STARKVILLE — Near the end of a normal Monday practice at Starkville High School, both sidelines are going crazy as if the stands are full and a game is on the line. On this particular rep, the offense scores one the defense in a short-yardage situation; quarterbacks coach Clay Moore took his celebration all the way to the end zone, just to flaunt it in front of defensive coordinator Kevie Thompson. Behind the original line of scrimmage, offensive line coach William Stewart is partaking in his own trash talk.
This is the energy the Yellow Jackets football team brings to its red zone periods of practice.
The red zone has been a good area for the Yellow Jackets () because they practice it with the intensity they hope to approach it with in games. If Starkville is to reach its destination of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A state championship game — 7 p.m. Friday’s North half semifinal against Horn Lake (12-0) being the next obstacle — succeeding there could be a reason for it.
“If you look at the grand scheme of things and talk about scoring points or not letting people score points, red zone offense and defense are really important,” Starkville head coach Chris Jones said. “We try to make it competitive, the 1’s on the 1’s, put bragging rights on it.”
The coaching staff shows how much pride it takes in those areas in how it gets involved in the trash talk. They make sure the players have something at stake, too: it often boils down to a best-of-five series, the offense being rewarded for a score and the defense being rewarded for any other result. The loser runs sprints after practice.
Jones admits the defense has bested his offense more than the other way around, but he believes it has made the offense better for those situations, which is the ultimate goal.
The Yellow Jacket offense has been to the red zone 52 times; 44 of them ended in touchdowns, 30 runs and 14 passes, and half of those eight trips without touchdowns ended in field goals. Defensively, Starkville was at its best in the first round win over South Panola, holding two red zone trips totally scoreless. On the year, opponents have scored nine touchdowns in 19 trips.
The reason for the success is rooted in what they prioritize in their practice: energy.
“When you get down there, you don’t want to think too much about scheme and plays, you want to think about players,” Jones said. “You want to be aggressive and put pressure on people.
“It’s all about the energy. To me, playing at a high level comes with playing with great energy. You got offensive coaches talking against defensive coaches and it gets the kids fired up.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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