STARKVILLE — Symmetry is a perfect word to describe Friday night”s season-ending showdown between the Columbus and Starkville high school football teams.
The Golden Triangle rivals mirrored one another in myriad ways in an offensive shootout that seemed scripted at times. But the Falcons” defense directed the final scene, stopping the Yellow Jackets 1 yard short of tying the game on the last play from scrimmage to preserve a 34-32 victory.
The loss ended the playoff hopes of Starkville (5-6, 3-4 Class 6A, Region 1), which got the help it needed in an Olive Branch victory against Tupelo.
The statistics tell the short version. The teams were almost identical in first downs, passing yards, return yards, and fumbles. Starkville outrushed Columbus (4-7, 2-5) by nearly 100 yards, but the Yellow Jackets were also penalized twice as much.
In the long version, defense went out the window early. Barring a turnover, Columbus and Starkville each scored on all but one drive.
Both teams had success on the ground in their opening drives with help from a long pass.
Starkville”s Shaquille Hill took a Jaquez Johnson pass 31 yards to the Columbus 2, where Johnson scored moments later. A trick play on the point-after fell short, starting a rough night on special teams for both squads.
The Yellow Jackets tried to catch the Falcons sleeping with an onside kick, but Columbus wasn”t surprised. The Falcons started a seven-play drive from Starkville”s 46 and finished it with a 16-yard toss from Cedrick Jackson to James Gunter.
Michael Sturdivant gave Columbus the lead with his only successful extra point of the game.
Starkville re-took the lead on a 10-play, 71-yard drive punctuated by a 10-yard touchdown run from Preston Baker. Johnson ran the two-point conversion in for the last points-after-touchdown either team would see.
The first quarter ended on a Hollywood-ready tale of redemption and quick resolution. Columbus sophomore defensive back Quan Latham fumbled away a long kickoff return only to steal it back three plays later when he intercepted a Johnson pass.
Columbus started the second quarter from Starkville”s 47. Damian Baker”s 12-yard run cut Starkville”s lead to 14-13.
Starkville High coach Jamie Mitchell believes his squad”s miscues in the first quarter cost it the upper hand the rest of the game.
“We went for the onside kick after the score and if it doesn”t work out we give them the ball on a short field,” Mitchell said. “Then we get the fumble on the kickoff, run a little gadget play, and throw the interception. I thought those two plays in the first half is what kept them in the game and they started battling.”
The Falcons made their lone stop on the Yellow Jackets” only drive of the second quarter, forcing a punt. Columbus then drove to Starkville”s 6 where, with 10 seconds remaining in the half, freshman kicker Sturdivant nailed his only field goal of the year to give the Falcons a 16-14 lead.
“We made a field goal that really won the football game,” Columbus coach Tony Stanford said. “After the field goal (place kicking) went down hill, but he”s a freshman, and he”ll improve.”
The second half began like the first, with both teams scoring under similar circumstances.
Latham returned Starkville”s kickoff to the Yellow Jacket 18 to put the Falcons within striking distance, but Starkville”s defense rallied for a stop, forcing a field goal attempt. However, Starkville”s knack for costly penalties resurfaced and a roughing call gave Columbus first-and-goal from the 10.
Jackson needed just two rushes to score.
Mitchell said special teams performance has been a recurring problem for Starkville.
“Our kick coverage has just been atrocious. It can”t get any worse,” Mitchell said. “Not to take anything from (Columbus), but we gave them the ball at midfield or better every kickoff. Then they ran that kickoff back in the second half. At that phase the special teams just can”t get any worse. We worked our rear ends off to fix it, but haven”t been able to get it.”
Not to be outdone, Columbus” kick coverage gave up a 54-yard return to Stanley Higgins on the ensuing kickoff. A 24-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Garrett Smith cut Columbus” lead to 22-20, but Johnson fell short on the two-point attempt.
Starkville stopped Columbus on its next drive only to see a well-placed punt pin it at the 2. Things went from bad to worse when Johnson fumbled on the first play and Columbus recovered.
A tackle for a loss and a penalty pushed the Falcons back to the 9, but they scored when Jackson found Damian Barker. Sturdivant”s PAT bounced off the upright.
The teams traded touchdowns early in the fourth quarter, with Johnson scoring on a 1-yard rush for the Yellow Jackets and Jackson hitting Vidal Harris from 17 yards to give the Falcons a 34-26 lead.
Starkville mounted its final drive from its 35 with 4 minutes, 24 seconds remaining. The Yellow Jackets made steady progress but were helped by a contested pass interference call with two minutes to go.
The Yellow Jackets fought their way to fourth-and-goal on the Columbus 1, where Johnson snuck through with nine seconds remaining.
When Johnson”s two-point conversion pass fell short, Columbus” players ran off the field in victory, but were forced to return due to another pass interference call.
Now lined up just behind the 1, Johnson hit a gaping hole to the left but was brought down one foot short of the goal line.
Starkville attempted a last-ditch onside kick that Columbus fielded to end the game.
Afterward, Stanford said the game was decided in the locker room before the first snap.
“We felt like we beat them for the last two years and gave it away in the fourth quarter, so tonight we stood tall in the fourth and held them twice at the goal line and made the stop to win the football game,” Stanford said. “We said, ”It”s time.” And we came out here and played like it”s time.”
For Starkville, a promising season that included close losses to Meridian and Noxubee County and defending Class 5A champion West Point ended with a four-game losing streak.
“I can”t tell you how crushed we are,” Mitchell said. “We wanted to be in the playoffs bad and didn”t do what it took to get there.”
Johnson, a senior, had a monster game in his last appearance at Yellow Jacket Stadium, rushing for 126 yards on 27 carries and completing 10 passes for another 154 yards.
Jackson also came up big, completing 15 passes for 156 yards and rushing for 48.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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