STARKVILLE — Ricky Woods hasn’t thought about last season’s success since Christmas.
In his first year as head coach at the school, Woods guided the Starkville High School football team past Petal High for the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A State championship. It was his eighth state title.
After losing to Noxubee County High in the opener, Starkville didn’t fall again and finished 14-1. The Yellow Jackets used their accomplishments as motivation in the offseason. At 5 p.m. today, Starkville hopes to put those lessons to use when it starts practice for the 2016 season.
“That was last year. It’s done,” said Woods, whose team will play at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12, in a jamboree at Brandon High. It will play host to Noxubee County at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, to open the season. “It’s over. You’re trying to win another game. Nobody’s worried about last year.”
Woods won state championships at Ackerman High in 1997 and 2001. He won four-straight titles at South Panola High (2003-06) and won a title at Peabody (Tenn.) High in 2014 before coming to Starkville.
Woods said the title helped in the offseason and some momentum should carry over, but he said it won’t be easy.
“It puts a little pressure on our senior class to win it. It’s hard to do. Winning a state championship is hard,” Woods said.
But the seniors are ready for the challenge. As senior linebacker Willie Gay thinks about that state championship, he remembers the reactions of seniors A.J. Brown, Lorenzo Dantzler, Kobe Jones, Maleke Bell, and Montario Montgomery. When the final horn sounded, Montgomery ran all over the field at Ole Miss’ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. As a first-year starter at quarterback, Montgomery wanted to prove himself and show he could lead a team.
For Ole Miss commit Gay, he doesn’t have a lot to prove, but he wants to experience the same feeling.
“What we say, ‘We didn’t win that. The seniors won it,’ ” Gay said. “We’re going to go win ours now. That’s our goal.
“It’s big, winning your last game and going out No. 1. It’s the best. It would hurt, putting so much in.”
Gay, who had 84 tackles (17 for loss) and six sacks last season, will have a bigger leadership role. Gay and senior defensive lineman Nelson Jordan will be responsible for making sure the defense lives up to expectations.
“We know we have to keep working hard after losing some players,” Gay said. “We know we have to work hard each and every day, no days off. The leaders have to step up right now.”
A year ago, Woods inherited a program from coach Jamie Mitchell that was well stocked with talent. This season, the Yellow Jackets face some questions. At the top of the list, Starkville will have to replace Montgomery and find a go-to wide receiver to replace Brown.
Nothing was settled in spring and summer workouts.
“I really don’t know who they’re going to be,” Woods said. “It could change as the course of the year goes on because it’s a lot of close spots. It’s a long season, so who starts the first game will have to hold their spot because there are going to be some guys nipping at their heels. That’s how you get good practices.”
But Woods feels confident and says he has players who are easy to coach and who have adapted to the changes.
One thing won’t change, though. Woods doesn’t plan to dwell on what Starkville accomplished last season. He already is focused on Noxubee County.
“You just want to win every game,” Woods said.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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