarters at 17. Maleke Bell blocked the extra point, though, which means Starkville still hasn’t been tied or has trailed in a game this season.
“I had told everybody all week how good Murrah was,” Mitchell said. “They have some explosive playmakers. We didn’t play our best, but, fortunately, we made enough plays to win.”
The tense moments didn’t last long, as Starkville scored twice in the space of 49 seconds to put the game away.
Junior Avery Brown, playing in place of injured starter Jacquez Horsley, capped a three-play, 48-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run. A 20-yard pass from Davis to Leonard set up the score.
Starkville then had another big play on defense. Willie Gay intercepted quarterback Stanton Brent in the flats and returned the pass 20 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-6 at halftime.
“The two touchdowns before the half were really huge,” Davis said. “We knew we had to keep the energy going. We always know the defense has our backs (on offense) and at any time they can make a big play. It was important to keep the momentum up in the second half.”
Starkville did just that, as Murrah didn’t reach the red zone again.
The Yellow Jackets put the game away with a 1-yard keeper by Davis and a 32-yard field goal by Michael Godley.
Starkville finished with 339 yards. Davis was 12 of 27 for 202 yards. Leonard had seven catches for 91 yards, while Brown had three catches for 82 yards. Matt Fuller rushed 20 times for 89 yards. Brown scored on his only carry.
Murrah was held to 233 yards of offense. It was the biggest output for a region opponent this season. Still, the Yellow Jackets aren’t worried. Instead, they are focused on the task at hand.
“We have two games left in the regular season,” Fuller said. “We are going to come back out to practice Monday and work to get better. We know how good we can be. We just have to go out and prove it.”
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