Taylor shows his class in loss at West Point
Noxubee County always has a chance in games because of its quarterback, KaMario Taylor.
The four-star Mississippi State commit never takes long to show newcomers why there has been so much hype around him since his sophomore year.
On Friday, the West Point defense gave Taylor fits. They took away his options downfield, they pressured him constantly, and they often had a spy ready to stop a scramble at a moment’s notice. On top of things, Taylor’s young receivers had several dropped balls and wrong routes, including a 45-yard pass dropped on a dime that would have gone for a touchdown.
Taylor completed just 52% of his passes and was even picked off by Green Wave safety Jamichael Forest.
And yet he still provided 271 yards of the Tigers’ 292 total yards on offense and was responsible for all three touchdowns on the night.
West Point head coach Brett Morgan called Taylor the best player in Mississippi after the 20-18 win, and there aren’t many who would debate that. He is precise and powerful and he is a big reason why the Tigers are aiming for Hattiesburg in December.
— Colin Damms
Ruffin bails out Starkville in win over Meridian
As displeased as Yellow Jackets head coach Chris Jones was after Friday night’s game, Starkville still did beat Meridian 28-15 in a contest that did not feel even that close. Jaylen Ruffin may be in his first year as the starting quarterback, but he is nonetheless a senior, and he showed the confidence and poise expected of an upperclassman as his team improved to 3-0.
A starting defensive back last year, Ruffin torched the Wildcats’ secondary with pinpoint long bombs. He finished just 9-for-20 passing, but was hurt by a few drops from his receivers and threw for 202 yards from those completions, three of which went for touchdowns. Ruffin’s first scoring pass of the night, which he fit neatly over two defenders into the waiting hands of Davarrious Hairiston, went for 59 yards.
Ruffin had a tough act to follow in Starkville taking over behind center for Trey Petty, who was named Mississippi Class 7A Mr. Football last year and is now at Illinois — where he is backing up another former Yellow Jacket, Luke Altmyer. But three games in, Starkville does not seem to have lost much at the game’s most important position. Ruffin also rushed for 100 yards on 12 carries in the Meridian game.
The Yellow Jackets already have wins over powerhouse programs Noxubee County and West Point. Next up is a trip to Louisville to face a program riding a 29-game winning streak since its last loss against Starkville two years ago. Ruffin has shown he is up for the challenge.
— Benjamin Rosenberg
In praise of ‘ironman’ football
There are lots of reasons to love high school football in the Golden Triangle, but one of the best has to be the persistence of “ironman” football – the kind played by a number of small academies around the state who field eight-man teams.
Victory Christian, which competes in the Alabama Christian 8-man association, consistently shows up on Thursday or Friday nights with a roster of about 15 players. That means a majority of the roster plays both offense and defense and rarely, if ever, leaves the field. The results aren’t always there – VCA lost 38-6 to a bigger, deeper Jacksonville Christian squad on Friday night – but the effort always is. In eight-man football, there’s simply nowhere to hide; everyone has to block and everyone has to tackle in space. Beyond that, almost everyone is going to get hit on almost every play.
Those facts alone would be enough to make most people look elsewhere for their after-school activities, but these Eagles consistently show up and consistently fight; their effort is never lacking. For this season, that effort is paying off, as VCA is 2-1 with an excellent chance of finishing the season above .500.
— Philip Poe
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You can help your community
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 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
