One more win.
A month ago, the Columbus High School football team was in search of one win to get its season back on track.
Despite the ups and downs Randal Montgomery has encountered in his first season as head coach at the school, Columbus’ three-game winning streak has put it on the verge of clinching a postseason berth. To accomplish that goal on its own, Columbus will have to beat Warren Central at 7 tonight in the Class 6A, Region 2 regular-season finale for both teams.
“I like our chances,” Montgomery said. “Our kids are confident. We have good weeks of practice, and I don’t see why it will be any different this week. They understand what is on the line for us. As a coach and as a player, what better way do you want it than to have something to play for?”
A win would give Columbus (4-6, 3-3 region) the tiebreaker against Warren Central (8-2, 4-2) and lift it to third in the region. That would mean the Falcons would have to go on the road for a first-round Class 6A North State playoff game, but to come so far in a short amount of time is a sign of significant progress.
Columbus still could secure a playoff berth with a loss, but it gets more complicated. A win by Madison Central, which plays at Greenville, and a loss by Northwest Rankin, which plays host to Murrah, would give Columbus the No. 4 seed based on its victory against Madison Central. A win by Northwest Rankin and a loss by Madison Central would give Northwest Rankin the No. 4 seed based on its regular-season victory against Columbus.
If all three teams finish 3-4 in the region, it would come down to point differential.
Montgomery has avoided talking about all the scenarios and what ifs with his team. The former Hazlehurst coach has stuck with a message that has remained the same ever since his team started the season 1-6: Get better every week, take care of the football, and believe in what you’re doing. That approach has the Falcons one win from returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence.
“Based on the way we started, nobody would have ever thought we would have an opportunity to be where we are now and playing for a playoff spot,” Montgomery said. “It is big for us. Our kids could have mailed it in a long time ago, and they chose not to.”
Columbus is coming off a 42-12 victory against Murrah last week, while Warren Central broke out to a 17-0 lead on top-ranked Starkville before falling 27-17. Montgomery knows his team will face one of his toughest tests to date, but he isn’t worried because his players haven’t “wavered” after close calls went against them or self-inflicted mistakes played big roles in losses.
“Some kids would have mailed it in and packed it up for the year, especially when you consider how things have gone here in the past,” Montgomery said. “They could have easily said, ‘Oh well. Here we go again.’ They didn’t do that. They kept coming to practice, they kept lifting weights, they kept watching film, they kept working haard, they kept showing up every day with a positive attitude, and I think that has translated into us playing a lot better. Hopefully, that will translate into us playing a lot better (tonight).”
Senior lineman Leon Payne wondered if the Falcons would get to this point. He credits a “dramatic turnaround” that has featured better practices and the players working together for making it happen.
“I had a feeling it was going to happen, but it is surprising,” Payne said. “I want to take as much advantage of it as I can and take it as far as I can.”
Sophomore running back Kylin Hill wants to extend the season, too, after a slow start that created some doubt.
“When the season first started, I didn’t really think we were going to get this far,” Hill said. “But my teammates and coaches, we all stayed on a good level, kept our head high, and believed. That is why we’re at where we are now.”
Hill said the spark came from all of the “doubters” who didn’t believe Columbus was capable of getting to this point. He said he heard the doubters in school and in town. He said he did his best not to make a big deal about it because he and the Falcons had to do their talking on the field.
“I just said, ‘You’ll see,’ ” Hill said. “That’s all I said.”
Montgomery recalls the first T-shirt he purchased the players epitomized his message. The shirt had “Finish” on the back of it, which means no one has won a game after one or two quarters. Montgomery said his players understand there is a next play after a good or a bad play, so it is imperative for them to re-focus and not get too high or too low. As a result, the Falcons’ confidence has soared after wins against Greenville Madison Central, and Murrah.
“The kids believe,” Montgomery said. “You win a couple ballgames and they say, ‘OK, coach is right. When we do take care of the ball and we execute, we have a chance to win ballgames, and that is what has happened for us in the last few weeks.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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