COLUMBUS — The Falcons are looking to leave their old ways behind in 2024.
Columbus football saw another down year in 2023, going 1-10 in a difficult season filled with tough opponents.
Many games were close, and nobody knows that better than the Falcons. Linebacker Quincy Butts and company helped keep the team in games against the likes of Houston, Noxubee County, Louisville, Lafayette and Vicksburg, all strong teams that had to win the game in the fourth quarter.
“We took it into the offseason really,” Butts said of 2023. “Lifting weights and coming out here for conditioning when it was cold in January and February. We took it personally. We’ve amped up practice since getting back out here, and we’re making our offense better by beating up on them every day.”
During the offseason workouts, Barrin Simpson was named head coach, taking over a program with a lot of talent that hasn’t had a winning season in nearly a decade. When he arrived, he didn’t find a team of losers.
“Last year, that was not a 1-10 team,” Simpson said earlier this summer at a Columbus Rotary Club event. “I’ve watched every game about five times, and there’s 11 of them, and in every game, they were in it until, like the old Columbus, something went wrong and the other team got them.”
Simpson is taking it upon himself to build a new Columbus identity, one that he can drive home from the junior high level on up. He sees a foundational problem, and his solution is to start at the root with a “4-D” approach.
“Desire, determination and discipline will help you reach your destiny,” he said, “so we call it the ‘four D’s’”
“It’s a new approach, new type of plays and all that,” senior running back Shaun Williams said of working with Simpson. “He’s a new type of coach, new formations and it’s just a different environment. A positive environment. We ain’t losing no more, that’s how we feel.”
It’s impossible to drastically change a program overnight, but there’s certainly a different vibe at practices in 2024. Simpson and his staff are constantly moving players between drills, working on testing both sides of the ball against each other. He has eight assistants, and he needs them.
“It’s been a huge help,” he said of his staff. “I’ve got a lot of energetic, passionate and knowledgeable coaches who love working with these kids. I’m blessed to have their help and their energy to help and develop these kids. We’ve got 120 kids and everyone gets a rep. We’re trying to develop a program for every single kid. The varsity guys and starters get the proper reps, but we have time set aside for everyone to get the reps to make them better, and make the program better.”
For Butts, a linebacker, the coaching has been especially valuable, with Simpson being a former linebacker himself at Mississippi State and in the Canadian Football League.
“Personally, he’s taught me a lot more about being a linebacker,” Butts said. “Getting out here for drills in the summer and teaching me the small things, he helped me become a leader for the rest of the defense as a senior.”
“The kids are working hard,” Simpson said. “It’s a process to climb the mountain, but we’ll get to the top where we want to be and the team that we want to be. I’m proud of these guys for the way that they work and the way they have bought in.”
Simpson’s process is likely to take some time, but he isn’t shy about his end goal being the top of the mountain. It’s exciting talk, but he knows how talented his group of upperclassmen are and he wants to maximize their opportunities in every season, every game, every snap to turn losses into wins. He isn’t trying to start that for next year, he’s trying to start it right now.
“Knowing the history of our school, our kids, we’ve never had a lack of talent at Columbus,” Simpson said. “Right now the culture that needs to be changed is about structure. Having that in practice, structure in the way we do things and discipline. That’s the biggest thing we’re working on, having that discipline. I know these kids can play, but having discipline and a ‘give nothing, take everything’ mentality that is needed for this sport, that’s what I’m trying to build in them.”
PULL QUOTE
“It’s a process to climb the mountain, but we’ll get to the top where we want to be and the team we want to be. I’m proud of these guys for the way they work and the way they’ve bought in.” Head coach Barrin Simpson
