STARKVILLE — Dillon Carrell gets one more opportunity to show what he’s got.
The Starkville Academy football senior defensive lineman/offensive lineman has heard from East Mississippi Community College, but that is the only college that has shown interest in him.
With his career at Starkville Academy over, he gets another chance to impress college coaches and maybe earn a scholarship offer. Carrell will play for the Blue Team in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) All-Star game 2 p.m. Friday at Jackson Prep.
“To get my name out there more, I’m just going to show out, I’m just going to do my thing and have a good time with it,” Carrell said. “But at the same time, it’s business, it’s football. I have to get down to it. EMCC, hopefully they’ll see more out of me and come to talk to me and pursue me a little more.”
Carrell said if he doesn’t earn a scholarship from a junior college, he plans to attend a four-year school in Mississippi like Ole Miss or Mississippi State. He will either walk on to the football or baseball team.
Carrell had 90 tackles (7.0 for loss) and 2.0 sacks as Starkville Academy finished 8-4 and were beaten 35-7 by Adams County Christian in the second round of the MAIS Class AAA playoffs.
Starkville Academy coach Chase Nicholson hopes a coach takes notice of Carrell. He knows Carrell will have several opportunities with practices and the actual game.
If Carrell does get to play at the next level, Nicholson feels like the 6-foot-4, 283-pound Carrell will have a chance to flourish.
“He’s still developing,” Nicholson said. “He’s a big guy and he’s still growing. The sky can be the limit for him in the right situation. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s athletic, there’s just not that many kids running around like that anymore. He’ll be valuable if somebody likes him and he’ll do well.”
Carrell moved to Starkville last August after his great grandmother died. He played as a sophomore at J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas.
When Carrell went through fall training camp with the Volunteers last August, Nicholson was impressed with the potential he saw in Carrell.
“He had the ability, but didn’t have the true one-on-one teaching that he was able to get here,” Nicholson said. “He understood, he’s very coachable and did a lot of good things. He worked hard to get better. Like with a lot of kids, when it clicks it clicks and he started to understand what was going on.”
Carrell said the early steps of the move took their toll on him and the first couple of months were rough. He said his teammates and many at Starkville Academy took them under his wing and helped him make the transition. He liked the family-type atmosphere he experienced at Starkville Academy.
As for his football game, he found himself playing his best football.
“I’ve developed so much skills and I’ve gotten in better shape since I’ve moved here thanks to (defensive coordinator Brad) coach Butler. I’m really happy I moved,” Carrell said.
The Blue Team will be coached by Heritage Academy first-year coach Sean Harrison.
Nicholson is not on either coaching staff but said he will be on hand to watch Carrell play. He believes it’s a big honor for Carrell to be playing.
“We’re happy for him,” Nicholson said. “When other coaches around the state select you it’s a big deal. He’s been instrumental the last two years. He immediately had an impact on our defensive front. He demands double teams and he’s athletic enough that he can fight down the line. He’s pretty active for a big guy up the middle and has done a lot of good things for us.”
Although Carrell is looking to leave a mark on college coaches’ minds, he’s happy to be playing one more time, especially in this game.
“I feel privileged to be selected to play in a game at such a high level for high school,” Carrell said. “It’s definitely an honor, especially because of my peers, I was the only one selected. I’m just super happy and super thankful.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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