FULTON – Former Starkville High School football player Stanley Childs has learned so much in his time away from home.
Granted, he has only been gone for less than four months.
Childs is working his way into playing time as a defensive back for the Itawamba Community College football team. Childs and the 20th-ranked Indians next play host to Holmes Community College Thursday night.
“I have learned so much about myself in such a short amount of time,” Childs said. “I have learned how to depend on others. I have learned how to be acceptable to criticism. You can’t wear your feelings on your sleeve on this level. Everything is going well. I am off to a good start.”
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Childs has appeared in all three games for the undefeated Indians. His first career tackle came during last Thursday night’s 39-9 win at Mississippi Delta Community College.
“The thing about this team is that we really are a family,” Childs said. “I have gotten a lot of input and support from some of the older defensive players. One of our older players (sophomore defensive back Pat Malone) has done a great job of helping me stay focused. He helps me keep my eyes on what we are doing.
“I have gotten a lot better at our drills as practice has gone on. Basically, the better you get at practice, the less you have to think about what you are doing. Then, when you get into games, it is more about reacting.”
In each of the past two seasons, Itawamba has tied for second place in the North Division but failed to make the playoffs because of the state’s tie-breaking procedures. Itawamba won four games all of last year but can match that total with a victory Thursday night.
“We are real team-oriented,” Childs said. “A lot of people are cool with one another. I got a good vibe from my first week on campus. I think we can make a run at (the division title) this season. We have a lot of the key pieces. The thing is working hard and not getting complacent. Each week is a new challenge.”
The key to this season has been a revamped defense. While Itawamba performed well on offense, the elite teams racked up massive yardage and point totals against last season’s squad. This year, ICC is giving up slightly more than 10 points per game.
“The defense has a killer mentality,” Childs said. “We swarm to the ball. On every play, we try to get a lot of hats to the ball. It is all about getting there fast. We are trying to play defense at a faster all-around pace this season. We try to contest every pass thrown.”
With a renewed emphasis to the defensive side of the ball, third-year ICC coach Jon Williams likes the progress of Childs.
“We have a very talented freshman class,” Williams said. “The best thing about a player like Stanley is he comes here from a highly-successful program. He understands work ethic. He understands commitment. At the same time, he is very coachable and is always trying to become a better player.”
For Childs, the learning started quickly, when he and the other newcomers reported in June for summer workouts.
“We went through a lot of conditioning, more conditioning than I had ever done before,” Childs said. “We did technique drills. We did football drills. The main thing was getting into some type of football shape after most of us had a lot of time off. As seniors in high school, we don’t go through spring practice, so it takes a little while to get back into a rhythm.”
Staying in a good rhythm is something Childs learned at Starkville High School. A standout with the Yellow Jackets, Childs helped lead his squad to the Class 5A state championship game last December. Playing under head coach Jamie Mitchell helped Childs adjust smoothly to the next level.
“I learned so much from him,” Childs said. “I took away a lot (from that experience). The main thing I was learned was staying focused and being respectful. Those two things will get you a long way, not only in football but in life, too.”
Those early lessons learned will pay dividends as Childs and the rest of the Indians get geared up for the North Division stretch run. Traditional power Northwest Mississippi Community College still lies ahead, as does defending national champion and top-ranked East Mississippi Community College.
Itawamba and EMCC play on Itawamba’s homecoming on Oct. 27 in what many feel could be a battle for the division title.
“The biggest thing for me has been getting used to the speed of the game,” Child said. “It is a lot different than what I was used to in high school. However, I am excited about how everything has gone so far. We have a good team. Now, the key is to keep winning.”
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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