Under bright sunshine and clear skies, a running back broke into the open field.
After about a 10-yard gain, a jarring sound could be heard as two players collided and the ball fell free.
Defensive players at Starkville High School then erupted with some loud yells as another big play had been made in a controlled practice setting.
Business as usual had returned to the Yellow Jackets program Wednesday. Starkville is putting together its 2015 roster while also preparing for a spring game at Davis Wade Stadium later this month.
Just twenty-four hours earlier, practice was a tad bit more somber as word was out that Jamie Mitchell had resigned after five seasons as the head football coach to take a similar position in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
In 2015, Starkville is expected to field one of the premier teams in Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A competition. Spring practice will bring the quarterback competition into clear focus. It is a major void left by the graduation of Brady Davis, who is headed to the University of Memphis. A.J. Brown does return and is considered by many the top wide receiver prospect in the state of Mississippi. Lorenzo Dantzler, a Louisiana Tech University commitment, is expected to anchor the Yellow Jackets’ defensive unit.
The person lucky enough to be chosen the next head coach at Starkville will not enter a rebuild. The expectation will be to win immediately. That is part of the reason why the departure of Mitchell caught many off-guard.
“It was a surprise,” Brown said. “We have been working hard for the upcoming season. We know the talent is there to have a really special team.”
This past national signing day, Mitchell was already planning for Brown’s signing ceremony the following year. It appears to be the type of event which will draw national media attention.
In five seasons at Starkville, Mitchell returned the program to the state’s elite. In 2011, Starkville lost the Class 5A state championship. A year later, the Yellow Jackets went back and won the same title. This past season Starkville finished 13-1 with a North State Class 6A championship game loss to eventual state champion South Panola.
While the team had success, the biggest strides came off the field. Starkville has 12 players sign letters of intent in February. The school now has a state of the art weight training/locker room facility. This past season, the Yellow Jackets debuted on a new artificial turf playing surface.
When asked about his team’s success, Mitchell would always take people and campus and show off all the upgrades.
The departure comes at a strange time but makes sense. Mitchell has 25 years in the State of Mississippi education system. Thus, he can draw retirement and a pay check from another institution in a different state.
North Little Rock has one of the premier programs in Arkansas’ largest classification, Class 7A. The move will be a good one. North Little Rock is getting quite the football coach.
The good news for Starkville too is that it’s program is in a good place. More than 60 players were taking part in Wednesday’s practice sessions. The intensity level was high, as was the talent level.
Brooks Oakley, Mitchell’s defensive coordinator the past five seasons, was leading the team through its workout Wednesday. It appears he will also guide the team through its spring game.
Incoming Starkville athletic director Milton Smith will most likely have a hand in the naming of the successor process. Smith, who played at Starkville High School, also has a state championship coaching pedigree as he won a Class 4A state title at Laurel.
Last season, Columbus High School had a very impressive list of candidates for at the time a less desirable job. Though playoff appearances and big win totals are still to come for the Falcons, Randal Montgomery has already made an immediate impact and has the program headed in the right direction.
Starkville should have a star-studded list of candidates for its opening. The school will need to move quickly because this a bad time of year to have a head coaching void.
From a personal standpoint, here is hoping Mitchell and his family the best in their move.
This past season, I had the good fortune of covering Starkville High home and road. Mitchell was the most genuine, honest and reliable persons ever met on this beat.
In a preseason interview, he offered me total access to the program. Granted, it’s easy when a program wins all the time. However, Mitchell backed his promise and met me more than halfway in any way needed to cover his team properly.
Quarterback Brady Davis said Mitchell had a love for his players and then he also taught his players to have a love for the game. Davis said Mitchell worked hard every day to make sure each player had what they needed in the game of football and the game of life as well.
Starkville will miss that personal touch. The Yellow Jackets will continue to win and continue to win big. The next coach will be very pleased with the working environment he finds on a day to day basis.
Here is hoping Mitchell also finds an enjoyable working environment. Here is hoping he finds another Davis, Raphael Leonard, Brown and Matt Fuller, too. Those things always help along the way.
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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