STARKVILLE — Jakoby Jones was at a crossroads.
The former East Oktibbeha County High School Titan didn’t know what his future held for him in football. When it was announced that the Oktibbeha County School District would consolidate with the Starkville School District in the fall of 2015, the first thought that went through Jones’ head was, “Oh boy.”
He initially wanted to go to West Lowndes High instead of Starkville High, but two football players on the Starkville High team weren’t going to let that happen, so Jones came to Starkville in the spring of 2015 and practiced with the team.
It turns out Jones made the right decision because he has played a key role for the Yellow Jackets. At 7 p.m. Friday, Jones and Starkville (9-1, 6-0 Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 2) will face Clinton (7-3, 5-1) at Yellow Jacket Stadium in a game with Region 2 title implications. A victory by Starkville would give it the region championship.
“Maleke Bell and Kobe Jones talked to me and I came here to play football,” Jakoby said. “They said, ‘Why are you going to West Lowndes? You’re a beast. You’re not going to like your decision because you aren’t going to get noticed out there,’ so they told me to come here.”
Jakoby and Bell go to the same church, so they knew each other. Jakoby said he didn’t know Kobe much, though, but that changed at spring practices.
Jakoby, a junior right tackle and right guard, played on the varsity football team at East Oktibbeha in the ninth and 10th grades. He was on the junior high team as an eighth-grader.
At East Oktibbeha, Jakoby played against 1A competition, so he was unsure if he could play against some of the opponents the Yellow Jackets were going to face. Early in spring practices, he said he was scared, but he finally began to see he could compete at the highest level in the state of Mississippi.
That idea was re-affirmed in the spring game against South Panola.
“I had to go up against the defensive end (Drelan Porter),” Jakoby said. “When I first blocked him I said, ‘OK, he ran that good so I can do that.’ It was like an energy boost.”
Going against Porter, a Mississippi State commit, was an eye-opener. That’s when Starkville offensive line coach Lee Grisham saw Jakoby shake off the feeling of being scared he first showed in the spring.
Grisham saw immediately that the offensive lineman had the ability to play at this level. When Jakoby stepped on campus in the spring, Grisham saw his potential.
“(He’s got) good feet and good work ethic,” Grisham said. “He’s got a lot of upside. He’s athletic and big. He’s just got to keep getting better each week.”
Jakoby was named the starting right tackle in the fall, but he learned quickly he needed to know how to play every position on the offensive line. He also has played right guard because of injuries. Grisham really began to see Jones’ football skills when he had to assume the added duties of playing right guard.
“He’s had to play half the season at guard, so that’s made him tougher on him,” Grisham said. “He’s getting
better.
“He’s just a good kid, good work ethic, and he’s what you look for. He’s way above his speed when it started. Now things are slowing down and he’s improving.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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