Royquavious Williams isn’t your typical kicker.

The hulking West Lowndes High School senior starts on both the offensive and defensive lines, manning left tackle and nose guard, respectively, for the Panthers during Friday’s game against Biggersville.

And Williams is also West Lowndes’ starting placekicker and punter.

The big man — listed at 6-foot-2 and 330 pounds — knocked through an extra point on his only attempt of the game and had a solid punt as well.

Next up, quarterback?

— Theo DeRosa

Kizer steps up up front for Patriots

With starters Ayden Mitchell, Jack Ketchum and Braden Davidson sidelined for Heritage Academy’s Friday clash with Jackson Prep, coach Sean Harrison was concerned about conditioning. 

After all, all three are two-way starters, he said. 

In Mitchell’s absence, Drew Kizer would make his first start at center. The result: zero sacks and a monster day passing for quarterback Mack Howard, who finished with 286 yards and four touchdown passes in their 39-21 win.

“I’m so proud of Drew Kizer … he stepped up big,” said Trey Naugher, who caught three touchdowns Friday.

Harrison said Naugher’s 85-yard scoring catch late in the game underscored the line’s “phenomenal” performance.

“The hitch-and-go play, I was nervous throwing that down there because a sack is a safety, and that’s a momentum swing,” Harrison said. “But Mack had all day to throw. All around, the (offensive line) was unbelievable.”

— David Miller

Jackets slowed, not stopped by flag fest

Mistakes are not uncommon during the first game of the season, but the number of penalties called on Starkville on Friday night was staggering, even for a team returning just six starters from a year ago.

The problem was especially acute during the second quarter of Starkville’s 28-0 win over Columbus. Six flags flew during those 12 minutes, costing the Yellow Jackets 75 yards. Yet that was their best quarter on the scoreboard, putting up 14 points.

Quarterback Trey Petty’s 15-yard keeper inside the Columbus 10 was wiped out by a call for a block in the back. No problem for Petty, who found Jaylon York for 23 yards on fourth-and-16 to get back inside the 10. Two plays later, Tyler Nichols’ 2-yard burst put the Jackets on the scoreboard.

On the Falcons’ ensuing drive, consecutive incompletions brought up third-and-10, but the Yellow Jackets appeared to bail them out with a pass interference call on third-and-10. But instead of the penalty proving costly, two plays later, a backward pass resulted in a fumble that gave the home team a first down near midfield.

It took just three plays for Starkville to go 47 yards for a 14-0 lead, with Petty following a 42-yard run by Nichols with a 4-yard keeper into the end zone. 

A face mask penalty on the next drive moved the Falcons into Starkville territory, but four plays later a pass was deflected off of York into the hands of Curtis Willis inside the Jackets’ 10.

It was that kind of night.

— Tom Rysinski

Explosive opening for Dill

Oak Hill Academy quarterback Cameron Dill came out firing Friday night against Benton Academy. 

The senior quarterback, who finished 17 of 29 for 289 yards and four touchdowns, put up 224 of those yards during the first quarter as the Raiders took an early lead in a game they eventually would lose 59-41.

Talk about a hot start.

— Elizabeth Keen