SOUTHAVEN — Columbus High School senior defensive back Devon King knew patience would be critical when playing with so many young teammates this season.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, the time for patience is running out.
Southaven pushed Columbus to the brink of postseason elimination Friday night with a 44-14 victory in a Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A, Region 1 game.
The loss dropped Columbus to 2-6 and 1-3 in region play. Columbus has to win its final three games (Oxford at home, South Panola and Hernando on the road) to return to the Class 6A playoffs for a third-straight season.
Southaven continues its best season this decade by moving to 4-4 and 3-1.
“It’s really frustrating,” King said. “We practice so hard. We have the right attitude. It just hasn’t been coming together. All we can do is keep working, but it’s get frustrating. Two or three good things happen, then something really bad happens. It’s hard.”
Another anemic night on offense meant another long night for the defense. The Falcons were held to 96 yards. Columbus has been held below 200 yards six times and below 100 yards four times this season.
The frustration could be felt after the game, as Columbus fourth-year coach Randal Montgomery declined comment.
“We have some really good players,” Columbus senior safety Jordan Randle said. “We may have been beaten down by the beginning of the season. We practice well. We get to spots. Nobody has a
better attitude. We believe. We really do. It’s just been one thing or another.”
Complicating Columbus’ potential return to the playoffs is the status of junior quarterback Laterius Stowers. Stowers dislocated a shoulder in a victory against DeSoto Central. He missed games against Tupelo and Horn Lake before he returned Friday night, but he struggled to hit open receivers in the first half. In the second half, Stowers was sacked on third down on Columbus’ first possession of the half. After being assisted from the field, he remained in uniform with multiple ice packs on his throwing shoulder for the rest of the night.
Stowers and reserve sophomore quarterback Jaelen Craddieth combined to go 8-for-34 for 112 yards with a touchdown apiece. Kenneth Martin caught both touchdowns. Stowers and Craddieth also threw interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.
Columbus couldn’t generate a running game to offset the troubles in the passing game. The Falcons were held to minus-16 yards on 23 rushes. An inability to hit any deep passes continues to allow opposing defenses to load the box and to stuff the run.
The prospect of playing without Stowers for the rest of the season would make an uphill climb that much steeper.
“We just have to keep going,” King said. “Even though we have lost some players, we have to stay positive and keep going. This is not how the seniors wanted to go out, but we will keep leading. We want to finish strong.”
King, Randle, and senior lineman Josh Gray continue to be bright spots for the defense. Gray had two sacks and five tackles for loss. King had two interceptions and four pass breakups.
In the end, defensive accolades are doing little to offset the offensive struggles.
A bad snap on a fourth-down punt attempt set Columbus up with a short field in the first quarter. Stowers hit Martin from 10 yards out to tie the game at 7.
Southaven then used an 84-yard, nine-play drive to grab a 14-7 lead. Columbus failed to field a sky kick that narrowly missed going out of bounds.
Southaven recovered on the Columbus 35-yard line and quickly covered that span on two plays. The score was part of a 24-point second quarter that made it 31-7 at halftime.
“Each negative play winds up costing us,” Randle said. “If the other team makes a mistake, it rarely costs them. If we make a mistake, the other team is going to score. It’s tough to keep your head up like that.”
Still, Columbus appeared to have a shot.
A one-handed interception by King set Columbus up on the Southaven 28 with 7 minutes, 30 seconds left in the third quarter. Craddieth hit a streaking Martin in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown to make it 31-14.
Southaven then became the third region opponent to use trickery, as top receiver Jaylen Armstrong hit Zakarrius Townes on a 27-yard halfback pass for a touchdown.
Mario Boyland (50 yards) then joined Trey Perkins (41 yards) in the interception return for touchdown category to help the Chargers get ready to move on to the Homecoming dance.
“For the seniors, there aren’t many of us, but we really have to pull everybody together,” King said. “There isn’t much time left. We have to play better.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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