COLUMBUS — Three Falcons signed their letter of intent to play football at the next level in a ceremony at Columbus High School on Wednesday. Shaun Williams, Quincy Butts and Skylar Lashley left their mark in the first year of head coach Barrin Simpson’s tenure by anchoring the defense.
Simpson, a former linebacker himself for Mississippi State and various teams in the Canadian Football League, knew this group in particular was a talented position in the Falcons team when he arrived. The defensive effort wasn’t lacking in previous years, or in the 2024 season, and that level of experience and talent was a boost as he tried to start on the right foot at Columbus.
“I’m extremely proud of these guys,” he said. “It’s hard work to do this. Everybody can’t graduate early, go to college, go through spring football or kick off the next level of their academic or athletic careers. I’m so proud of what they’ve accomplished and what they’re doing.”
Shaun Williams, the leading rusher for the Falcons as well as defensive end, signed to play for Arkansas State. Linebackers Quincy Butts and Skylar Lashley both signed to play at the JUCO level for Mississippi Gulf Coast and East Mississippi, respectively.
Simpson expects the trio will be the first of several seniors from the Class of 2025 to sign for college programs before the next signing day early in the new year.
“Those guys have been dedicated to academics first,” Simpson said. “It’s hard work to graduate early in December, and our principal, Dr. Andrews, permitted those guys to get on that path. It’s hard work. It takes a lot of dedication, a lot of focus to graduate early and we’re proud of the bar these guys have set for the next generation of athletes to try and match.”
In 2024, the Falcons finished with a 3-7 record and missed out on the playoffs for the second season in a row. Early wins over Lafayette and Ripley gave the team a boost going into district play before gut-check defeats to New Hope and Callaway took the wind out of their sails.
The group of core defensive players will be missed next season, but Simpson is hopeful the example they set will have an impact on the next guys to step up. He only spent one year with the group, but he saw their hard work in practice and echoed the same principles he has since day one as parting words to the players.
“I told them to just be committed,” Simpson said. “Be committed to what you say you want to be and the goals you want to accomplish. It’s desire, determination and discipline that’s going to help you reach your dreams, your destiny. That’s my advice to them, put that hard work in and be dedicated, be disciplined and you’ll reach the goals you’ve set from day one.”
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