STARKVILLE — Starkville High School football coach Ricky Woods would love to be undefeated right now.

But a season-opening loss to Noxubee County has fueled what his team has done since then.

Starkville will put its eight-game winning streak on the line at 7 tonight when it faces Warren Central in a Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 2 game.

“It did open their eyes,” Woods said. “If you don’t play well you’re going to get beat, and if you don’t prepare well you’re going to get beat. That happened to us the first ballgame. Something positive came out of that.”

Starkville (8-1, 5-0 Class 6A, Region 2) trailed Noxubee County for most of the second half, but rallied late to tie things at 20 and force overtime. Neither team scored in the first overtime. The Tigers scored on their try in the second overtime and denied the Yellow Jackets on a fourth-down pass from inside the 10-yard line to win.

That loss showed the Yellow Jackets they had flaws. There weren’t many flaws in technique or scheme, but the team needed to change its mind-set.

“We realized that nothing is going to be given to us just because we wear Starkville across our chest,” senior defensive end Lorenzo Dantzler said. “It was a lot of I, I. We learned from that. We’ve just got to focus on the team. There’s no I in team, so we just had to come out, get together, play as a family, and play like we love each other.”

After the loss, Dantzler said the seniors talked to the team about focusing on each opponent and not worrying about the playoffs or a possible state championship.

The next week, Starkville beat Oxford 20-7 at home on ESPNU to get back on track. It then beat West Point 16-0 and KIPP Collegiate (Tennessee) 48-0 to close non-region play.

Starkville has beaten Callaway (49-7), Northwest Rankin (30-7), Greenville (42-0), Madison Central (28-10), and Murrah (42-14) in Region 2 action.

The loss also showed the Yellow Jackets the importance of practice.

“That loss showed us we can’t just come out here and play around each day,” senior quarterback Montario Montgomery said. “It showed us we have to get better and better every day.”

Woods said players began to show up to practice more focused. He isn’t sure if that would have happened if Starkville beat Noxubee County.

“We’re just more attentive,” Woods said. “It’s hard to go out there and practice three hours a day, but every rep counts. You’ve got to focus mentally, as well as physically. You don’t want to stay out there forever, but this is some hard practices. It’s physically and mentally grinding.”

Montgomery has led an offense that is scoring 32.8 points and averaging 332.2 yards per game. He is 112 of 199 for 1,595 yards and 15 touchdowns. His top target, senior wide receiver A.J. Brown, has 56 catches for 853 yards and seven touchdowns.

The defense is allowing less than eight points and 178.9 yards per game. Dantzler has 31 tackles (11 for loss), a team-high nine sacks, four forced fumbles, and three pass breakups. Junior linebacker Abdural Lee leads the team with 76 tackles

Starkville will close the regular season with a home game against Clinton next week. All three teams have clinched playoff spots and still have a chance to win the region title. Starkville more than likely will have to win out to claim the title. Woods feels like that will be an incentive for his team.

The players said they are ready for the challenge.

“I feel pretty good about it,” Dantzler said. “These are my brothers. I know we’re going to play for one another and go out and put on a show.”

Since losing to Wayne County to open the season, Warren Central (8-1, 5-0) also has also reeled off eight-straight wins. Warren Central beat Clinton 28-26 last week on the road.

Clinton (6-3, 4-1) will play at winless Greenville tonight. If the Arrows lose and the Yellow Jackets win, Starkville clinches the division.

Starkville will earn a home playoff game in the first round of the playoffs if it finishes first or second in the region. The Yellow Jackets will need three victories to make it to the state championship game Dec. 4 at Ole Miss’ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

“We look at is as two more games to get to Oxford,” Montgomery said. “We’re just trying to get the best seeding in the playoffs. We’re trying to have home field advantage in the playoffs.”

Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait

Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.