STARKVILLE — Starkville quarterback Trey Petty has shown time and time again over the past two years that he saves his best performances for the team’s biggest games.
Friday night’s district game against Madison Central, however, was a different kind of big game. In attendance were Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., watching their potential future starter under center for the first time.
Petty committed to Illinois in May, and he knew exactly what he needed to do with Illini coaches in his hometown. He impressed again, recording two total touchdowns in a 39-7 rout of the Jaguars.
“That was real cool,” Petty said. “They used to watch me through film, through the camera, through a video screen, but for them to see it in person, I definitely had to show them the real Trey Petty.”
Petty and the Yellow Jackets (7-2, 2-1) came out firing on all cylinders in a crucial district game, storming out to a 20-0 lead in the first quarter and a 26-7 lead going into the half.
Just as the offense was making things happen, the defense put together its best performance of the season, recording two takeaways and holding a potent Madison Central (5-4, 1-2) offense under 10 points for the first time all season.
“If we want to win championships, we have to be good on defense,” head coach Chris Jones said. “That’s been the focus since we got torched against Germantown. … Hats off to the kids for buying in during the bye week and this week of practice.”
Wide receiver Braylon Burnside and running back Jay Stevenson had fantastic games offensively, each recording a touchdown and more than 100 yards from scrimmage, but the two played even bigger roles defensively.
Stevenson, in particular, made a statement on defense, recording a number of tackles and recovering a fumble early on. The Jackets were able to capitalize off that play for a score and kept the momentum rolling throughout the night.
“He’s a dog,” Jones said. “He’s just a dog, man. He’s just one of those guys, and honestly, he’s been asking me to do it. That’s my fault as I’ve been trying to give other guys opportunities, but to me, at this point, whatever it takes. He’s willing to do it and he’s good at doing it.”
The Jackets final district game, between arguably two of the best teams in Mississippi, will determine the district champion.
Starkville will travel to Tupelo for a date with the Blue Wave with the winner earning the No. 1 seed from Region 2 heading into the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 7A playoffs.
It’s all hands on deck for the Jackets, with Jones telling his team in the postgame huddle, “It’s playoff mode now.”
“I think we’re ready to compete,” Jones said. “It’s all about competing. We play in a tough district. We got a really good team competing against us next Thursday. It’s going to be a short week, but it doesn’t matter. We have to find a way to get the job done.”
Starkville 39, Madison Central 7
Madison Central (5-4) 0 7 0 0 – 7
Starkville (7-2) 20 6 6 7 – 39
First quarter
S – Jay Stevenson 60 run (two-point failed), clock 7:53
S – Braylon Burnside 43 pass from Trey Petty (Petty two-point), clock 2:36
S – Petty 34 run (two-point failed), clock 1:01
Second quarter
MC – Glen Singleton 6 run (EXP good), clock 10:47
S – Courtland Cooper 14 run (two-point failed), clock 0:52
Third quarter
S – Cooper 4 run (kick failed), clock 6:41
Fourth quarter
S – Burnside 9 run (Ja Cori Gallegos kick), clock 5:16
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