In the preseason, Columbus High School football coach Randal Montgomery said junior quarterback Laterius Stowers had a chance to be special.
Stowers is backing the fourth-year coach’s expectations.
Stowers has thrown seven touchdowns to help Columbus win its last two games. The latest performance was a five-touchdown night in a 34-28 overtime victory against DeSoto Central on Friday night in the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A, Region 1 opener.
For this performance, Stowers has been named The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Week.
“He is becoming a great leader,” Columbus junior running back Derrick Jordan said. “With a lot of new starters, there was an adjustment period on offense. We are beginning to find a rhythm.”
Patrick Jackson and Kenneth Martin were Columbus High’s only returning starters on offense. Opening the season with games against reigning state champion West Point and state title contenders Noxubee County and Starkville didn’t help speed up the growth process.
In those three losses, Stowers threw for 150 yards and a touchdown. He has bettered that mark in victories against Vicksburg (12 of 19, 185 yards, one touchdown) and DeSoto Central (11 of 23, 215 yards, five TDs).
Columbus (2-3) will play at Tupelo (5-0) Friday night in its second region game.
“The coaches just told us to stay patient,” Stowers said. “We want to win every Friday night, but the main thing was to learn from each game. At the beginning of the season, the coaches challenged us to be better each week. With a lot of new guys, everybody is excited. Practice is fun. We want to get better and better.”
Montgomery has seen his offense get better every week. The biggest growth has come along the offensive line. After being sacked 17 times in the first three games, that number has been reduced to two in the last two games.
“(Stowers) has a rifle arm,” Montgomery said. “He has an ability to make the big play. He has a good grasp of our system and what we are trying to do. It’s just a matter of creating time to make plays.”
Against DeSoto Central, Columbus scored on the first two possessions. Against Vicksburg, it scored on the first four possessions en route to a 27-7 victory. Stowers hit Martin for one score and Jervorius Vance for the other.
Stowers strained his arm on the second touchdown and didn’t return for the rest of the half. Columbus still led 14-0 at halftime.
In the second half, DeSoto Central took advantage of some Columbus miscues to build a 21-14 lead.
Stowers helped erase that deficit with a 33-yard drive that was set up by a Jordan Randle kickoff return to start the fourth quarter.
The second game-tying drive was more dramatic.
In the final minute of regulation, Columbus drove 59 yards on three plays. Stowers hit Patrick Jackson for 16 yards and Vance for a 43-yard touchdown.
“We just felt like something good was going to happen,” said Vance, who had four receptions for 139 yards and three touchdowns. “All of those long hours during the summer paid off. We ran routes together every day after practice. The chemistry is great. After we get that first win, it felt like a new season.”
During an open date, a slight change was made to the game plan. Stowers started throwing to spots more instead of waiting for receivers to break open. Continued improvement from the line and that change have paid dividends.
Columbus had 401 yards against Vicksburg and 286 yards against DeSoto Central.
“The first win gave us a lot of confidence,” Stowers said. “The thing about this team is no one ever started doubting. We just kept working hard.”
The ability for Stowers to lead the team to a victory wasn’t lost on Montgomery. On Friday night, Columbus’ running game was stuck in neutral, so it was up to Stowers and his receivers to deliver.
“A young football team really grew up,” Montgomery said. “It’s just one win, but it will mean so much by the end of the season. When you look back and know you have the ability to come back, that will help so much for the rest of the season.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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