STARKVILLE — The buzz is real at Starkville High School.
As college coaches darted in and out of the field house at Yellow Jacket Stadium on Wednesday with the early signing period Dec. 18 fast approaching, coach Chris Jones’ squad (10-2, 7-0 district) headed to the turf as they made preparations for Friday’s Mississippi High School Activities Association 6A first round playoff game against defending state champion Horn Lake (5-6, 4-3 district).
Almost a year removed from the Eagles’ 35-14 win over the Yellow Jackets in the second round of last season’s state playoffs, Starkville is confident it’s peaking at the right time.
“I think we’ve gotten better as the season has gone on,” coach Chris Jones said. “Just so happens the last part of the season we’ve been playing really well, so hopefully it will carry on into this Friday.”
“We’ve been on a roll — you could say we’re hot,” junior quarterback Luke Altmyer added. “These games mean a lot. You win or go home. I feel like Starkville thrives in the playoffs — it’s the tradition to play in December.”
While Starkville stumbled out of the gate — losing two of its first three games for the first time since 2013 — the Jackets have rebounded resoundingly, rattling off nine straight victories to clinch a District 2 title with their win over Warren Central on Nov. 1.
Most notably, it’s the play of the Yellow Jackets’ signal caller that has drawn headlines of late.
Altmyer, who received reported scholarship offers from North Carolina State and Louisville over the past 10 days, finished his regular season last Friday with a 179-yard, three-touchdown effort on 14 of 17 passing.
Beyond last week, he’s been noticeably better in Starkville wins this season. In the Yellow Jackets’ losses to Brandon and West Point, Altmyer completed just 58.8 percent of his passes for an average of 176 yards, 1.5 touchdowns and one interception per game — giving him a quarterback rating of 85.3.
By contrast, in Starkville’s 10 wins this year, he completed 69.8 percent of his passes for an average of 212.3 yards, 2.7 touchdowns and 0.2 interceptions per game for an overall QBR of 130.5.
“I think a lot of people forget that he’s just a junior,” Jones said of Altmyer. “He started every game as a sophomore and played in the state championship as a ninth grader, but I think people seem to forget that at the end of the day he’s still a young kid, and the more he plays the better he’ll get.”
While Altmyer has been steady as a passer, he’s done so with a stable of capable receivers at his disposal. Senior Rufus Harvey is among the state’s top pass-catchers, having totaled 817 yards and 11 touchdowns on 61 receptions. Alongside Harvey, classmates Josh Aka, Orien Thompson and Tae Lucious have totaled 626, 421 and 380 yards, respectively.
Junior running back Amariyon Howard has also aided the recent offensive uptick. Howard, a sturdy 6 feet and 185 pounds, is up to 811 yards and five touchdowns on the season, including three 100-yard contests.
“I’m glad we had that little spell at the beginning and not at the end of the season,” Altmyer said. “We’re moving forward as a team, and we’re excited.”
For months, Jones has preached both to anyone who will listen that the Yellow Jackets are set up to peak at the right time. With a clicking offense and a nine-game win streak in tow, it looks as though Starkville is doing just that.
“I believe this place is not like most, where a division title doesn’t mean a lot,” Altmyer said. “That’s something you’re expecting to do here. Winning state titles — that’s what we’re here for, and that’s what we get ready for at the beginning of the season.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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