Starkville Academy started its matchup against MAIS foe Hartfield Academy with a bang, but it wasn’t enough to survive a relentless offensive attack from the Hawks that ended in a 54-21 loss.
The Volunteers (5-1) struck quickly against the Hawks (6-0) with a 75-yard rushing touchdown by Luke Johnson on the first offensive play from the line of scrimmage. What appeared to be a promising first quarter quickly fell out of reach as the minutes went on, and Hartfield scored 38 unanswered points before giving the home team the chance to strike back.
Johnson found the end zone again on a 44-yard rush late in the third quarter to finally break through for SA. The junior finished the night with 152 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 13 attempts.
Head coach Chase Nicholson was proud of his standout athlete’s abilities on the field, especially in the face of adversity.
“[Johnson] runs really hard, he did a good job,” Nicholson said. “He’s very patient. He understands that it took a little while for the (offensive) line to get going, so he just tries to get what he can get.”
Defensively, there was little that the Volunteers could do to stop a Hartfield squad that was big, strong and speedy. The Hawks quickly evened up the score with a 34-yard pass from quarterback Cayman Tapper to sophomore wide receiver Bralan Wommack and then took the lead on a 30-yard field goal from Jaxon Jenkins late in the first quarter.
From there, it was all Hartfield. Wommack added his second touchdown of the night on a 55-yard punt return, and Tapper connected with wideout Kenzy West downfield for a 31-yard score. Reed Jesiolowski rounded out the second quarter scoring with a 23-yard dash to the end zone a few minutes before halftime.
The Hawks continued to dominate on the ground in the second half. Jesiolowki, Chris Jones and Josh Wooten each added rushing touchdowns to round out a wild night of scoring for Hartfield.
A handful of miscues prevented Starkville Academy from getting back in the game. A pair of early interceptions— both of which were hauled in by Hartfield’s Bralen Steele — and a botched snap on a punt that was kicked out of the end zone for a safety ultimately led to 23 points for the Hawks
Despite the struggles, there were some bright spots on defense for Starkville Academy. Senior John Steven Card pulled down an interception and racked up four tackles, while Camp Overstreet finished the night with six tackles and one tackle-for-loss. Jackson Easton and Becket Lesley each finished the night with three tackles and one tackle-for-loss.
Starkville Academy struggled through the air for much of the evening. The Vols had no completions up until the final five minutes of the game, but eventually got things going. A promising drive ended in a perfectly placed 35-yard touchdown reception for Luke McKenzie from SA quarterback Briggs Bennett less than two minutes before the final whistle blew.
After starting the season with a five-game winning streak, Friday’s loss against a team that some see as one of the best in Mississippi was hard to swallow, but it allowed the Volunteers to see where they can improve as district play ramps up.
Nicholson said the loss is simply a bump in the road, and his team will look forward to the next opportunity.
“We know the goal, everybody knows the goal,” Nicholson said. “We’re on a path, hopefully that path takes us there. We’re just going to keep chipping away each week.”
Starkville Academy will be back in action next Friday as it hosts district opponent Pillow Academy in its final home game of the regular season.
Starkville Academy 21, Hartfield Academy 54
Starkville Academy (5-1) 7 0 7 7
Hartfield Academy (6-0) 10 21 16 7
First quarter
SA — Luke Johnson 75 run (Nathan Miller kick), clock 11:35
HA — Bralan Womack 34 pass from Cayman Tapper (Jaxon Jenkins kick), clock 8:17
HA — Jenkins 30 field goal, clock 1:09
Second quarter
HA — Womack 55 punt return (Jenkins kick), clock 11:39
HA — Kenzy West 31 pass from Tapper (Jenkins kick), clock 9:44
HA — Reed Jesiolowski 23 run (Jenkins kick), clock 3:09
Third quarter
HA — Chris Jones 8 run (Jenkins kick), clock 9:20
SA — Johnson 44 run (Miller kick), clock 6:18
HA — Jesiolowski 30 run (Jenkins kick), clock 4:49
HA — Safety on SA bad snap, clock 3:37
Fourth quarter
HA — Josh Wooten 1 run (Jenkins kick), clock 10:15
SA — Luke McKenzie 35 pass from Briggs Bennett (Miller kick), clock 1:50
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