ROSTER
0 Delmere Hudgins WR 6′ 1″ 183 lbs Sr.
0 Jamario Latham RB 5′ 7″ 186 lbs Jr.
1 JaMarcus Mosley WR 5′ 9″ 160 lbs Jr.
2 Shaun Williams DL/RB 6′ 2″ 250 lbs Sr.
3 Skylar Lashley LB 5′ 11″ 215 lbs Sr.
4 Dkyren Henderson QB 5′ 11″ 185 lbs Jr.
5 Quincy Butts LB 6′ 1″ 215 lbs Sr.
6 Vante Jones DB 6′ 0″ 175 lbs Sr.
9 Destin Poindexter DB 5′ 7″ 160 lbs Sr.
10 Dwayne Stewart TE/HB 5′ 7″ 165 lbs Sr.
11 Aiden Poindexter DL/LB 6′ 0″ 210 lbs Jr.
11 Cameron Aaron DB 5′ 10″ 160 lbs Jr.
12 Pierre Weaver Jr. DB 5′ 9″ 160 lbs Sr.
14 Tavion Bandy WR 5′ 7″ 145 lbs Jr.
15 Javion Trimble DB 5′ 9″ 175 lbs Jr.
16 Travis Hubbard DB 6′ 1″ 156 lbs Jr.
17 Elijah Spearmon WR 6′ 1″ 165 lbs Sr.
18 Dariyus Swanigan WR 5′ 9″ 150 lbs Jr.
19 Detavion Clark DL 5′ 11″ 250 lbs Sr.
19 Cortney petty ATH Sr.
20 Taylon Hodges WR 6′ 1″ 165 lbs Sr.
21 Josiah Jones DB 5′ 11″ 171 lbs Jr.
22 Jeremiah Bluitt LB 5′ 10″ 198 lbs Jr.
24 Bryston Evans LB 6′ 0″ 175 lbs Soph.
25 Reuben Howard RB/WR 5′ 8″ 155 lbs Soph.
25 Tylan Brown WR 5′ 5″ 125 lbs Soph.
26 Jalen Hollis DB 5′ 9″ 150 lbs Jr.
27 Jakylan Johnson DB 5′ 9″ 140 lbs Jr.
28 Isaiah Jenkins DB 5′ 5″ 165 lbs Soph.
29 Rodrick Spriggs WR 5′ 8″ 150 lbs Jr.
29 Jamarcus Richardson LB 6′ 2″ 250 lbs Sr.
30 Jatavious Irions DB 5′ 4″ 144 lbs Jr.
31 Braxton Leech DB 5′ 11″ 146 lbs Soph.
32 Jaylon Sparks LB 5′ 9″ 199 lbs Soph.
33 Nadrikus Johnson DB 5′ 9″ 160 lbs Jr.
33 Dar’Quaylen Hill DL 5′ 10″ 210 lbs Jr.
34 Javion Mosley LB 5′ 8″ 205 lbs Jr.
35 Kenyan Armistad LB 5′ 9″ 191 lbs Soph.
36 Marcus McCloud DB 6′ 1″ 150 lbs Soph.
37 Jadeagan Cotton DB 5′ 10″ 140 lbs Soph.
38 KaiVon Hairston DB/K 5′ 11″ 157 lbs Soph.
39 Jordan Taylor DB 5′ 11″ 160 lbs Jr.
40 Gemi Moody RB/WR 5′ 8″ 175 lbs Soph.
41 Treyvon Bush TE 5′ 8″ 180 lbs Soph.
43 Jermarco Poindexter jr LB 5′ 11″ 205 lbs Fr.
44 Jakyren Kohnson DB 5′ 9″ 165 lbs Sr.
44 Dontavius Mccloud DL 6′ 2″ 200 lbs Soph.
45 jatiquist cunningham DB 6′ 2″ 185 lbs Sr.
46 Marcus Kidd RB 5′ 4″ 145 lbs Soph.
48 Tyquavis Hibbler LB 5′ 7″ 171 lbs Soph.
49 Cantrell Davis DB 5′ 9″ 132 lbs Jr.
50 Brian Mitchell OL 5′ 11″ 280 lbs Soph.
51 Taquavious Butler OL 5′ 11″ 235 lbs Jr.
52 Tyshaun Hayden OL 5′ 11″ 250 lbs Jr.
54 Marcus Selvie, Jr. OL 5′ 11″ 235 lbs Jr.
55 Terrence Gardner he. OL 6′ 5″ 340 lbs Soph.
56 Kyler Jordan OL 6′ 0″ 215 lbs Soph.
58 Christopher Lopez OL/DL 6′ 1″ 246 lbs Soph.
60 Eric Booker OL 6′ 1″ 286 lbs Soph.
62 Donya Green OL 5′ 10″ 216 lbs Soph.
63 JaTyler Latham OL/DL 5′ 11″ 225 lbs Soph.
65 Jeremiah Evans OL 5′ 8″ 262 lbs Sr.
70 Zayden Roberts DL 5′ 10″ 285 lbs Sr.
72 Preston Robert James Morris OL 6′ 1″ 365 lbs Sr.
75 Jordan Ross OL 5′ 11″ 230 lbs Soph.
79 Latrayn Frazier OL 5′ 10″ 270 lbs Jr.
80 Bryston Verdell WR 5′ 9″ 160 lbs Jr.
81 Michael Brewer Jr WR 5′ 8″ 119 lbs Soph.
83 Tristen Lewis WR 5′ 10″ 170 lbs Jr.
84 Brody Stokes WR 5′ 9″ 180 lbs Sr.
84 Christan Hill WR 6′ 1″ 163 lbs Soph.
88 La’Shun Young WR 6′ 1″ 150 lbs Soph.
89 Rodney Spriggs WR 5′ 6″ 120 lbs Soph.
90 Shamar Wallace DL 5′ 8″ 208 lbs Soph.
91 Justin Washington DL 5′ 9″ 225 lbs Sr.
91 Jaquavious Wordlaw DL 5′ 11″ 201 lbs Jr.
93 Jacoby Hill DL 5′ 10″ 186 lbs Soph. 95 brady stokes OL 6′ 0″ 315 lbs Sr.
99 Jarvier Clark-Thompson DL 5′ 11″ 254 lbs Soph.
Jaborin Stewart Soph.
Braylen Holt Jr.
Davion Irons Soph.
Braedyn Cox Soph.
Haedyn Cox Soph.
Latorris Jones Soph.
Keith Cooper Soph.
David Blackwell Soph.
Joshua Jones Soph.
Kameron Hinton Soph.
Frederick Price Soph.
Lowrenzo Sims 5′ 8″ 169 lbs Soph.
Allenlee Brooks Soph.
Kyleb Taylor Soph.
Gavin Wilson Soph.
Elijah Butler Fr.
Tyran Butler Fr.
Caiden Anderson Fr.
Hailee Hughes 5′ 4″ 202 lbs Sr.
Kadon Burton Fr.
LaQuentin Irions Fr.
Davonte Orr Fr.
Bryson Miller Jr.
Davonte Latham Fr.
Tyrek Magee Jr.
Jahquarius Bankhead Soph.
COACHING STAFF
Head Coach
Barrin Simpson
Assistant coaches
Michael Chandler
Lawrence Hill
Jawon Johnson
Darius McGruder
Dicenzo Miller
Jeremy Newton
Seth Stillman
DeMarcus Vance
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
