STARKVILLE — Starkville and West Point produced another classic matchup in the 99th edition of the local rivalry on Friday night. The Jackets won a 33-26 thriller thanks to a pick-six in the final seconds by Davarrious Hairiston, who took it 99 yards to seal the game as West Point was knocking on the door.
“It felt good,” Hairiston said. “It was a good team win tonight.”
Hairiston’s return was a redemptive moment for the player after fumbling a punt to set the Green Wave up at midfield for a potential game-winning drive. West Point drove to the verge of victory, with Colt Whitacre finding receiver Walker Moore open near the goal line. Cruelly, the ball deflected up off Moore’s hands and Hairiston pounced, taking it the distance to give the Jackets a 7-point advantage.
“I just had to keep my head up,” Hairiston said of the muffed punt. “I had to keep going, not let anything get to me, stay sane in the head, and do what coach puts me out there to do.”
“That’s just kind of who he is,” Jackets head coach Chris Jones said of Hairiston. “Through the bad, through the good, he gives his best, and I felt for whatever reason he would make a play for us. He didn’t have a great night, he had some balls caught on him, but it’s about mentality and at the end of the day that was what sealed the game.”
The Jackets had to show that mentality just to stay in the game early, falling behind 14-0 after one quarter of play. The response was led by senior quarterback Jaylen Ruffin, who led three touchdown drives to take a 19-14 halftime lead. The Jackets capitalized on three turnovers by the visitors in the second quarter to turn the tide.
The Green Wave fought back in the second half to keep pace, with receiver Justin White again coming up big to make plays downfield. His third-quarter touchdown put West Point within reach going into the final frame, and he made another big catch to help set up a score with a chance to tie the game.
The game was there to be won, but one final turnover in a critical moment cut the comeback attempt painfully short for the Green Wave.
“We made too many mistakes, critical errors,” West Point head coach Brett Morgan said. “You can’t fumble or turn it over when you’re inside your own five, that’s basic football and we gave that one to them. Three turnovers in the first half when we were up 14-0 let them back in it. We kept fighting, I’m proud of that but that’s the standard at West Point. We can’t hurt ourselves because a team like Starkville will make enough plays. We stop that then we’ll be a pretty good team.”
The Green Wave are still searching for their first win of the season after two gut-punch losses. Morgan’s team aren’t lacking for talent on the staff or the roster, but the reason they play these tough non-district games each year is to mold everything into its right place, creating a football team that is ready for November and December ball.
“You can’t replicate it, man,” Morgan said. “It’s as good of football as you’re going to find in Mississippi. It’s just (the) Golden Triangle. You find out what you’re made of. Fine coaches, fine players, football is king in this area. It’ll make us better. It’s hard right now but it wasn’t about Louisville or Starkville. It’s about our errors, and if we don’t make those we’ll be good.”
“That’s a championship program,” Jones said of the Green Wave. “We knew they’d fight to the end, and I’m proud of my guys. We fought and we’ll need this game in a situation in the future, knowing we’ve been here before. Games like this are what prepares you for the long haul.”
Starkville 33, West Point 26
West Point (0-2) 14 0 6 6 – 26
Starkville (2-0) 0 19 8 6 – 33
First quarter
WP – Quintin Thompson 4 run (two-point run failed), clock 6:37
WP – Thompson 24 run (Thompson pass to Shamane Clark), clock 1:52
Second quarter
SHS – Abralyn Jenkins 2 run (Jacori Gallegos kick), clock 10:33
SHS – Jaylen Ruffin 2 run (kick failed), clock 5:02
SHS – Ruffin 20 run (two-point pass failed), clock 3:43
Third quarter
SHS – Jenkins 47 run (Ruffin pass to Jenkins), clock 6:55
WP – Justin White 15 pass from Colt Whitacre (two-point pass failed), clock 0:52
Fourth quarter
WP – Shamane Clark 4 run (two-point run failed), clock 6:24
SHS – Davarrious Hairiston 99 interception return (two-point run failed), clock 0:18
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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.
