KEY PLAY
Where do we begin? Late in the second quarter, Starkville held a 21-20 lead. The Yellow Jackets have played brilliant defense all season, so it was safe to assume the team would take over the game.
Facing a fourth-and-3 at the Clinton 20-yard line, Starkville bypassed the field goal. Brady Davis kept on an 8-yard keeper. Three plays later, Davis hit Raphael Leonard on a 6-yard touchdown pass for a 28-20 halftime lead.
“There is nothing more exciting than when you feel like you have something you can take advantage of,” Leonard said. “We had more size then they did, so our job was to run the proper route and get open. Brady was really on fire, and that is why we had a big night.”
KEY DRIVE
After being down by two scores for most of the second half, Clinton crawled back to within 49-46 thanks in large to a fumbled kickoff return by the Yellow Jackets. Starkville needed points and also needed to give its defense a breather. The Yellow Jackets accomplished that goal by moving 73 yards on nine plays. Davis hit Keyon Higgins on a critical third-down pickup. Three players later, Matt Fuller put the game away with a 5-yard run.
“When you have a game like this, you just have to keep scoring,” Fuller said. “Our defense has had (the offense’s back) all year, so it was our chance to help them out a little bit. You really can’t get tired or think about what you are doing, because you have to keep scoring.”
UNSUNG HEROES
With Jacquez Horsley potentially out for the season with injury, the bulk of the running game has fallen to senior running back Matt Fuller. Against Clinton, Fuller ran 35 times for 217 yards (both career highs) with three touchdowns.
“I am really proud of Matt,” Davis said. “He is such a tireless worker. Even though he is quiet, he is such a great leader. He was ready for as many carries would be necessary to win this game. That is what you call a special player.”
TURNING POINT
While Starkville allowed 435 total yards, the Yellow Jackets didn’t surrender any points in the second quarter. Clinton held a 20-14 lead after one quarter but then trailed 28-20 at halftime. The Arrows played a near-flawless game on offense, committing one turnover and converting on 7 of 12 third downs. However, the back-to-back three-and-outs in the second quarter were huge for the Starkville defense.
“Sometimes you just have to find a way on defense,” Starkville junior defensive lineman Lorenzo Dantzler said. “Even though it wasn’t pretty, we made some really great stops when we had to.”
DIFFERENCE-MAKERS
A.J. Brown had five catches for 143 yards. However, his biggest play came on defense. With Starkville leading 56-46, Davis threw an interception that was run back about 60 yards by Lamarques Thomas. Brown never gave up on the play, coming all the way back down the field to strip Thomas of possession at the Starkville. From there, the Yellow Jackets closed out the win.
“A lot of big-time playmakers made plays in this game,” Mitchell said.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.