STARKVILLE — Starkville High School wide receiver Cameron Hines has “an epic night” in his immediate future: Senior Night.
The evening will serve as part of a culmination of what he said has been “a great year, a blessed year.”
But Hines and the rest of the Yellow Jackets hope their regular-season finale against Clinton at 7 p.m. Friday is only the beginning of another journey.
That’s because while the matchup will be the final regular-season home game for Hines and his classmates, Starkville likely will get at least one more home game in the first round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A playoffs.
Hines hopes he can help Starkville earn a few more home dates. To accomplish that goal, Starkville (9-2, 5-1 Class 6A, Region 2) needs a win tonight to secure the No. 1 seed in the region. Starkville is tied with Madison Central at 5-1, but it owns the tiebreaker thanks to a 14-6 win on Oct. 13.
Clinton (5-5, 3-3) has been eliminated from playoff consideration. A 35-17 loss to Northwest Rankin on Oct. 13 means the Arrows wouldn’t be able to win a tiebreaker with a win Friday and a loss by the Cougars to the Murrah Mustangs.
Hines leads Starkville with 43 catches, 504 yards, and eight touchdowns. He hopes his performance combined with a spot in the Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star Game at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, in Gulfport could produce a late offer from a college program.
West Point High’s Chris Calvert and Starkville’s Jalen Ware will join Hines on the North team in the All-Star Game.
A college offer would be an impressive turn for a player who caught 10 passes and had one touchdown last season.
Coach Chris Jones’ system deserves credit for allowing players like Hines to maximize their explosive potential. But Jones said Hines’ ability after the catch has enabled him to make an impression.
“He does a lot after the catch,” said Jones, who is in his first season after coming over from Kemper County High. “He’ll catch a screen and get upfield, but he’s also dangerous with the deep ball. I think his ability to stretch the field helps him to catch the short stuff because (defensive backs) tend to back up and give him everything he wants to avoid giving up the big play.”
Jones saw Hines’ ability in the summer when the Yellow Jackets played 7-on-7. Jones takes the work in the summer seriously, and he quickly discovered Hines had to touch the ball once the season started because he believed Hines would be tough to stop in a run-pass option system that relies on screens and hitches. Receivers turn their backs to the quarterback after going downfield for a predetermined number of yards, which is rarely more than four. What Hines does after that is up to him.
“I’ve never coached a kid on what to do after they catch the ball,” Jones said. “That’s instinct and natural ability. I’ll coach a kid up to the top of your route and what to do to get out of your break, but after the catch, that’s all on you. You have to be an athlete, do what you’ve been doing all your life in the backyard.”
Hines doesn’t have any flashy jukes or spin moves. Most of the time, Jones said, Hines can beat defenders by gaining separation with his first step and using his speed to pull away.
“I hate to see guys dancing, playing around and doing all this moving. That’s giving the defense a chance to pursue you and get there versus get the ball, tight curve, and get upfield,” Jones said. “That’s one thing that he does well.”
If a defender stays in stride on that first step, Hines knows how he can finish him.
“Stiff arm, always stiff arm. I love a stiff arm,” Hines said. “That’s been my favorite move since I was a little baby.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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