Starkville High School’s football team had just scored a touchdown and 2-point conversion to get back into the game. It wasn’t over yet, but everyone in the stadium started to think they had seen this before: a Yellow Jackets comeback win, led by quarterback Trey Petty, was in the works.
The drive happened quickly, so quickly it was hard to keep up with the plays. Petty completed the drive, tossing the touchdown pass and running in the 2-point conversion. The sideline was loud with the entire team celebrating and the backdrop of the home section of the stadium doing the same.
Some pink-clad kids from the student section had run down the stands and along the fence to celebrate as close to the action as possible, against the commands of the stadium PA announcer.
The performance that led to that scene was enough to lead one to ask the nearest sideline onlooker in an SHS polo and hat, “Is that quarterback really a sophomore?”
The answer came back with a grin: “Yes, he is.”
He knew what everyone else was beginning to understand: that we were watching a kid playing at a level beyond his years.
Petty completed 20 of 27 passes for 240 yards and 4 touchdowns and also rushed for 116 yards, crucial in picking up first downs and keeping drives alive in what started out as a really tough outing.
He was great while rolling out, which he had to do often with the amount of pressure sent his way, and he kept his eyes downfield smartly. Often when it looked like he was putting up a prayer, he actually had found a target.
Clinton, Starkville’s opponent on this night and the defending district champions, came out with a game plan on defense that worked, at first. The Arrows stopped the run well, and, aided by some Yellow Jackets penalties, they were able to slow the game consistently and force Petty and Co. into long third downs.
Clinton did well on offense, too, moving up and down the field behind quarterback Jordyn Battee, who made some clutch plays of his own. The second-half adjustments by the Jackets started to work well late in the third quarter, and the defense held firm on a couple of key drives late.
On their final drive, the Jackets started at the Arrows’ 42-yard line, thanks to the defense blowing up a bold fourth-down conversion attempt. They had 2:21 left on the clock but only would need a minute and a half.
After picking up a first down Petty looked for the score, finding receiver Braylon Burnside in the end zone on a 30-yard pass to take the lead. It was another big-boy throw by the young quarterback, and it was the difference between two teams that played at a high level all night: Starkville 28, Clinton 21.
Expectations are obviously high for Petty after an impressive start, but for now he clearly just loves playing the game. He spoke afterward about the understanding he has with his teammates.
“I feel like with our team we got a class that’s not gonna give up easy,” Petty said. “We’ve been playing since Day 1 together, whether peewee football, middle school, and it’s just carried over to high school.”
Whether he was on the field dismantling an opposing defense or speaking to reporters after the game, it was obvious how much fun he was having. Trey Petty is enjoying the moment, and that’s really what it’s all about.
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