Jackets face challenging schedule
There’s only one month until the first kickoff of the season in the area and Starkville High School head coach Chris Jones won’t be playing any cupcakes.
Jones hasn’t been shy about preaching to his team the importance of setting the highest goals for itself. That means championships are the top priority and playing a tough schedule to prepare them is the route that he will take.
“I think that’s the key to prepare us for district play,” Jones said. “If you want to be a good team, you have to beat good teams. It will help us when it comes district and playoff time.”
As usual, Starkville will open up against Noxubee County to begin the season, but this year will add some extra sizzle to the rivalry than year’s past. Jones heads back to his alma mater for the first time as the SHS head coach.
It’s a night he’s been looking forward to since he took the job.
There are several players that are also looking forward to the trip because they last time they were in Macon, the Jackets were handed an overtime loss in 2015. That was be their only loss of the season as they went on to claim the Class 6A State championship. Noxubee won Class 4A that year.
“It’s going to be huge because there’s so much you can put in this game with it being my former school and the rivalry that’s already there,” Jones said. “It could be one of the biggest opening games in the state of Mississippi that week because of the crowd and two good teams squaring off.”
That opens the season in Macon on August 18 and then Starkville continues rivalry row with a home game on August the 25 against Oxford in the Little Egg Bowl, a road trip to West Point on September 1 and then the renewal of the series with Columbus at home on September 8.
The Columbus game is one that Jones said should be necessary every season.
“You have some people that live in Starkville and work in Columbus and vice versa so everyone wants those bragging rights,” Jones said. “It’s another big 6A challenge because coach (Randall) Montgomery has done a great job with that
program and they continue to build.”
Closing out the non-conference schedule will be Meridian on September 15. Last season wasn’t a great experience for the Yellowjackets as they went to Meridian and dropped a 20-10 outing.
Jones feels that this game
could give his team a chance to really check its pulse heading into conference play and late in the year.
“With them coming from the south, it gives us a chance to gauge the style of play,” Jones said. “I hate to keep talking about championships, but that’s what we want to get to and we have to play someone from the south to win it all. It’ll give us a gauge
on where we’re at as a team and how we can compete with some of the best teams in the south.”
Closing out the rest of the schedule will be Region 2 opponents. A road trip to Provine on September 22, home against Northwest Rankin on September 29, at Greenville on October 6, home against Madison Central on October 13, two road
games at Murrah and Warren Central on October 20 and 27 and senior nigh against Clinton on November 3.
The tables have turned a bit on the division this season as Starkville went into last year as one of the youngest teams in the district among veterans. Clinton and Warren Central have lost big time players and Starkville returns most of their team from last
season when playoffs.
It will still be a battle every week.
“The district as a whole will be very competitive,” Jones said. “This is kind of the year where Starkville will have more experience than Warren Central who has two returning starters and Clinton who is losing one of the best players in the state’s history
it missed the
in Cam Akers. We have the upper hand as far as experience. Ricky (Woods) left us in great shape.”
The Jackets have been working hard in the weight room and in training all summer to prepare them for the season ahead. The first practice in helmets and pads begins on July 31 as the Jackets start their quest back to the state title.