JACKSON — “You’re in slow motion. You have to play faster.”
The words rang out from the sidelines one play into the Starkville Academy football team’s game against Hillcrest Christian on Friday night.
It’s not that the Volunteers were playing slowly. In fact, coach Jeff Terrill’s group was merely getting warmed up en route to a 51-3 victory in its Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II opener.
But the way Terrill and his coaches see it, the Volunteers have every reason to keep their feet on the accelerator because they want their final destination to be Mississippi College, the site of the MAIS state title game.
“That’s what you have got to do,” Terrill said of the coaches’ encouragement from the sidelines. “Hillcrest has a fine group of young men and coaches, but they are in a building situation and they have got some work to do, so what you have to do with your kids that week is they know they are heavy favorites, but you have got to tell them, ‘We have to get better to get where we’re going to.’ You teach them a lot to push against themselves and to play for perfection.”
Starkville Academy (4-0, 2-0 AAA-II) didn’t play a perfect game. A block in the back penalty on the opening kick negated Colt Chrestman’s 89-yard return for a score. The Volunteers committed at least five other penalties, but aside from that they looked pretty stout. Drake Gordman led the way with 103 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while Chrestman rushed for 42 yards and a pair of scores. He also caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Houston Clark.
But you wouldn’t know the Volunteers posted a 48-point victory if you talked to Gordman after the game. The junior said the coaches were yelling for the Volunteers to play faster because they started slowly. Never mind the fact that Starkville Academy gained first downs on its first four plays and needed only 1 minute, 23 seconds to go 67 yards.
“We need to speed it up and get down the field faster,” Gordman said.
Senior linebacker Josh Crittenden, who appeared to be in the backfield on nearly every play, helped decipher the reason behind the coaches’ words early in the game.
“They want us to play at a higher level and get faster and faster every week, and get better and better every week,” Crittenden said.
On defense, Crittenden led a group that didn’t allow a yard or a first down in the first half. The Cougars (1-3) finished with two first downs, -5 yards rushing, and 46 total yards.
“(Josh) really does (set the tone),” Terrill said. “He is a team captain and a three-year starter. He is a good high school football player, but he is a joy to coach. He makes it fun.”
Up front, Carter Wood, Seth Watson, Bo Ford, Connor Reinike, and Tyler Richardson paved the way for a host of ball carriers. From Gordman to Clark (9-yard touchdown run) to Chrestman to Drew Harrell (4-yard touchdown run) to Ben Moorehead to Noah Heflin (75 yards rushing), the Volunteers didn’t have a play go for negative yards. They finished with 35 carries for 328 yards.
“We are really blessed (with the number of options on offense),” Terrill said. “We have been able to create some depth at running back. In fact, our starting running back (Heflin) had an injury, but we were able to play him.
“(The offensive line) has been a really good unit from the get-go. It has been preached to them if they win the line of scrimmage, you have a great chance to win the football game.”
Kicker Sam Cox added a 36-yard field goal and hit five extra points.
With so many options, Gordman said it is easy for all of the Volunteers to trust each other. He said the theme “One team, one heartbeat” really works because every player works hard to raise the bar for the next one. If Gordman runs hard on a handful of plays, he knows Harrell or Heflin or Moorehead is going to come in and not let anybody down. He said that trust blossomed in the summer and has taken root in the first month of the season.
“It has been our goal to come together as one big team and to play together,” Gordman said.
Crittenden said the same holds true on defense. He said he tries to play as hard and as fast as he can so his teammates see him working hard and try to do the same. He believes that mind-set will help the Volunteers get “where everybody wants to go.” To get to Mississippi College, Starkville Academy will need to go even faster to prepare itself for its biggest tests of the season.
One of those matchups will come next week against Magnolia Heights. Terrill knows his team will face a tougher challenge next week, especially considering Magnolia Heights defeated Division I stalwart Jackson Academy last week. After the game, it didn’t take the coaches long to re-focus the Volunteers for their next opponent, as the words “next week” could be heard in the huddle. There was no celebration on this night because all of the Volunteers realized it was just another step toward their final destination.
To accomplish that goal, Starkville Academy will continue to rely on “One Heartbeat” to keep it together. Terrill saw signs of that togetherness in 2013, but he said it took hold in the spring and has developed into an effective chemistry that has given the team confidence.
“This group of guys, they enjoy being together,” Terrill said. “In 35 years of coaching at different levels, this is probably the tightest group of kids I have ever been around. (The togetherness) is what we consider our strength, and we hope it will be that it factor that will give us a chance.”
If there is any doubt, just listen to the coaches in practice or in games. You will surely hear them exhorting the Volunteers to go faster each play.
“We think we can play a lot faster,” Terrill said. “As good as things have been, we still have a lot of room for improvement and can get a lot better.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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