STARKVILLE — Murrah High School quarterback Malik Dear will try to go where no other Starkville High opponent has gone the past four weeks — into the end zone.
The most prolific offensive player in Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 2 play will have his hands full at 7 tonight when Murrah (6-3, 1-3 region) takes on top-ranked Starkville (8-0, 4-0). The Yellow Jackets have posted four-straight shutouts and hasn’t allowed a point in the last 16 quarters.
“He is such a dynamic player and a threat in so many ways,” Starkville coach Jamie Mitchell said of Dear. “The good news is we have some playmakers on defense. They are taking pride in this streak.”
Starkville can clinch a playoff berth with a win. It will close the regular season against Warren Central (8-0, 4-0) and Clinton (7-1, 4-0), so there still is a lot to play for, especially opening-round home-field advantage in the Class 6A playoffs.
“We are excited about another chance to play the game,” Starkville senior running back Mat Fuller said. “We feel like we are getting close to our potential. Hopefully, we will play even better these next three weeks and in the playoffs.”
It is hard to fathom how much better Starkville can become. The Yellow Jackets haven’t trailed in a game this season. Their smallest margin of victory was a 23-point triumph at Oxford. Last week, Starkville notched its fourth-straight shutout with a 28-0 win at Madison Central.
Madison Central joined Northwest Rankin and Columbus as region opponents unable to penetrate the Starkville red zone.
Dear, a 5-foot-10, 186-pound senior, will trying to reverse that trend. Dear is one of the most sought-after players in the region. He has 580 total yards and 704 all-purpose yards on the season.
Last season, Dear ran for 216 yards in a 48-28 loss to Starkville. The Mustangs enter the game in a four-way tie for the fourth and final playoff spot in the region. While it isn’t an elimination game, the ability to beat one of the region’s top teams would help immensely when it came playoff tiebreaker time.
“We know how good they can be on offense,” Starkville senior linebacker Alonzo Flowers said. “We just have to play our game and stay within ourselves. We are playing with a lot of confidence on defense. We just need to keep that up.”
On offense, Starkville is healthy again. Fuller saw his first extensive time in four weeks last week and scored three touchdowns against Madison Central. Senior Jacquez Horsley also missed two games this season, but he is back and leads the team with 502 rushing yards.
Offensive balance should prove key the next three weeks. Senior quarterback Brady Davis has thrown for 2,018 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Against Madison Central, Davis threw off his back foot and hit Keyon Higgins for an 86-yard touchdown. Higgins, who broke a couple of tackles and hurdled another defender, is one of eight receivers to catch a touchdown.
The play was so magnificent it looked effortless. However, the last four Starkville opponents will tell you finding the end zone is never that easy.
Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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