Columbus High School senior strong safety Tyran Smith had an emotional moment Friday night.
On Senior Night at Falcon Field, Smith capped a sensational effort by his defense with a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown. It was the last of five takeaways for the Columbus High football team in its 46-20 victory against Olive Branch in a Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 1 game.
“To see where we are now and to see where we came from, this is special,” Smith said. “It’s emotional. It’s incredible. We have had quite the journey. It’s not over yet, but this is a special moment.”
Columbus improved to 7-2 and 5-0 in region play. The victory guarantees a top-two finish in the region standings and the chance to play host to a playoff game Nov. 6 for the first time since 2005. It will be the first first-round home playoff game for the Falcons. The Falcons also finished the regular season undefeated at home (5-0) for the first time.
Even when others doubted, Damonta Kidd, who also played his final regular-season home game Friday night, believed.
“In eighth grade, I was a running back,” said Kidd, whose pressure from a linebacking position was a key part of the victory. “I couldn’t be stopped. These days, we have other running backs who can’t be stopped. But seriously, we won all the time in junior high, so this is not a surprise.
“We just had to stay patient and believe in what we were doing. You have to have coaches to lead. You also have to have players to make plays. For the seniors, this is special. We were down and now we are up. We have come a long way in a short amount of time. This feels really great.”
Olive Branch (5-4, 3-2) entered the game with one of the best passing attacks in Class 6A. The Conquistadors also come in with a long history of dominance of its series against Columbus. None of that mattered to Columbus coach Randal Montgomery.
“We knew they were going to throw the ball a lot, so we were hoping that meant we were going to pick some balls off,” Montgomery said. “The goal was to work Monday through Thursday to put the guys in a position to make plays Friday night. We did a great job of that. It was an excellent plan. It was excellent execution of an excellent plan. These kids really deserve this moment.”
Throughout the season, Columbus has ridden a stellar defense to the top of its region. Friday night was no different. Christopher Deloach and Kidd teamed to make the night long for quarterback Brady Burse.
The Falcons wound up with four interceptions. It was a mixed bag of older and younger. While Smith celebrated his Senior Night with an interception return for a score, sophomore Devon King joined the party with a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Columbus has three defensive scores in three weeks.
Senior Hezekiah Manigo had an interception, as did junior Derrick Beckom. Beckom also had a hand in the other turnover, as he stripped Tarik Travis. Deloach made the recovery. It was the game’s first turnover in the game and came in a stretch of three-straight scoring drives for the Falcons. By the time that offensive spree ended, Columbus was in control 26-7.
“You can tell when the momentum changes in a game,” Manigo said. “The other team’s quarterback gets rushed and starts to panic a little bit. That is when we go in for the kill. Really there in the second quarter, we got after it. All of the seniors were really excited about playing tonight and we knew we were playing for some really big things.
“On defense, our job is to go out and get the job done with whatever it takes. Tonight, when everybody is making plays and getting interceptions, that makes it fun.”
Columbus junior Kylin Hill had his second straight three-touchdown rushing game. He also caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback C.J. Gholar. Hill rushed for 107 yards for his sixth 100-yard game of the season.
Junior Kendre Conner ran 15 times for 62 yards, with a 14-yard touchdown. Conner is finally back at full strength after an ankle injury.
“We like where we are,” Montgomery said. “We have all of our pieces back. There is a quiet confidence level about this team. The bigger the game, the better they play. There is no doubt this team has grown up.”
The growth is up and down the lineup. Beckom had a forced fumble, interception, and four pass breakups. He knows where the program is headed and is happy to have another year.
“The seniors have led the way,” Beckom said. “They have willed us into becoming a special team. It is all about practice, attention to detail. We work hard during the week. We believe in our coaches. We know the game plan going into the game. Our job is to go out and make plays. When you know all of the guys around you are going to make plays, you feel good.”
Montgomery liked this team in the preseason. After finishing 4-7 in his first season, Montgomery took solace in the fact that the Falcons won three of their final four games last season. To outsiders, the transformation has been dramatic. To insiders, it is Columbus’ time.
“(South Panola and Columbus) are both in the playoffs and we are both hosting in the first round,” Montgomery said. “We have nothing to lose. We are going to go on the road to play a game for a district championship. That’s exciting. Our playoff plans are set, and that’s exciting. We will load the bus and give it our best at South Panola.
“This team believes now. They know how far we have come.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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