CLINTON — The new season has arrived.
After a 41-14 thumping of Clinton in the regular-season finale and last game of Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 2, the Starkville High School football team can turn its head to the postseason.
When it gets there, Starkville will have familiar face on the opposite sideline.
Starkville (10-1) will play host to South Panola and former Starkville High coach Ricky Woods at 7 p.m. Friday in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.
“Every day of preparation is huge, so we can get to what we are trying to get to,” Starkville coach Chris Jones said. “We plan to win in the playoffs and try to get where we got to last year and hoist that gold ball. I want our guys to understand what’s important and don’t forget what happened last year, but seize the moment and have fun.”
Starkville quarterback Luke Altmyer was 9-for-12 for 130 yards. His two touchdowns went to Rufus Harvey. The first one came on a 10-yard pass to give Starkville a 7-0 lead with 5 minutes, 55 seconds left in the first quarter. The second went 63 yards with 11:13 left in third quarter to make it 34-0.
“We just like to get our playmakers the ball in space, and we were able to do that tonight,” Altmyer said. “Me and Rufus work hard every day in practice and do extra stuff. It is onto the second season and just try to stay hot going into the playoffs.”
Rodrigues Clark had 11 carries for 134 yards. He scored on an 8-yard run with 11:36 left in the second quarter. He also threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jatavious Lucious with 8:01 left in the second quarter to make it 21-0.
Keyshawn Lawrence had an 88-yard fumble return in the third quarter, and K.J. Lawrence added a 20-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
“In the playoffs you got to have a good running game and a good defense,” Jones said. “I feel like we got both and we are hot heading into the playoffs.”
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