STARKVILLE — The Starkville Academy football team was just waiting for the first quarter to end Friday night.
Washington School ran all over Starkville Academy in the first 12 minutes, scoring three rushing touchdowns to build a 21-0 lead. Last week, the Volunteers fell behind Lamar 3-0 in the first quarter and trailed 10-0 at halftime on the way to a 31-13 defeat, the first of the season.
The Volunteers could have let things snowball out of control and allowed history to repeat itself, but Starkville Academy settled down in the next three quarters and scored 31 unanswered points to take a 31-21 victory.
“Our whole motto is ‘Whatever it takes,’ ” Starkville Academy senior wide receiver/defensive back Parker Guest said. “After the first quarter, we came out strong and we got after it. We played better than we’ve ever played. That was the funnest time of my life. I had so much fun.”
Starkville Academy first year varsity coach Chase Nicholson told his team after the game he was almost speechless — almost being the key word. He went on to give his team an inspired speech that ended with him almost losing his voice and his players rallying around him. He also said it was the “most fun” he had ever had, and it was easy to see as players were hugging each other after the victory.
Nicholson had an inkling of what his team was all about, but the performance cemented that idea.
“I know they will not quit on this coaching staff. They won’t quit on each other,” Nicholson said. “We’re too close, we’re too tight, we’re a brotherhood, and we’re a family.
“It was a gut-check moment last week in the first quarter for them and they came back and did what I know they’re capable of doing, fighting until the end.”
Nicholson bragged about his senior captains earlier in the week, and he leaned on them throughout the game to make sure the underclassmen didn’t hang their heads.
The seniors brought the Volunteers (4-1) back. Quarterback Houston Clark passed for 114 yards and threw two touchdowns. Running back Grant Wolfe rushed for 110 yards on 18 carries, while wide receiver Colt Chrestman had two catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. Guest caught two passes for 36 yards. He also had an interception midway through the fourth quarter that all but ended the Generals’ comeback hopes.
Guest said he knew the comeback was going to be tough, but nobody hung their head in the first quarter.
“I was so hyped on the sideline. We were going crazy,” Guest said. “It wasn’t just us, the underclassmen were in on it to. We all took a big step and led the whole team together.”
Starkville Academy had 264 yards to Washington’s 333.
Washington (2-2) scored on its first three possessions. Starkville Academy looked lost on offense and defense, but it showed signs of life near the end of the first quarter. The Volunteers began to drive the ball down field late in the first quarter, but faced a third-and-18 from the Washington 46-yard line early in the second quarter. Clark bought himself some time and found Chrestman for a 43-yard pass that set the Volunteers up with a first-and-goal. Clark scored on a 3-yard run to cut the lead to 21-7.
“That was huge. We needed that play big time,” Clark said. “We hadn’t had any shots down field. We tried to take some, but we couldn’t get anything going down field. That was huge for us to create some momentum and get some points on the board.”
Clark hit senior Hayden Henderson for a 7-yard touchdown with 27 seconds remaining in the first half to cut the lead to 21-14.
There were no points scored in the third quarter, but Starkville Academy scored 17 in the final quarter to seal the victory. Sam Cox made a 32-yard field goal to cut the lead to 24-17. Clark found Chrestman for a 34-yard touchdown as the Volunteers took the lead for the first time and for good at 24-21. Wolfe capped things off with a 53-yard rushing score with 8 minutes, 13 seconds remaining.
“I’m just proud for the guys,” Nicholson said. “It’s a great win for the guys, it’s a great win for Starkville Academy and our coaching staff.”
Washington’s Ashton Scott laid motionless on his stomach for about 20 minutes late in the second quarter. An ambulance had to be called and he was rushed to the hospital, but he only suffered a concussion and had no neurological damage or paralysis. The Volunteers gathered as a team and said a prayer for Scott as trainers looked after him before the ambulance arrived.
Starkville Academy will play next week at Heritage Academy.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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