The 2020 season came to a screeching halt for Starkville Academy.
They came within a hair of moving into the third round of the MAIS 5A state playoffs, but their comeback attempt was thwarted by Heritage Academy and the Patriots squeaked out a 21-19 victory.
Only a few plays separated the Vols from victory, and head coach Chase Nicholson wants to make sure his team knows that and is encouraged by that.
“There’s always one play,” Nicholson said. “You know you could go through that game and find several plays that would have made the outcome different. You move forward from that, and you learn from that.”
While Starkville Academy only lost one game to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was still a massive roadblock in the way for the 2020 Volunteers.
“We were able to play a lot of football while other people weren’t that lucky,” Nicholson said. “They didn’t get to play that many games. The world that we lived in, the adversity we faced week in and week out, that’s what football is all about, so you really got a life lesson every week.”
Starkville Academy finished their 2020 campaign with a 6-5 record that featured a home win against Simpson Academy in the first round of the MAIS playoffs.
The Volunteers will be heading into 2021 missing a few key pieces that helped make the engine go in 2020. They will need to replace the production of eight seniors who graduated this past spring.
Chief among the Volunteer losses is running back CJ Jackson, who broke the school rushing record in 2020. He ended his career with 4,679 rushing yards in three years and is continuing his playing career at Belhaven University.
While SA lost a few players on the line, another big loss was Brody Pierce, who could play multiple positions including punter, kicker, wide receiver and corner. Nicholson said that he is confident the culture the seniors left will have this team ready to compete.
Nicholson expects great things out of Randal Futral. Futral will be entering his third year as the starter and is someone that Nicholson feels can step up, be a leader and be an example for this team. Brady Johnson, who left late last year with an injury, will be back and looking to make an impact at receiver.
Colby Allen at outside linebacker should be the alpha of the defense. Nicholson describes Allen as mean and aggressive on the field but also someone who will step up and be a leader off the field. Charlie Cox should anchor not only the defensive line but the offensive line as well.
Nicholson said that while he expects big things from those players, there are many more guys on his squad that are hungry for playing time and can make an impact.
Nicholson is not looking at any games as more important than the rest, but he said the opening non-district games are important because they will prepare SA for the tough district schedule. The Vols will open with Jackson Academy, Lamar and Leake Academy.
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