STARKVILLE — Madison Central had regained momentum for the first time all game with 9:28 left in the third quarter of Friday night’s MHSAA Class 7A semifinal against Starkville.
A five-yard touchdown run from Glen Singleton and subsequent successful two-point conversion put the Jaguars up, 15-14, over the Yellow Jackets, and turned the game on its head.
Starkville was down, but far from out, as it turned to arguably the best quarterback-wide receiver duo in the state.
Trey Petty and Braylon Burnside have connected on so many passes this season, but none more important than the two 50-plus-yard touchdown passes that turned a one-point deficit into a 13-point lead as the Jackets coasted to a North State title with a 35-15 win.
“When I know we need a big play, I know I got him,” Petty said. “I know I can trust that he’s going to make the play. We just kind of go to each other. We talk to each other. He tells me he’s got a guy and he’s going to win it, so I trust him and give him the ball.”
That connection turned a Madison Central (8-5) momentum swing into a Starkville (10-3) avalanche that catapulted the Jackets to their second-straight state title game appearance following their seventh state championship in school history last season.
Petty accounted for four of the five Starkville touchdowns in the win, hitting Jaiden Turnipseed across the middle for a 42-yard touchdown to open things up in the first quarter.
He did the same with Burnside in the third, two slant routes that left the Jags in the dust and Starkville celebrating on the sidelines.
“They were giving our receivers one-on-ones,” Petty said. “Not many people give our receivers one-on-ones because they’re scared that we’ll beat them. They played real…gutsy. They wanted to challenge our receivers and our offensive linemen up front and we handled it well.”
Starkville’s stout defense once again complemented its explosive offense, forcing several turnovers on downs at key moments.
No stop was more important than with the clock approaching four minutes left in the fourth quarter as Starkville, up 28-15 at the time, stopped Madison Central inside the Jackets’ 10-yard line on fourth-and-four. The next play, Jackets running back Jay Stevenson broke off a 95-yard touchdown run, sealing the game.
For a team who looked lost during a 30-point drubbing at Tupelo with the Region 2 title on the line three weeks ago, Starkville picked itself up and got the job done when it mattered most.
“We’ve always bounced back,” head coach Chris Jones said. “We have a great group of kids who understand how to take defeat. It’s all about learning and growing from it. Every time we did lose, we learned and got better. I’m proud of my guys through the ups and the downs. I’m just happy to be here right now.”
Celebrations were overshadowed late as a brawl broke out on the Madison Central sideline on the ensuing kickoff following Stevenson’s touchdown run.
Numerous players on both teams were ejected, potentially important for the Jackets going into next weekend in Oxford, but for right now, it’s all about getting the chance to play for an eighth state championship in program history.
“To me, this is the best job in the state of Mississippi,” Jones said. “… We had a tough non-district schedule and that prepared us for this moment. Our guys enjoy competing. We love the challenge and we were up for the challenge tonight. … I’m looking forward to going to Oxford.”
Starkville 35, Madison Central 15
Madison Central (8-5) 0 7 8 0 – 15
Starkville (10-3) 6 8 14 7 – 35
First quarter
S — Jaiden Turnipseed 42 pass from Trey Petty (two-point failed), clock 3:28
Second quarter
S — Petty 10 run (Petty two-point), clock 1:40
MC — Glen Singleton 28 pass from Jaiden Johnson (Jack Richardson kick), clock 0:33
Third quarter
MC — Singleton 5 run (Shane Gillam two-point), clock 9:28
S — Braylon Burnside 56 pass from Petty (two-point failed), clock 7:17
S — Burnside 64 pass from Petty (Jay Stevenson two-point), clock 6:01
Fourth quarter
S — Stevenson 95 run (Ja’Cori Gallegos kick), clock 3:39
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