Noah Methvin walked toward the Heritage Academy sideline and shook his head.
The Starkville Academy quarterback could have screamed in frustration. Methvin could have put his head down. Instead, the senior told himself he needed to do better after short-hopping a throw to Brady Richardson on second down, regrouped, and headed back to the huddle.
Methvin must have known Raegan Richardson had something big planned.
Trailing by four points with a little more than a minute remaining, the Volunteers needed a game-changing play. Two plays later, Richardson helped Starkville Academy dial one up, as he called a “Boston-and-Go” route in which he drew the cornerback to him and then went the other way to the end zone. Methvin did the rest, delivering a 26-yard strike on fourth down with 44 seconds remaining to lift Starkville Academy to a 17-14 victory against Heritage Academy in a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) Class AAA, District 2 game at C.L. Mitchell Field.
“I knew we would execute,” Starkville Academy coach Chase Nicholson said. “We execute it in practice all of the time. We pick on our corners all of the time because it is an aggressive deal.”
The victory helped Starkville Academy (8-1, 3-0 district) clinch at least a share of the district title with one regular-season game remaining.
Nicholson said Richardson suggested the play during a Heritage Academy timeout after he saw how the Patriots’ secondary was defending pass plays. He said earlier this season he welcomes play calls and suggestions from players. Nicholson said he didn’t hesitate after Richardson called the play.
Richardson said the route was designed for him to go 10-12 yards down field, make the cornerback bite on a fake, and have the quarterback loft the football over the top. He said he felt the cornerback take the bait and moved behind him. Richardson said he turned, jumped, and reached back and got it.
“I had a good feeling about it,” Richardson said. “It felt clean.”
For Methvin, the winning touchdown pass, which came after a 13-yard completion to Taylor Arnold on third down, was a chance for redemption after the throw on second down. It also was a perfect example of the team-first approach that has helped the Volunteers be so successful this season.
“Normally I would be thinking run on it,” Methvin said. “They dropped their two linebackers over it, so there was no way I could run.”
Methvin rolled to his left on the fourth-and-7 play. He said the Patriots had another pass option covered, which opened a possibility for the “inversion” with the fake and go.
Methvin said he and his receivers have that “connection” to know the timing needed for plays like the game-winner. He said the Volunteers work on plays like that and inverting others in practices so they can keep defenses guessing in games.
Methvin credited Will Miller and Garrett Smith for blocking on the play to give him a clear sight line to Richardson.
“When I saw him breaking, I had to get my back foot around so I could get the ball to him,” Methvin said. “We made a good play with it.
“I saw Dontae, the safety, come up and he started to fly over it, but we got him enough on that first initial cut that we could send it back over the top to him. I just had to make sure I got it far away from Dontae coming over from the safety spot.”
Methvin said he wouldn’t have been able to bounce back from short-hopping a throw on second down to making a game-winning play on fourth down last season. On Friday, though, he showed how much he has matured. He credited Nicholson for talking to him and telling him he has to be “cool” and go out and make the next play.
“I just flushed it out,” Methvin said.
Nicholson said Methvin has worked hard to make himself into a better quarterback. He said Methvin also has trusted the process.
“He wouldn’t have gotten his hips around to make that throw,” Nicholson said of Methvin in 2016. “He realized what it took. It is just Meth being Meth. He is a great athlete to coach because he absorbs everything, he understands, and he is such a competitor. He was going to get that ball thrown.”
Heritage Academy coach Sean Harrison credited Starkville Academy for the play call. He also praised his team’s defense and the scheme of defensive coordinator of Russ Whiteside.
“We thought they were running the curl,” Harrison said. “We sat under it. Lex was over the top of it. Lex was on an island, and when you play corner that is what happens.”
The touchdown ruined what would have been a signature victory for the Patriots (7-2, 2-0). Heritage Academy took over after a Starkville Academy fumble on the Volunteers’ 29-yard line with 6 minutes, 55 seconds to play. Moak Griffin’s 15-yard run on third-and-3 gave the Patriots a first-and-goal at the 7. Heritage Academy didn’t take the lead until Dontae Gray (18 carries, 79 yards) broke through for a 1-yard run on fourth down with 3:10 to go.
“It’s football, man,” Harrison said. “It came down to one play. They made a play. We didn’t. That’s life. It doesn’t matter how we lost the game. It matters how we respond. The only way that loss matters is if we don’t get up off the mat and get to work.”
Heritage Academy will close the regular season next week at Canton Academy, while Starkville Academy will play host to Leake Academy. Both teams have virtually locked up playoff spots. The district winner will earn one of the top five seeds in Class AAA, while the second-place team will get a high seed — likely No. 6 or No. 7 — based on the number of victories against Class AAAA competition. Both teams could face District 2 opponents again in the playoffs, including a possible rematch in the third round if things fall the right way.
“I hope we get them again,” Harrison said. “I hope we can put on another show. The fact of the matter is this one is done and gone. We will watch the film (today) and move on to Canton. This loss won’t matter unless we stay down from it.”
Both teams had opportunities to score more points in the first half. Methvin overthrew Brady Richardson on third-and-10 on the Volunteers’ first drive. Richardson had a step on the defender and appeared to have a clear lane to the end zone.
Heritage Academy had a 10-play drive in the second quarter stall after quarterback Carter Putt fell down after he took the snap and was moving back in the pocket. A second drive in the quarter ended on a fumble by Putt. Starkville Academy gave the football right back when quarterback Ben Owens threw an interception, but Miller ended the Patriots’ hopes with a sack. It was one of five sacks in the half by the Volunteers.
“The first half was aggravating,” Harrison said. “I felt like we left 14 points on the field, and they did, too. They missed a couple of open receivers, so I am certainly not saying that was the difference.
“It was two good football teams playing. We were getting receivers open. They did a good job blitzing and getting pressure. We moved the ball well. I thought Carter played a really good game. It was two good teams playing and they came out on top.”
Heritage Academy took a 7-0 lead on a 47-yard pass from Putt to Jared Long, who went up high over a defender to make the catch.
Cameron McKee kicked a 35-yard field goal early in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 7-3.
The Volunteers used an interception and a big return by Arnold to set up their first go-ahead score. Methvin had a 2-yard gain on fourth-and-inches from the Patriots’ 28 to keep the drive alive. A 4-yard gain by Nason Heflin on third down set up Methvin’s 6-yard run on fourth-and-1 that extended the drive. Methvin scored on a 6-yard run two plays later.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.