STARKVILLE — Starkville Academy offensive tackle Karsten Upchurch emerged from Friday’s 26-21 MAIS first-round playoff win over visiting Simpson County Academy with a career first — a touchdown.
Following a long run by star running back CJ Jackson, the usually sure-handed tailback coughed up the ball just before crossing the goal line on his next touch. Falling on the ball, Upchurch leapt from the ground holding the lost carry. With it, he helped the Volunteers to their first win of the postseason.
“I didn’t know what to do,” Upchurch said through an ear-to-ear grin. “I just held the ball up and started running. I forgot we had to kick a field goal.”
In a game in which Jackson was largely held at bay, it was Upchurch’ fumble recovery and the Starkville Academy special teams unit that pushed the Volunteers to a 12-point halftime lead.
Seconds after Upchurch’s score, Simpson Academy lined up for its third punt of the night. Racing off the edge, Brody Pierce slapped the ball out the air as it rumbled end over end toward the Cougars’ goal line. Rolling into the end zone, Charlie Nicholas fell on top of the ball for the third Starkville Academy score of the night.
Following a brief Simpson Academy run in which running back Carter Cockrell scored on runs of five and 69 yards to pull the Cougars within a score, Volunteers quarterback Randall Futral, who played Friday night’s game with a cast on his non-throwing hand, carried Starkville Academy deep into Simpson Academy territory as the clock neared zero.
After a short carry by Jackson came up inches short, Futral found Brody Pierce on a screen pass on the far side of the field to put the Volunteers ahead 26-14 heading into the break.
“They were playing man coverage, and he was standing wide open,” Starkville Academy head coach Chase Nicholson said. “That was a great heads-up play by your quarterback and your wideout being on the same page at the same time.”
After racing up and down the field in the opening 24 minutes of play, the Volunteer offense fell silent in the second half.
Jackson, who notched a 51-yard run to set up Upchurch’s touchdown, had his ankle rolled over and was helped off to the sideline early in the fourth quarter. He did not return.
In his place, Nicholson and his offensive staff dialed up quarterback counter after quarterback counter in hopes of finding some kind of running room. Instead, the Volunteers were stymied throughout.
Simpson Academy, too, was largely unproductive in the second half. Quarterback Brentley Berry’s 10-yard touchdown run on fourth down to bring the Cougars within five offered the lone score of the half.
Simpson Academy was also left without its preeminent playmaker in Cockrell after he was ejected following an altercation between him and a Starkville Academy player.
With just over a minute and a half remaining, backup quarterback Colby Allen narrowly converted a fourth-and-2 on a draw up the middle to send Starkville Academy into a second-round matchup with rival Heritage Academy.
“That’s what we wanted,” Upchurch said of facing the Patriots. “We always want to play them in the playoffs, and we’re going to come out and do what we do, and hopefully we’ll just go to the next round.”
Starkville Academy 26, Simpson County Academy 21
SCA 0 14 7 0 — 21
SA 7 19 0 0 — 26
First quarter
SA — CJ Jackson 3 run (John Dylan Miller kick)
Second quarter
SA — Karsten Upchurch 0 fumble recovery (Miller kick)
SA — Charlie Nicholas 0 blocked punt (kick failed)
SCA — Carter Cockrell 5 run (Jaden Wedgeworth kick)
SCA — Cockrell 69 run (Wedgeworth kick)
SA — Brody Pierce pass 3 from Randall Futral (pass failed)
Third quarter
SCA — Brentley Berry 10 run (Wedgeworth kick)
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
