STARKVILLE — Trey Petty had time.
The Starkville High School junior quarterback was sacked at the Olive Branch 15-yard line inside the final minute of the first quarter Friday, but Petty and the Yellow Jackets weren’t fazed.
Instead of running the game clock down to zero, Petty called for the snap with barely two seconds left. The end-of-quarter horn sounded as he dropped back, looking for a man.
Unperturbed, Petty fired the football to Braylon Burnside in the end zone for a buzzer-beating touchdown.
Starkville wasn’t willing to wait around.
It was just one score of six in the Yellow Jackets’ 42-10 win over the Conquistadors (2-1) on Friday in Starkville, but it showed Petty in masterful command — as usual — of Starkville’s potent offense.
The Jackets (3-0) posted all 42 of their points in the first half, triggering a running clock in their win over the previously unbeaten Quistors.
“I feel like we’re going in the right direction, and I’m real confident with this team,” Petty said.
The junior leads Starkville into next week’s matchup with Class 4A power Louisville on a high note. Petty completed 12 of 18 passes for 173 yards and two scores, including the touchdown pass to Burnside.
His other scoring throw also came near the end of a quarter, as Petty found Jaylon York open deep downfield for a 49-yard score with just 8 seconds left in the first half.
York, a senior, caught three passes for 99 yards and ran for a 6-yard touchdown off a direct snap earlier in the second quarter.
“He’s a playmaker,” Starkville coach Chris Jones said. “That’s kind of who he is. It doesn’t surprise me. He always brings the energy. He’s always making plays.”
Pretty much everyone was doing that for Starkville on Friday.
Sophomore running back Courtland Cooper was among the Jackets who had a happy homecoming, totaling 93 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
Cooper ran for a 5-yard score just a minute into the game, capping a quick and ruthless opening drive.
“To me, that’s kind of been what we’ve been needing to do — start fast, especially on a night like tonight,” Jones said. “I thought the kids came out, they played good early, and they just kind of put us in the driver’s seat.”
Cooper added a 42-yard rushing touchdown midway through the second quarter, making it a 28-0 ballgame.
Petty called Cooper’s performance “real good — a sophomore toting the ball like he was a senior or a junior. I like it.”
Qua Jenkins had Starkville’s other score, an 8-yard rushing touchdown to push the Jackets’ lead to the 35-point margin necessary to enact a running clock in the second half. York’s big catch to close the half was mere window dressing.
“My guys love to get their touchdowns in, make their stats look better, and I’m here for it,” Petty said.
Starkville was able to do that at will against an Olive Branch team that managed just four first downs on offense. The Quistors didn’t break through until quarterback Raheem Vance found a wide-open Britten Traylor for a 50-yard passing score seconds into the fourth quarter.
Olive Branch added a 32-yard field goal from Austin Taylor with 3:30 to play.
By that point, few Starkville starters remained. Jaylen Ruffin played the entire second half in relief of Petty; Cooper’s 42-yard score was his final carry as Johntavious Rodgers and Zach Hill took over.
Jones said it’s about getting everyone touches — perhaps even that second unit — when Starkville has so many playmakers at Petty’s disposal.
“I feel like we’re unselfish,” he said. “I feel like Trey does a good job. I feel like we’re good up front. We’ve got the pieces, so it’s about me giving them chances to make plays and putting them in good situations, and tonight I feel like all around we did a pretty good job.”
The Jackets will go into next week’s matchup with a Louisville team that has outscored West Point, Kemper County and Columbus by a combined total of 106-14, including two shutouts.
If Starkville can follow the same path to victory it did Friday, Petty thinks his team can handle perhaps its toughest opponent yet.
“I think they’re going to play really aggressive,” he said of the Wildcats. “They’re going to play up to our level, so we’re just going to come out and hit them in the mouth early.”
Starkville 42, Olive Branch 10
Olive Branch (2-1) 0 0 0 10 — 10
Starkville (3-0) 14 28 0 0 — 42
First quarter
S — Courtland Cooper 5 run (Brayden Green kick), clock 11:00
S — Braylon Burnside 15 pass from Trey Petty (Green kick), clock 0:00
Second quarter
S — Jaylon York 6 run (Green kick), clock 8:10
S — Cooper 42 run (Green kick), clock 5:07
S — Qua Jenkins 8 run (Green kick), clock 2:14
S — York 49 pass from Petty (Green kick), clock 0:08
Fourth quarter
OB — Britten Traylor 50 pass from Raheem Vance (Austin Taylor kick), clock 11:35
OB — Taylor 32 FG, clock 3:30
Individual statistics
PASSING: Olive Branch — Raheem Vance 2-13, 78; Starkville — Trey Petty 12-18, 173; Jaylen Ruffin 1-5, 1.
RUSHING: Olive Branch — Raheem Vance 11-42, Corey Williams 5-15, Vendarrius Sanders 1-5; Starkville — Courtland Cooper 11-93, Qua Jenkins 3-52, Trey Petty 3-26, Jaylon York 2-18, Johntavious Rodgers 3-16, Zach Hill 3-12, Braylon Burnside 1-6.
RECEIVING: Olive Branch — Britten Traylor 1-50, Corey Williams 1-28; Starkville — Jaylon York 3-99, Braylon Burnside 5-45, Qua Jenkins 1-10, Jaiden Turnipseed 2-4, Jaheim Deanes 1-1.
Team statistics
Rushing yards: Olive Branch 62, Starkville 223
Passing yards: Olive Branch 78, Starkville 174
Comp.-Att.-Int.: Olive Branch 2-13-0, Starkville 13-23-1
Fumbles-lost: Olive Branch 4-0, Starkville 1-1
Penalties-yards: Olive Branch 7-70, Starkville 2-25
First downs: Olive Branch 4, Starkville 22
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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