When the final seconds ticked off the clock at Falcon Field, several Columbus High School football coaches raised their fists in the air and several players poured onto the field to exchange hugs and high-fives.
No championships were won Friday night. Instead, Columbus earned an invitation to the second season.
For the second time in Randal Montgomery’s three seasons as head coach, Columbus is headed to the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) playoffs thanks to a 60-47 victory against Hernando in a Class 6A, Region 1 game on Senior Night.
“We can’t make up for the regular season, but we can make the most of our new season,” Columbus senior cornerback Derrick Beckom said. “The seniors didn’t want to go home. You saw what we can do when we play determined. It was about time.”
Columbus (6-5) will play at Madison Central (8-3-1) in the opening round of the playoffs Friday night. The Falcons had to beat the Tigers (9-3, 4-3) by more than seven points to make the playoffs. Winning by 11 or more points meant the No. 3 seed and a chance to avoid Clinton in the first round.
That is why Columbus built on a 54-47 lead by driving 67 yards on six plays in the final 90 seconds to account for the final margin.
“The coaches drilled in us that we had to win by 11 or more points,” Columbus junior wide receiver Michael McCloud said. “We really didn’t pay attention to anything else.
“The offense is playing great. This is the most fun I have had playing football. We played with so much emotion and passion. That was the difference.”
Montgomery saw that emotion and passion to start the season. As the down-to-the-wire losses kept mounting, that enthusiasm waned. Columbus could have helped its playoff cause last week but it looked lifeless in a 6-0 loss to South Panola.
The Falcons looked anything but lifeless against the Tigers.
“That’s what happens when you have your backs against the wall,” Montgomery said. “I love this team. They have played hard every game this season. Tonight, we played with that passion. We made the game fun. It was the attitude we started the season with. We lost it somewhere along the way. When we play with passion like this, we can compete with anybody in the state.”
Before the game, Columbus recognized 21 senior football players Mississippi State commitment Kylin Hill sensed a different attitude in the locker room.
“When we got here today, I could tell it was going to be different,” Hill said. “We just didn’t want it to end, not at home, not in the regular season. I think we just let it all go. We played hard, competed, did a lot of things right. It feels good to be back in the playoffs.”
Hill had 22 carries for 229 yards and four touchdowns. It was his fourth 200-plus yard game this season. Fellow senior C.J. Gholar threw for 169 yards, rushed for 83 yards and scored four touchdowns — two by rush and two by pass. Senior Kendre Conner had a rushing touchdown.
Gholar hit McCloud, who had five catches for 106 yards, for two scores. Senior Amos Mayfield also had four catches for 33 yards.
Columbus finished with 601 yards.
“We just didn’t want to go home,” Gholar said. “When you play your last game at home, you have to leave everything on the field. I am really proud of the guys. We had some times this year where things didn’t go our way, but we kept battling. We knew the challenge tonight and what we had to do. I am pretty happy that we got it done.
“Making the playoffs in each of my last two seasons is special.”
Leading 34-27, Columbus had its biggest takeaway of the season when Beckom stripped Kylen Ware and Montrez Williams recovered midway through the third quarter. The Falcons scored four plays later to build a two-score lead.
There were other times when the home team wasn’t as fortunate.
Hernando hit a fourth-and-15 for a 39-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 20. Later, back-to-back pass interference calls extended a drive and led to a touchdown that helped Hernando cut the deficit to 47-40.
However, the positives far outweighed the negatives. Hill was dominant. Gholar and McCloud continue to be a special connection. Junior Patrick Jackson continues to excel as he gets more carries.
While Hernando gained 456 yards, several seniors stood out on defense. Tyrell Hudgins, Chris Blair, Patrick Weatherspoon, and Tahj Sykes had memorable final regular-season games.
“The whole regular season doesn’t really matter now,” Hill said. “We just couldn’t miss the playoffs. That would have been a low point. We would have been devastated for it to end that way. Now, it’s a new season and anything is possible. We have as good a shot as any of the other teams.”
Montgomery delivered the same message. While the 47 points allowed would be cause for concern, the desire on this night was to celebrate. It was time to exhale.
“It’s a big sigh of relief,” Montgomery said. “We have fought uphill for the last two-thirds of the season. Now, we start over at 0-0. I think the kids will be excited about this opportunity.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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