Unexpected run for the Jackets falls short of state championship

OXFORD – Starkville was playing with house money on Friday night in the Class 6A State championship.

No one expected the Yellowjackets to be in Oxford playing for a title – at least not this year. No one really thought it could be except those on the team and on the coaching staff, who had intentions of winning it all for the seventh time.

It all came screeching to a halt on fourth down and less than 30 seconds left when Rodrigues Clark met a brick wall in the form of a Pearl defender. That essentially ended the game and gave Pearl the state title with a heartbreaking 21-17 thriller.

“We had a great ball club, SHS coach Chris Jones said. “We had a great group of coaches and a great group of fans. We weren’t supposed to be here, but at the end of the day, we didn’t get it done. I’m not mad at my guys at all.”

Pearl (16-0) was in a similar spot as the Jackets (13-3) a year ago when they fell to Clinton in the state championship in Starkville. This year, Pearl was the experienced squad that would not go away despite SHS’ defensive prowess.

The Jackets blitz worked for the better part of three quarters where they racked up seven sacks led by Zach Edwards’ 13 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The screen pass knocked the blitz out in the fourth quarter and helped the Pirates to the win.

The first quarter was all about which squad would blink first on defense and that would prove to be Starkville.

A 49-yard punt return brought Pearl into Starkville territory where it went with trickery for the first score. A wide receiver pass from 30 yards out had the Pirates on the board and up 6-0 through one quarter.

Clark answered right back for the Jackets emphatically when the junior running back raced 53 yards untouched for the 7-6 lead. After a defensive stop, he got right back in the end zone from 7 yards away and it was suddenly 14-6 for SHS.

During that stretch, Clark had racked up 95 yards and two scores on just three carries taking him over 100 yards in the first half.

Pearl was able to tack on a field goal before the half and cut the score to 14-9 heading to the locker room.

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