STARKVILLE — Homecoming is tradition that’s more than a game. It honors school history and identity and celebrates school pride. One of the most popular ways to do that is by enjoying the action of “Friday Night Lights” to end the week.
On Friday, Starkville High School was the latest school to participate in the festivities. SHS welcomed back the Class of 2008 for its 10-year anniversary and announced Owen Hardin and Katherine Dumas as Homecoming king and queen.
The Starkville High football team did its part to add to the fun with a 71-0 victory against Jackson Murrah in a Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A, Region 2 game.
“We had a good atmosphere,” Starkville coach Chris Jones said. “A lot of times I see we get involved in the festivities instead of remembering we have a game to play. I think we did a great job on staying focused and understanding the task at hand.”
The victory kept Starkville (8-1, 4-1 region) one game behind Northwest Rankin in the region standings with two regular-season games remaining. Starkville will play host to Warren Central, which defeated Clinton 35-31 on Friday, in an effort to secure first or second place in the region. The top-two finish would secure at least a first-round home game in the Class 6A playoffs, which will begin Nov. 9.
The 71 points marked the third time this season Starkville has eclipsed the 70-point mark. Starkville beat Columbus 72-6 and Greenville 79-0. The Yellow Jackets are averaging a little more than 48 points per game.
“We strive for excellence,” Jones said. “I want them to bust their guns and go after it day in and day out.”
Starkville hasn’t lost on Homecoming since 2010. The win is their fourth time the Yellow Jackets have scored more than 60 points in a game this season. Starkville led Murrah 35-0 after one quarter. In the process, the Yellow Jackets tied the school record for most points in one quarter.
A 52-yard field goal by Garin Boniol was the longest of the season, 5 yards shy of the 57-yard field goal record by Michael Gardner.
Starkville is playing what Jones calls “playoff ball,” creating an effective trifecta in each phase of the game.
“That’s the key to being a great team,” Jones said. “If you do great in all three phases you will dominate. I was pleased with the energy we played each and every snap. Hopefully we continue to get better.”
Five Yellow Jackets played key roles in the scoring and the 347-yard offensive effort. Starkville didn’t commit a turnover, had five passing touchdowns, and three rushing ones in 17 minutes of possession.
Zitavious Williams (seven tackles) led a defense that silenced Murrah. The Yellow Jackets recovered four of six fumbles and only allowed 25 yards. Williams agreed with Jones that the Yellow Jackets must showcase togetherness and greatness simultaneously.
“We practice on this every week and it just pays off in the game,” Williams said. “It’s never too much of getting better. As a team we did well.”
Jones said Starkville’s best performances have to be ahead of it if it wants to realize its goal of winning a state title. After missing consecutive point-after attempts and fumbling three times, Jones said there is still work to be done.
“We need to continue doing stuff right,” Jones said. “We have to get better. … When you play really good teams, it can come down to one point. We have to clean that up. As long as we do everything we’re supposed to we’ll do fine.”
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