The postseason is here, and the defending champs are again hunting for rings.
Starkville ran the gauntlet to take the 6A title last season, and now is looking to become the first 7A champion in Mississippi high school football history.
“Our mantra is the same as last year to go 1-0,” Jackets head coach Chris Jones said ahead of his team’s first-round playoff game. “The previous record doesn’t matter now, everyone has the same record. We had a decent regular season, but that doesn’t matter now, it’s all about survive and advance.”
The Jackets head to the playoffs on the back of a humbling 36-6 loss to Tupelo, losing what was effectively the district championship game after dominant wins over Clinton and Madison Central. It’s an important test for the Jackets to face going into the playoffs, but Jones said earlier this season that a humbling is necessary sometimes, and he thinks this could be a wake-up call at just the right time.
“It was a good old-fashioned butt-whooping that we probably needed,” Jones said of the loss at Tupelo. “We’ve had a great week of practice and the focus and intensity has been there. Hopefully, it all carries over to tomorrow night, we play well, and do what we need to do to win.”
Jones also stressed the lessons his team learned last season, how big losses can play a role as long as you get hot at the right time.
Last year the Jackets arrived in the postseason on a winning streak, now they have to start a new one.
“We didn’t win district,” Jones continued, “but at the end of the day we’ve been down worse paths before, and we know what it takes to come together and win.”
The Jackets still get to host a playoff game despite not winning the district, something they didn’t have the luxury of in their run to the title last year. Southaven comes to Starkville with a 3-7 record, picking up all of their wins in district play to sneak into the playoffs. The Chargers are familiar opponents, with the 38-12 loss last year the most recent result in a four-game postseason losing streak against the Jackets dating back to 2014.
Jones isn’t underestimating the Chargers though, and he knows after last week just how important it is to focus on the task at hand, survive, and advance.
“They’re a good team that does a lot well. They’ve got some athletes, and we’ve played them in the playoffs before so we know they’re that sort of team. We’ve got to play our best and find a way to finish.”
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