Veteran football coaches may downplay expectations for a standout player.
Columbus High School football coach Randal Montgomery goes the other way with senior cornerback/strong safety Derrick Beckom.
“He is our most underrated player,” Montgomery said. “Derrick is a hard worker. He is coachable and loves to play the game. I think he will emerge as one of the best players in the state this year. He is going to play himself into a good scholarship offer.”
Columbus High seniors Kylin Hill (Mississippi State) and Tahj Sykes (Southern Mississippi) have made verbal commitments. Montgomery feels it is just the beginning as his program takes shape in his third season.
Slightly undersized at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, Beckom should anchor the defense and is dreaming of the day college coaches start calling.
“I am looking forward (to being recruited),” Beckom said. “However, I know I have to have a great season for that to happen. We have a lot of good veteran guys. It’s up to us to pick up the young guys. All of the team goals come first, but I am very excited about working to earn a college scholarship.
“When you enter your senior season, you want to leave it all on the field. I love playing football, so it’s human nature to think about what’s next. We just have to play well as a team and individually. I have to be a leader.”
A year ago, Columbus burst onto the scene with an 8-4 record and a return to the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Defensive coordinator Micheal Kelly put together a unit that made great strides after some early season struggles.
Beckom had a team-best 73 tackles, including six for loss. Beckom had three interceptions, eight pass deflections, and caused two fumbles.
“He has a nose for the football,” Montgomery said. “Good instincts can help you become a great football player, especially on defense. Derrick is physical, fast, and really determined. He loves to play the game, but more importantly, he loves the effort it takes to play the game on a high level. He works hard in practice, the weight room and the team meeting room. He has made himself a great leader and a great player.”
Beckom has enjoyed the game since he started playing it in grade school. The process fascinates him. He feels the attention to detail is what will help Columbus re-write the school’s history book this season. The Falcons never have gone deeper than two rounds into the playoffs.
“The summer has been very good to us,” Beckom said. “As a team, we have worked harder than we ever have. Everybody has been in the weight room trying to get bigger, stronger, and faster. This team has really come a long way as far as being together as one. When coach Montgomery first got here, he preached family. There were some divisions at first, but now all of that is gone. Everybody is working hard together as a team. We believe in what we are doing.”
Beckom said the growth of the team a year ago was amazing. A come-from-behind region victory against DeSoto Central got things started. After that, a dominating defensive performance in a 33-9 win at Tupelo carried the confidence to an even higher level.
“Last year took us a while to get united as brothers,” Beckom said. “I really think the DeSoto Central win did it. That was big. That showed us the Columbus football team could compete. The win over Tupelo was a great because we dominated them and they were supposed to be one of the teams to beat in the region.”
Despite a breakout sophomore season, Columbus cornerback Devon King knows how much more growth can take place in his game. That is why he is happy to have another year playing alongside Beckom.
“Derrick has emerged as one of the leaders on defense,” King said. “It’s fun being out there with him every day. I just learn and learn more about playing defense and what it takes to be successful on a higher level. We have set some high goals on defense, and I know Derrick is going to make sure we reach those goals.”
Columbus won six of seven Class 6A, Region 1 games last season. The Falcons earned a first-round playoff game at home for the first time in program history. However, the year ended with a 56-42 loss to Clinton.
“Last year’s success was great,” Beckom said. “However, losing to Clinton really hurt. We should not have lost to them. That is the biggest motivation for this team. We are leaning how to finish. Last year, we didn’t finish. This year, you can tell in practice we are doing a better job of finishing.
“You win championships by making plays at the end of the games. I think that is the biggest challenge for this team. We have to learn how to finish. If we can do that, we can go a long way.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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