VICKSBURG — When Columbus High School senior running back Derrick Jordan was escorted by his coaches to the sidelines, the first player to offer encouragement to the wounded Falcon was junior teammate Devarkas Ramsey.
“I told him I was going to go out and get him two touchdowns, turns out I needed to have done a little bit more,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey ran for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns but it was not enough as Columbus dropped a 45-28 decision to Vicksburg in prep football action Friday night at Vicksburg Memorial Stadium.
Jordan suffered an apparent ankle injury on the team’s first possession. He was unable to put any pressure on his right leg as a pair of coaches helped him to the sidelines.
Suddenly, Ramsey was a major component for the offensive game plan.
“Not only is Derrick a great running back but he is a senior and he is a leader,” Columbus coach Eric Rice said. “Replacing him as a player is one thing. Replacing him as a leader is another. It proved a challenge. However, we have been dealing with adversity all season.”
Ramsey received his fair share of carries as a sophomore. This season, the new Columbus coaching staff has used him primarily on defense. He is growing into the mike linebacker position.
Friday night, Ramsey became the latest two-way Falcon.
“Playing running back is my first love and always has been,” Ramsey said. “Some things have changed this season. I don’t mind playing defense. It’s where I can help the team. However, if I am true to my heart, I like carrying the football. So in this game when Derrick went down, you don’t want your teammates to get down. You want to go out there and prove your worth and hopefully give everybody a lift.”
Ramsey did just that.
Columbus (0-4) had scored four touchdowns in its first three games. Those games came against three teams ranked in the state’s Top 10.
Friday was a far different situation. The Falcons could match the Gators virtually man for man. With the exception of one man that is.
Vicksburg senior Tyrese Wolfe had three touchdowns. His worksheet included a 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, as well as interception return touchdowns of 45 and 75 yards.
Wolfe scored the game’s only two touchdowns in the second half.
After an offensive shootout from both clubs, Vicksburg (1-2) led 33-28 at halftime.
“No one likes to lose,” Rice said. “You want to leave the field with a win. However, this game was huge for our team. We showed we can compete with somebody. If you turn on the film, you will see a game where if you cut down your mistakes, you win. That is encouraging. All of the region games are left. We will grow from that.”
For Columbus, the second quarter had been a long time coming. The Falcons drove 67 yards on six plays with Ramsey scoring from six yards. The Falcons followed that by going 73 yards on five plays with sophomore Karon Hawk going in from 5 yards out. After the Wolfe kickoff return, Jarrod Bush caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jaelan Craddieth to cap a 54-yard, 3-play drive. That possession took the place in the final minute of the half.
“The second quarter was great,” Ramsey said. “We really grew up there. The offensive line is so much better this year. We got things going and played with confidence. That had been missing around here.”
In the end, the Falcons couldn’t shake off three interceptions, a fumble and a bad snap on a fourth down punt attempt from their own 15-yard line. Columbus also had a turnover on downs at the Vicksburg 37-yard line with the five-point halftime deficit still in play.
“We know we have that 0-4 record,” Ramsey said. “That would break some teams. It won’t break us. We are going to come back out and work hard and find a way to win some of these games before the year is out.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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