STARKVILLE — There was a palpable buzz amongst the Starkville High School football team Wednesday afternoon.
As Yellow Jacket players milled around the weight room, they darted through doors, made lighthearted jokes at each other’s expense and gathered in coach Chris Jones’ office to shoot the breeze.
Things were seemingly back to normal.
“Focus, lock in and win,” junior quarterback Luke Altmyer said of what the team’s mindset is heading into a Friday night rivalry game at West Point.
After falling to No. 3-ranked Brandon in Week One, Starkville throttled Oxford last Friday night in the Little Egg Bowl 45-17 in an offensive renaissance of sorts — one bolstered by Altmyer and senior receiver Rufus Harvey.
“It’s always good to have a quarterback like that and it’s always good to have a guy like Rufus who plays for me and I don’t have to coach against him,” Jones said.
For Altmyer, he felt a noticeable tension as he led the Yellow Jackets into Brandon Week One.
Battling through a handful of questionable calls and a rigid Bulldog defense, he struggled to a 16-of-29, 170-yard, one touchdown, one interception effort in a game he concedes was not his best.
“To be honest, I was kind of anxious about that first game,” he said. “First game jitters and everything,”
Following the admittedly middling performance, Altmyer rebounded resoundingly. The Mississippi State and LSU target thrashed the Oxford defense for 339 yards and three touchdowns as he completed 28 of 35 passes.
The 45 Starkville points were also its largest scoring output since dropping 71 points on Murrah High School on Oct. 19, 2018.
“That second game I was really relaxed,” Altmyer said. “Played really well.”
Working in tandem with Altmyer, Harvey has enjoyed a return to form of his own.
After totaling just two receptions for 33 yards in the season opener, Harvey exploded for an eight-catch, 99-yard night against the Chargers.
“Oxford we were able to air the ball out and get receptions, get the receivers the ball,” he said. “It worked out pretty well.”
Since Altmyer took over as Starkville’s starter in 2017, Harvey has been among the more dominant receivers in his arsenal — one that included current MSU wideout Cameron Gardner.
Now both dialed in following breakout performances in Week Two, Altmyer, Harvey and the rest of the Starkville offense will face a West Point defense that allowed 341 yards and four touchdowns through the air last week against Louisville.
“They’re always fast, they’re a physical team, with a great coach,” Altmyer said. “Three-time state champions, back-to-back-to-back. They’ll be good. They’ll be ready. We’ve got to come out ready as well.”
The three-time defending Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A champion Green Wave enter the contest at 1-1 following a Week Two loss to Tyrone Shorter and Louisville.
Boasting a run-first attack spearheaded by senior quarterback Brandon Harris and senior running backs Dantariyus Cannon and Jimothy Mays — the duo has combined for 470 yards and four touchdowns this year.
The game also marks a renewal of last season’s 23-7 Starkville victory.
“It’s not just a game about us,” Jones said. “This is for bragging rights, this is for people who work, this is for people who are related — this is a big time game. We understand the magnitude of it. We’re going to put our best foot forward and let the chips fall where they may.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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