STARKVILLE — The Starkville High School football team’s visit to West Point on Friday night could be the state of Mississippi’s marquee game of the week.
Starkville (2-0) enters the Golden Triangle battle as one of the favorites for the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A State title, while West Point (2-0), the reigning MHSAA Class 5A State champion, is the same in 5A.
The game also will split one local family.
Quarterback Malik Brown will lead the Yellow Jackets against a Marcus Murphy-led offense that is scoring nearly 35 points per game. Brown and Murphy, who are cousins, have reached an understanding.
“On the field, we’re not family,” Brown said. “After the game, shake hands, hug, all that.”
Brown said he and Murphy spend time with each other every weekend. He said they also talk to each other leading up to their respective games, but this week was different. Brown planned on texting Murphy on Monday night with some innocent trash talk.
“I text him after every game. He texts me after every game,” Brown said.
This week is the exception. Brown had no plans to acknowledge Murphy before the game. He planned only to shake Murphy’s hand and wish him the best of luck. By all accounts, Murphy is all business, too.
“He’s just been locked in and focused on practice this week, doing the things he needs to do to control us,” West Point coach Chris Chambless said. “Marcus is so competitive any way, as all of us are. This is West Point vs. Starkville week. The emotions are high as it is.”
There was a time when Brown and Murphy might have joined forces.
Brown spent the second half of the 2016 season of Starkville’s roster as he attended to personal matters. When a return to football became apparent, the prospect of transferring to West Point was enticing, especially since his mother teaches in the West Point school district and there are plenty of other family ties.
But Brown’s mother ended the speculation. Brown grew up in the Starkville school system and she wanted him to finish in it.
When Starkville hired coach Chris Jones to replace Ricky Woods, Brown received a second chance, and player and coach have seen eye-to-eye ever since.
Chambless didn’t take any chances when he heard about the possibility of Brown showing up in West Point. He said he didn’t have any contact with Brown and that his policy is not to discuss football with students until they’re enrolled at West Point. He said Brown will be a handful for the Green Wave.
“He’s very athletic, mobile,” Chambless said. “He can hurt you with his legs and his arm. He’s really accurate on the pass and he can move. He can go.”
Brown showed the ability to run and throw last week, rushing for 101 yards and throwing for 153 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-21 double-overtime win against Oxford.
Murphy, who also plays quarterback, is West Point’s leading rusher, with 230 yards and three touchdowns. His one completion is a 51-yard touchdown pass.
“He’s a monster,” Brown said of his cousin. “He says I’m like a smaller version of him.”
In addition to Murphy, a Mississippi State commit, the game will feature Starkville wide receiver Cameron Gardner, a member of MSU’s Class of 2018.
Starkville junior linebacker Zach Edwards has offers from MSU and Ole Miss.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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