STARKVILLE — It really seemed like everything was crashing down at the exact same time for Starkville, coming off a tough 24-17 loss against Tupelo.
The story has been told over and over: an 0-3 start in district play, a 4-3 record to start the season, injuries depleting the Yellow Jackets.
Nothing seemed to be going right, but Starkville began to get healthy, began to get plays going and began to get back on the right track, finishing the regular season 4-0 before running the table so far in the MHSAA Class 6A playoffs.
All of it culminated with a rematch against Tupelo on the road, with Starkville blowing a 20-point lead at one point but battling back for a 41-32 win to clinch a trip back to the state championship game for the first time in five years.
“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but we’re thankful to be in this situation to be able to compete for a state championship,” Starkville head coach Chris Jones said. “It was our goal from the beginning, so we’re blessed to be in this situation. Now, we just have to take advantage of it.”
The highs and lows of the Yellow Jackets (11-3) have been well documented to this point, but through adversity faced during the middle of the regular season, they came out stronger and played together.
Jones has preached the idea of getting better game by game, week by week, day by day, and as the year has progressed, Starkville has trusted the process so far.
Saturday’s state championship game appearance — the program’s first since 2017 — is well deserved, but for the Yellow Jackets, the job is far from over.
“After Friday’s game, the message was, ‘The work is not finished,’” Jones said. “We have to put together a good week of practice to be prepared for a good opponent. Brandon is a good opponent, so we can’t take anything for granted.”
Ahead of them is Brandon, a high school and town familiar to most within Starkville as the home of Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers. It’s also home to a program that has won two straight district championships and three since 2018.
The Bulldogs come into Hattiesburg with a 12-1 record, having scored 36.5 points a game offensively.
They’re led by running back Nate Blount, a 5-10, 220-pound force who has run for over 1,800 yards and has accounted for 25 total touchdowns this season, including 24 rushing touchdowns.
Alongside Blount is junior quarterback Landon Varnes, who’s thrown for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns this season, averaging 235.8 passing yards a game for Brandon.
Between the two, that’s nearly 4,900 yards of total offense to account for and stop.
“They’re good throwing the ball. They’re good running the ball,” Jones said. “They’re a balanced offense. They play fast. We have to make sure we have a plan … Our message is the same every week. This just happens to be the championship game, but our message doesn’t change.”
That message is simple: stop the run, prevent the pass, eliminate the big play and convert on offense.
Nothing is guaranteed, but at 7 p.m. Saturday, Starkville is guaranteed a shot at a state championship. The Jackets will have to play well enough to earn it.
MHSAA football championships at a glance
Where: M.M. Roberts Stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg
How to stream: NFHS Network (misshsaa.tv), MyMS
How to listen: 89.9 FM
Friday
11 a.m.: Raleigh vs. Noxubee County, Class 3A
3 p.m.: Bay Springs vs. McEvans, Class 1A
7 p.m.: Picayune vs. West Point, Class 5A
Saturday
11 a.m.: Mendenhall vs. Louisville, Class 4A
3 p.m.: Scott Central vs. Charleston, Class 2A
7 p.m.: Brandon vs. Starkville, Class 6A
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