STARKVILLE — Houston Clark, Colt Chrestman, and Carter Wood recognized early on they were part of something special.
As members of a talented upcoming group of athletes, Clark, Chrestman, and Wood hoped their class could help reverse the fortunes of the Starkville Academy football team.
They had no idea the legacy they would create.
When their senior seasons ended in a 29-14 loss to Simpson Academy on Nov. 6, Clark, Chrestman, and Wood began to consider the parts they played in the transformation of a program.
The players had plenty of time over the holiday to consider their impacts. This week, those thoughts came full circle as they began preparations to play in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Senior All-Star game. The game features the best senior players from Eight-Man all the way up to Class AAAA.
“It is a great honor to be chosen to play in this game,” Clark said. “Ever since I came up as a freshman, that is what I have been looking forward to all of those years. I have been hoping and praying I would accomplish this and get a chance to play in the game.”
Heritage Academy’s Dylan Barker and Oak Hill Academy’s Heath Ford and Caleb Robertson will join Clark and Chrestman on the Blue team.
Wood will play on the White team with Hebron Christian’s Landon Hill.
Players reported to Trustmark Park in Pearl on Tuesday to begin preparations for the game. They will participate in a banquet Thursday night. The game will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Jackson Prep.
Clark said this season “flew by,” so he isn’t going to take one last chance to play for granted. Without any offers to play football yet, Clark isn’t sure if he will get an opportunity to play a sport in college. The chance to impress college coaches and to extend the legacy of Starkville Academy’s players will serve as motivation this weekend.
“We have raised the standard so much higher now,” Clark said. “Before coach (Jeff) Terrill came here, Starkville Academy football wasn’t that big of a deal. Once coach Terrill got here, the attitude of the football program and everybody changed. Once he got here, the standard was so much higher and they were tired of losing.”
It’s natural for Chrestman, who was Clark’s favorite receiving target, to agree with his quarterback. He said he and his classmates wanted to be the ones to help reverse the program’s fortunes. He takes pride in what he and his teammates have accomplished in restoring the luster to the program.
“I don’t consider we changed it. I think a team as a whole changed it,” Chrestman said. “Coach Terrill brought a different mind-set to the program and we continued it.
Starkville Academy coach Chase Nicholson said it is fitting Chrestman, Clark, and Wood will represent Starkville Academy because all three were great leaders and played integral roles in the resurgence of football at the school. Last season, Starkville Academy lost in the Class AAA, Division II title game. This season, Starkville Academy won 10 games and a district championship and advanced to the second round of the Class AAA playoffs.
“They came in at a time when the program was coming off the bottom,” Nicholson said. “The 2009 season was the rock bottom, 0-10. They came in to the junior high as we started to build up. In the eighth grade, they won a district championship. They won a district championship as a ninth-grade team. … They showed the future was bright and, most importantly, what it was like to win.”
Nicholson said Chrestman, Clark, and Wood didn’t help set the standard in a selfish manner. Instead, they played multiple positions and were willing to sacrifice individual accolades for team success. That mentality proved to be infectious, which is exactly what a coach hopes to get from his leaders. Chrestman, Clark, Wood, and Houston Massey served as captains this season.
“They are winners,” Nicholson said. “Those three guys epitomize what the team was like, the fun they had and the brotherhood they showed. They’re a huge, huge part of everything, especially with me as a first-year head coach I couldn’t have done it without those three — any of the guys — but those three are big time. That is why they have gotten this honor.”
Clark, the team’s quarterback, was 85 of 159 for 1,500 yards. He completed 53.5 percent of his passes, and had 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. He had 101 carries for 718 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Chrestman had 33 catches for 661 yards and nine touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores. He had 91 tackles (49 solo) and four interceptions. He also punted and had an average of 47 yards per kick.
Wood played on the offensive line and defensive line. He was a part of a rushing attack that gained nearly 2,400 yards for the season.
“He was a big anchor,” Nicholson said. “He was the man. Carter and Seth Watson were the ones we had to rely on.”
Wood said he has had time to reflect on the part he played in helping restore the pride in the football program. He said he also feels the Volunteers earned the respect of teams around the state who knew they would get a good game against them.
“It is a different feeling (around the school) than it was five or six years ago,” Wood said. “It is cool because all of our parents — the past generation, that is back when they had all of their success. A lot of them were part of the 1985 team that won. I feel like we let them know the school is still going strong and our football program is just as good as it was back then. It is warming to know we’re making our parents proud.”
Wood’s father played at Starkville High and was a part of the 1984 state title team.
All three of the players said they know there will be college scouts watching, so they hope to attract attention. In fact, all three promised assistant coach Bubba Davis that they would do their best to make an impression.
Nicholson will be there, too, along with plenty of his players to get a chance to be a part of one more game thanks to Chrestman, Clark, and Wood.
“It shows everybody involved what their dedication and hard work really gets you,” Nicholson said. “I am proud of them. I can’t stop grinning. I am so excited for them because they have earned it.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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