LaDarius Flowers found a fun, close-knit atmosphere when he came to Heritage Academy and joined the football team.
John Jackson found the state championship he’d long been seeking when he transferred in.
And on Wednesday, both players found a chance at a new opportunity.
Flowers signed his letter of intent to play football at Sterling College in Kansas, while Jackson will continue his career at Northeast Mississippi Community College.
“Such a special day for John and his family and LaDarius and his family,” Heritage Academy football coach and athletic director Sean Harrison said.
Jackson transferred from Columbus High School before the 2019 season, making up part of the 14-0 Patriots team that powered its way to the MAIS Class 5A championship. Flowers came in last fall and helped the Pats to the 2020 Class 5A semifinals.
“It really was fun,” Flowers said. “I was glad to be there.”
Now, he’ll be 12 hours away in Sterling, Kansas, following through on what he wanted to do since watching college football games on national TV — Auburn and Oregon have always been his favorite teams — when he was young.
“It’s always been a dream of mine since I was a little boy,” Flowers said.
Jackson, meanwhile, said he realized it was possible to play college football when he was in ninth grade. He furthered that with his play for the Patriots, being named all-state at defensive line twice, playing in the MAIS All-Star Game this season and earning the coveted championship memorabilia.
“I’d never won a ring before, so it was exciting to me,” he said.
Harrison called Jackson a “huge part of our team the last two years” as well as a great teammate and a hard worker.
“So proud to see him continue his education at Northeast,” Harrison said.
And while Flowers will be headed quite a ways farther, he’ll be prepared. The outside linebacker said he and his family visited Sterling for a few days last week, talking with coaches and meeting the players. A friend of his from Tennessee will be joining him with the Warriors, a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
“It’ll be good to have somebody to talk to that I know so I don’t get as homesick,” Flowers said.
He will major in psychology at Sterling, which he described as a “really good school.”
“I think I can make it to the next level playing for that program,” he said.
Jackson, who picked the Tigers over Northwest Mississippi CC, has similar aspirations. After Wednesday’s signing, he said he was happy to take another step toward them.
“It feels good,” Jackson said. “Just happy.”
Here’s a list of Wednesday’s other signings from around the area:
Starkville High School
DL Dewaylon Brooks — Southwest Mississippi Community College
DL Ja’Carius Hendricks — East Mississippi Community College
WR Leroy Hollingshed — Coahoma Community College
RB Amariyon Howard — East Mississippi CC
LB Keyshawn Lawrence — East Mississippi CC
LB Ronnie Randle — East Mississippi CC
WR Stacy Robinson — East Mississippi CC
DL Ahmir Taylor — East Mississippi CC
West Point High School
LB Kylen Armstead — Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
OL Frank Bean — Itawamba Community College
OL Jamarr Davis — Northwest Mississippi CC
RB JaKobe Pate — Itawamba CC
DL Jaylin Rush — Itawamba CC
WR Shavontre Ryland — Itawamba CC
DL Jaquarius Thomas — Copiah-Lincoln CC
Noxubee County High School
DL Travorus Hatcher — Copiah-Lincoln CC
DB DaJuwuan Mumphard — Copiah-Lincoln CC
RB Bobby Shanklin — Copiah-Lincoln CC
DB Mushune Walker Jr. — Hinds Community College
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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