STARKVILLE — Chase Nicholson isn’t concerned about a shutout streak.
While the Starkville Academy football coach relishes the fact his defense hasn’t allowed a point in nine quarters, Nicholson recognizes there are more important goals for his squad.
That’s why Nicholson wants his team to stay focused through the distractions of Homecoming this week to extend a three-game winning streak. Class AAA Starkville Academy (5-1) will try to realize that goal at 7 p.m. Friday when it plays host to Class AAAA Pillow Academy (1-4) in a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) matchup at J.E. Logan Field.
Starkville Academy extended its shutout streak Friday with a 36-0 victory against Winston Academy in its Class AAA, District 2 opener. Taylor Arnold rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown, while Noah Methvin returned to quarterback for the injured Ben Owens (knee) and threw for 105 yards and two scores. Methvin also rushed for two touchdowns.
Nicholson praised the efforts of his offensive line as well as Arnold and Methvin in an effort he felt started to click in the second half.
“I think (Arnold) commented about it Sunday. It was the ‘O’ line again. He believes that. He knows that,” Nicholson said. “It is down the line. When they do what they’re supposed to do, it makes his job easy. His job is to get to the second level. When he does that, that is him being special.
“Taylor did a really good job. He ran the ball really hard. All of the backs did. That is a testament to the ‘O’ line.”
The shutout came on the heels of a 21-0 victory against Magnolia Heights, another Class AAAA team. A victory Friday would bolster Starkville Academy’s power rating and enhance its chances of making the postseason with district games remaining against Canton Academy, Heritage Academy, and Leake Academy to end the season.
“That is the way you want to start,” Nicholson said. “If you start 0-1, that is no fun. We’re 1-0. We challenged the guys with that and that they had to come out and play at a whole new level, and they did. We challenged them with the same thing this week. We challenge them the same way every week. They have to step their game up and keep getting better, and they continue to do that.”
Nicholson said the Volunteers continue to raise their level each week. He said Owens threw the ball a little at practice Monday for the first time since the game against Magnolia Heights. He said Owens would be out this week and that the best-case scenario would be to have him back next week.
“Everyone was excited to have him back,” Nicholson said. “We’re missing a piece of us out there and he is back.”
Nicholson praised Owens for staying involved in the game and in practice, so it wasn’t like he was “missing.” Still, Starkville Academy had to move Methvin from defensive line back to quarterback.
“He did great,” Nicholson said. “He made mistakes early. He had to go back into the thinking mentality of playing quarterback again. It took a good quarter and a half for him to remember quarterbacks don’t play football. They’re quarterbacks. He had to get that mentality swap. You could tell immediately when he had that attitude swap. He realized he had to slow everything down and everything was good. He completely went back to where he was last year and in the opening drive of the season.”
Injuries to Zach Barnes and Jacob Linley also have forced changes to the defensive line, but Nicholson said sophomore Taylor Ray, who had been at linebacker, emerged as a contributor at nose guard, which should provide the Volunteers additional depth at the position when everyone is healthy.
Until that happens, Nicholson said Starkville Academy is going to try to stay in the same lane and keep moving forward.
“You don’t want to lose momentum right in the middle of district because you have lost your maturity,” Nicholson said. “I believe this is a mature group and a very focused group, so I challenged them to prove it to me they can do those things, and I believe they will.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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