STARKVILLE — A.J. Brown expected a victory Saturday.
As one of the leaders for the Mississippi team against Alabama in the 29th-annual All-Star Football Classic, the Starkville High School senior wide receiver knew his team had talented players and the right recipe for a victory. But the early practices didn’t indicate a win was going to happen.
“It was kind of rough with the practices and stuff,” Brown said. “We weren’t really just confident like that, but we progressed. It showed in the game because they couldn’t stop us, we just stopped ourselves.”
Brown earned co-MVP honors with Oxford High wide receiver D.K. Metcalf for helping Mississippi beat Alabama 28-21 on Saturday at Southern Mississippi’s M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg. It was the first time the event was held in the Magnolia State.
Brown caught nine passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns to help Mississippi snap a seven-game losing streak in the series. For his efforts, Brown is The Dispatch Prep Player of the Week. It is the second time he has won the honor this school year.
Two weeks ago, Brown helped Starkville win the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A State championship. He finished his senior campaign with a single-season school record 83 catches for 1,371 yards and 13 touchdowns.
In the Mississippi-Alabama game, both of Brown’s touchdowns came from Laurel High quarterback Keon Howard. His first, a 35-yarder, came with 36 seconds remaining in the opening quarter to tie the game at 14. His second, a 17-yarder, came with no time left on the clock in the third quarter to give Mississippi a 21-14 lead, its first of the game.
Brown said he was on the same page with Howard the entire week.
“I felt comfortable with Keon the whole week because I knew what type of quarterback he was,” Brown said.
Being a part of the team that snapped the losing streak is special to Brown.
“It was a big deal for me and the guys,” Brown said. “We had been talking about it all week that we’ve got to bring it back. The game was played in Mississippi, so let’s keep this trophy here in Mississippi. It meant a lot.
“We knew we had the talent, it was just coming together in the week, coming together with each other.”
Starkville High first-year head coach Ricky Woods wasn’t surprised by how well Brown played in the matchup of some of the top players in Mississippi and Alabama. He also wasn’t surprised by how Brown handled himself and represented the program and the city of Starkville with class.
“That was great,” Woods said. “I was really, really proud of him. He did a great job and represented us well.”
Brown wasn’t the only Jacket to participate. Fellow Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen selection defensive lineman Kobe Jones also represented Starkville. Woods was proud of Jones’ effort and said Starkville was represented well.
While some players use the game as exposure to help them close a deal with a college, Brown already is on the radar of big-time colleges. He has 11 offers, including Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Alabama. He put recruiting aside during the season to focus on winning a state championship, but last week he dove back into recruiting.
“It’s been recruiting non-stop,” Brown said. “I finally had to realize I’m only going to have three visits because of the Under Armour All-American game. I’m going to have to take all three visits in January back-to-back-to-back.”
Brown said he hopes to announce his official visits Saturday. He doesn’t expect to give a verbal commitment to a school, and said he will announce his decision on Feb. 3, National Signing Day. He said he doesn’t really know which school is best for him and isn’t close to a decision.
“At one point in time I’ll be feeling a school and then the next week I’ll be feeling somebody else,” Brown said. “It’s a crazy feeling. I don’t want to choose the wrong school. It is kind of hard. I just pray about it.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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