Photo by Austin Frayser/Special to The Dispatch
STARKVILLE — The Starkville Yellow Jackets fell a touchdown short of repeating as state champions in 2023, losing 33-28 to Oak Grove in the first-ever 7A title game last December.
Several starters from that team graduated and signed to play in college, leaving significant holes in the roster. But, in Starkville, it’s all about the next guy up, and for 2024, the Jackets are counting on big contributions from some new faces.
“So far, so good,” head coach Chris Jones said of his team’s preseason. “We did a good job with the heat acclimation and I appreciate them grinding every day. We have about everybody here and that’s half the battle. You just take it one day at a time and one play at a time.”
Jones enters his eighth year with the Jackets. In that time the Jackets have never had a losing season, and the only season in which the Jackets won fewer than 10 games was the shortened 2020 season, in which they went 7-3.
This season, the expectation is the same, to still be playing in December. While the Jackets have to replace a lot of experience and Division I talent on both sides of the ball, Jones has a reliable group of juniors and seniors stepping into starting roles.
“Every year is a new roster and we knew last year that we were going to lose a lot of guys,” Jones said. “It’s about getting the next guy ready. We might not have a lot of guys who started last year, but a lot of guys who played and have been in the system a long time. They know the standard and this year there should be no drop-off. We’re not going to change anything, just get better at what we do.”
One of those players stepping into the spotlight is quarterback Jaylen Ruffin, a senior who has waited behind Trey Petty for the last two years. His time is here, and no one is more ready for it than he is.
“I mean it has really felt normal,” Ruffin said of taking the reins. “I’ve been working toward this since the 10th grade. I knew this day was going to come and I’m ready for it. I’ve got experience with these guys, we just have to execute and we’ll be straight.”
Ruffin started at defensive back in the 2023 campaign, meaning he’s seen the offense from both sides of the ball. As a backup he got some time on the field running things last year, but after three years of work, he’s ready to start under the lights week in and week out.
“He’s a dude,” Jones said of Ruffin. “He’s been doing it for a while but he’s had to wait a little while for his chance. He’s not new to starting, he started last year on defense. I expect him to do well and he expects him to do well. We’re looking forward to him being in the driver’s seat and we’ll follow his lead. He’ll take us to the promised land, I believe in him and I’m looking forward to watching him compete. It’s next man up and he’s going to do a good job.”
Ruffin took the time to talk up the defense as well. His former partner in crime DJ Hairston has been taking reps against him all summer along with a defensive group that returns a lot of experience. For an offense that has so many new starters, it’s the experience they needed in practice.
“It helps because they challenge us every day to make plays and improve,” Ruffin said of the defense. “They’ve been practicing hard and holding me to a high standard as starting QB. I think we’ll be good this year. I’m expecting a big year from the defense, both offense and defense know we have to work hard every day on and off the field. We help each other get better.”
That mindset is the kind that Jones has worked hard to install over almost a decade in Starkville. The Jackets play at a high level because they hold themselves to a high standard. That’s reflected in their schedule as well, and once again their non-district fixtures include some of the best in the state.
It’s not the easiest path, but it’s the path that gets them ready to climb the mountain when the time comes.
“That’s always the mindset, ‘Iron sharpens iron,’” Jones said. “We want to compete and the only way to get battle-tested is to play good teams. The goal isn’t to be undefeated, that would be perfect, but we want to get better so when it’s time to play district ball and championship ball it’s not our first time playing that level of competition.”
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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.
