Columbus High School”s football team had 23 starters back from last year”s team.
Starkville High lost all of its starting skill-position players and three starting offensive linemen.
On paper, the Falcons should have been the more experienced and more polished club Thursday in their home scrimmage against the Yellow Jackets.
Five turnovers, three sacks, and two dropped touchdown passes by wide receiver Deontae Jones stymied in a gritty and heated effort in a 17-16 loss in the spring season finale.
Despite the many missteps, Columbus, which upset Starkville and kept its rival out of the postseason in last game of the 2010 regular season, took a 16-10 lead with less than a minute to play after Cedric Jackson hit a wide open Quan Latham for a 6-yard touchdown pass.
First-year quarterback Gabe Myles helped the younger Yellow Jackets rally with a three-play scoring drive. His 47-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Saulsberry with 23.3 seconds left helped provide the winning margin.
Columbus had a final shot to win the game when Jackson heaved the last pass to Jones, who outjumped two defenders, got two hands on the ball but bobbled it away to a defender.
“We just got to learn to win a ballgame at the end,” Columbus second-year coach Tony Stanford said. “I think that”ll come, but we”ve gotten better at it. The thing I was proud of, our kids had as much spirit and get up and go as they”ve had since I”ve been here the last three years.”
When asked if losing yet another close game, despite having a more experienced group, will help the team finish games or knock its confidence down a notch, Stanford was adamant the game was a step in the right direction.
“We saw how close we were and the mistakes we made,” he said. “We”ll look back on the film and they”ll be able to see it. That”ll make us better in the long run.”
Without running back Damian Baker, one of nine Falcons who didn”t play due to academic issues, the Falcons” running game fell on the shoulders of Jackson (17 carries, 19 yards). The rising senior completed 12 of 21 passes for 155 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
His first touchdown pass, a 49-yarder to Jones, broke the Falcons out of a dismal offensive rut and cut Starkville”s lead to 10-6 three minutes into the third quarter.
But Columbus” reliance on the passing game made it easier for Starkville to sniff out plays, which will be an issue if Columbus enters the fall without a clear-cut stud at running back, Stanford said.
“Is (Baker) gonna be eligible? I have no idea,” Stanford said. “He”s been the running game, and you depend on somebody like that and they”re not doing what they”re supposed to do. It hurts you. Somebody”s just going to have to step up because you”re not going to beat a good team without a running game.”
Starkville coach Jamie Mitchell was keen to find replacements for all of his graduated playmakers, most importantly quarterback Jaquez Johnson, who had 31 touchdowns and was The Dispatch Large Schools All-Area Offensive Player of the Year in 2010.
Mitchell felt like Myles, who broke his collarbone in Week 3 last season, would win the starting quarterback job this spring. The junior did nothing to hurt his chances of opening the fall as Johnson”s successor.
Myles went 10 of 23 for 129 yards and a touchdown. He had a 1-yard rushing touchdown to open the scoring and an interception.
Mitchell didn”t expect miracles from Myles with so many new faces at other positions, but he was relieved to see his quarterback direct the game-winning drive after starting the second half 0-for-9.
“Gabe”s gonna be a good, good quarterback,” Mitchell said. “(It was) his first game out here tonight against a very good Columbus football team; they”re gonna win a bunch of ballgames. I thought he did a great job keeping his composure. We”re so far behind offensively.”
Starkville”s skill players didn”t light up the scoreboard, but Saulsberry”s five catches for 70 yards and Devontae Davis” 38 rushing yards helped outline the Yellow Jackets” plans at running back and receiver entering the summer.
“Jimmy Saulsberry, not only with the big play, Jimmy”s a talented wideout we need,” Mitchell said. “We got two fullbacks we”re very, very high on. We got to get more mileage out of (running back) Preston Baker. He”s a good player, but we”ve got to find his niche.”
Devin Mitchell and Eric Rogers had sacks for Starkville, while Stanley Childs had one of Starkville”s three interceptions.
Jones had four catches for 80 yards and a score, and DeMarcus Vance had five catches for 37 yards. Latham added an interception to go with his touchdown catch.
Columbus will open offseason conditioning May 23, while Starkville will start June 6.
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