Jeff Terrill is having a good time.
After some minor health issues last season, Terrill is back in the full swing of things. He will lead Starkville Academy in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II state championship game Saturday against Oak Forest (La.) Academy.
“This is what you play for and coach for, to play in championship games,” Terrill said. “What I like is how an entire campus gets excited. Students, teachers, alumni, everybody is all in it together. It is a special feeling.”
Terrill was one of the many coaches in this state who had the label “junior college lifer.” His coaching career included a lengthy stint as an assistant at Hinds Community College and another lengthy stint as head coach at Itawamba C.C.
Success followed at both stops. After all, Terrell has never known anything else.
After spending too many nights recruiting and watching game film, Terrell decided to step away from the junior college game after the 2008 season. The Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges were beginning to toy with the idea of eliminating recruiting districts, which would mean even more miles spent traveling the back roads of Mississippi looking for talent to fill a 55-man roster on an annual basis.
An opportunity to be closer to his wife’s family made Starkville the destination point for retirement. While relocating, the opportunity to coach at Starkville Academy fell at his doorstep.
“It was something I had not given much thought to,” Terrill said. “What I have learned in my five years is how great the MAIS is. We have some really talented players in this league. We also have some talented coaches. A lot of these coaches have coached on all types of different levels and had success at most stops.”
Terrill learned he would have to continue to recruit. However, the recruitment at Starkville Academy consisted of getting players at the school interested in playing football.
The 2009 Volunteers were winless. Quite simply, there was nowhere to go but up.
In 2010, Starkville Academy finished with three wins and came close to a few others.
“You have to teach a mind-set,” Terrill said. “You have to set an expectation level. It is hard when most of the kids you are inheriting did not have a win the season before. You are teaching abstract things because they do not know the concept of success. Once you win some games, it changes things dramatically.
“Suddenly, you have positive reinforcement. You understand what you are doing is working and if you continue to do that and work even harder at it, you can have even more success.”
The big jump took place a year later. With a senior-dominated starting lineup on both sides of the ball, Starkville Academy won 10 games and advanced to the MAIS Class AAA, Division II state championship for the first time since 2005.
It lost to Greenville Washington School 20-0. However, Starkville Academy had re-established itself as one of the premier Class AAA programs in the state.
The Volunteers then had to do a total rebuild. For the smaller schools in Class AAA, it isn’t uncommon for the program to be built from scratch every two or three years.
Terrill had a huge asset in his second project. This time, Starkville Academy could draw from recent success. The junior high players were in the stands when the varsity team competed for the state championship.
“It was a very long road to get here but has been worth it,” Starkville Academy senior Jonathon Black said. “With 17 seniors, we have worked hard to get to this game. There have been some ups and downs, but we always stayed with the system. We knew the end result that we were capable of producing.”
While the 2012 and 2013 Volunteers struggled through losing seasons, Terrill was the constant. His fiery demeanor and passion for the game helped players play above their capabilities.
Starkville Academy lost in the semifinals of the playoffs in 2012 and failed to make the playoffs in 2013. Still, there was a high level of confidence in the preseason.
“From day one, this team has worked hard,” Terrill said. “With so many seniors, they knew this was their last chance. We had some key injuries last year and really struggled at the end. When the season ended, there was a renewed dedication.”
The renewed dedication carried Starkville Academy to an 11-1 record and a brief stint as the state’s top-ranked academy in The Associated Press rankings. Starkville Academy snapped a two-game losing streak to Heritage Academy and beat Jackson Academy for the first time.
When the horn sounds Saturday, the Volunteers will have to go through another major turnover. Terrell hasn’t said if he has the energy to return for a third rebuilding project. He said any type of decision about his future would be best made after some time off to reflect and after the holidays.
Instead of focusing on his future, Terrill will try to get Starkville Academy ready to play Oak Forest Academy (La.) (12-1) so it can make what has been a really good season into a great one.
Scott Walters is a sports writer for The Dispatch. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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