The Columbus High School football team experienced every feeling Friday night in its Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A first-round playoff game.
The Falcons then felt the one they feared the worst: Finality.
In a game that featured 1,256 yards and nine turnovers, Clinton stood tallest, taking a 56-42 victory at Falcon Field. For Columbus, its second-best season in school history finishes at 8-4.
Two of the best players in Class 6A didn’t disappoint. Clinton junior quarterback Cam Akers threw for 355 yards and rushed for 150 yards. Akers had three passing scores and two rushing scores. Columbus junior running back Kylin Hill ran 24 times for 382 yards and five touchdowns.
“It just wasn’t meant to be,” Hill said. “It hurts because we were right there. This will hurt for a while because we had a great season and we wanted more. I am proud of the guys. It was great to go into battle with them every week. It was a great season.”
Columbus played a first-round playoff game at home for the first time in program history. The Falcons were bidding for a playoff win for the first time in 10 seasons. The eight overall wins trails only the 2000 Falcons (10 wins) in the school record book.
Throughout its run to a second-place finish in Region 1, Columbus never blinked and never backed down. The Falcons erased double-digit deficits to knock off region rivals DeSoto Central, Southaven, and Hernando, so it stood to reason some craziness might still be possible after Clinton dominated the first half and led 35-14 at halftime. The Falcons then muffed the second-half kickoff and appeared on the verge of being run out of their stadium.
“Never been a prouder of a group of kids,” Columbus second-year coach Randal Montgomery said. “They always believed. There was no stage too big. There was no situation they didn’t think they could handle. I have never seen a team quite like this. They just keep working and working.”
Junior quarterback C.J. Gholar said there were no hanging heads at the halftime. Instead, the coaches said “keep scoring.”
A shoulder strain forced Akers to miss his team’s final two regular-season games for Clinton. The state’s top quarterback prospect was injured in the fourth quarter of a region loss to Warren Central. Without Akers, Clinton handled Greenville but was blown out by Starkville, which caused them to fall to the No. 3 seed from Region 2.
With Akers back at the helm and fully rested, Clinton looked like the team ranked No. 1 in the state in the preseason. The Alabama commitment was 14 of 25 for 355 yards. Classmate Darius Maberry had 17 carries for a team-best 179 yards and two touchdowns.
A Columbus defense that ranked among the state’s best throughout the season had no answers — until late in the third quarter.
Trailing 42-21, Columbus’ defense made stops on four of the game’s next five possessions.
“We knew (the defense) would give us a chance,” Gholar said. “We just had to keep making plays.”
After a long kickoff return by Kendre Conner, Columbus drove 49 yards on seven plays. Hill capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown.
The first Clinton punt of the night followed and Conner capped a 42-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown run.
Senior Damonta Kidd then had a critical fumble recovery with Clinton in Columbus’ red zone. It was one of three takeaways for the Falcons. Derrick Beckom had a first-quarter interception in the red zone. Senior Tyran Smith had an interception in the third quarter.
Kidd’s strip of Akers protected the one-score deficit. Hill then erased that deficit with an 86-yard touchdown run, his longest scoring run of the season.
Considered by many Class 6A’s top running back prospect, Hill rushed for 1,801 yards and had 23 touchdowns this season.
“It was a special season, but now we come back out here and want more,” Hill said. “We are going to make sure we are even better next year.”
Clinton broke the tie with the game’s most impressive drive, an 11-play, 72-yard march. Clinton converted a third-and-15 at midfield when Akers eluded the pass rush and hit Jordan Patton for a 34-yard gain. Akers then called his number and scored on a 4-yard run on around left end on fourth-and-goal.
Columbus tried to answer. The Falcons drove the 15 yard-line but missed a 32-yard field goal attempt. The game’s final possession then wound up with a fumbled lateral pitch returned 27 yards for a touchdown in the final minute.
“These are my brothers,” Gholar said. “They always will be. Every single guy on this team made it work. We all had each other’s backs. It was fun going into battle with them each week.”
Clinton (8-4) will face region rival Starkville (11-1) for the second time in three weeks. Starkville won the regular-season meeting 45-7 with Akers on the sidelines. However, the rematch will be at Clinton. A year ago, Starkville beat Clinton 56-46 in a game that saw the Yellow Jackets have similar defensive issues.
For Columbus, a bevy of sophomores and juniors will help make it a favorite in Class 6A next season. After the game, Montgomery thanked his seniors for doing the heavy lifting. When no one else believed, that group bought in and helped the Falcons slowly begin to turn the corner.
“We can’t thank the seniors enough,” Montgomery said. “This was not easy. No part of it was. But we are here now. Tonight’s game showed what we are all about. The seniors will be able to come back several years from now and can say they were here when this all started.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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