Vols continue to perform across the offensive line
Brody Bennett, Karsten Upchurch, Charlie Cox, Gatlin Blanton, Will Lockhart, Jacob Crittenden, Micah Mcgee, Braden Orrick and Evan Ballard keep getting their marching orders from the Starkville Academy football coaching staff and keep performing each week.
For an offensive unit that has already produced over 1,000 yards rushing this season, those offensive line members are where it starts for the Vols.
The 295-yard effort from senior running back CJ Jackson against Magnolia Heights last week certainly helps the overall team total for Starkville Academy, but he knows who provides the holes to get him started.
“They’ve been working their tails off every week,” Jackson said of his teammates up front.
The Vols were only 4 yards off having a 400-yard rushing night against Magnolia Heights and head coach Chase Nicholson said it took the entire offensive unit working together to achieve such a number.
“They did a great job across the board,” Nicholson said. “We know how hard CJ is going to run. He just gets better as the game goes on and we had a lot of offensive possessions, which contributes to that and we answered on that. Our offensive line really did a great job all night long having holes opened up.
“A lot of things that CJ does is CJ after the fact. Once you get him through there, he’s going to do his thing and the o-line does a good job of getting that hole there for him. They know that all they need to do is get a little bit and he’ll find his way through there. It’s good to see a complete showing.”
Nicholson knows Jackson and the running game will have to perform well again this week in what he considers to be a “smashmouth” matchup against the Leake Academy Rebels.
Jackson has piled up some huge rushing numbers for Starkville Academy over the past two weeks and now has 744 yards on 84 carries and nine touchdowns. Quarterback Randall Futral adds 198 yards on 26 carries and four scores.
Lockhart how the Vols are taking care of business on offense.
“We have some people coming back on offense so we have really good chemistry together,” Lockhart said. “CJ runs the ball very hard and puts up good work during games and practice. We all kind of click.”
Starkville Academy has enjoyed a successful season to this point. After opening with a 33-30 overtime loss at Lamar School, the Vols defeated French Camp 29-7 in a two-quarter game, then won in back-to-back weeks against Noxapater 52-26 and Magnolia Heights 48-35.
“We can’t complain one bit where we are,” Nicholson said. “We are never satisfied and these guys understand that. I could not be more proud of what we asked our secondary to do at Mag Heights last week. They got out of their comfort zone and they played outstanding. The guys go to work every day and have a great attitude.”
The Rebels will bring an undefeated record of 4-0 and a No. 3 ranking in Mississippi private schools to J.E. Logan Field tonight.
Lockhart plans to treat the 7 p.m. matchup with Leake like any other.
“I try to treat every game like it’s a big game,” Lockhart said. “It’s a new week so we’ve got to work harder than we did last week. This week we are focusing big on Leake.”
A year after starting the season 1-3, the Choctaw County Chargers aren’t interested in a slow beginning.
That Charger team went on to win 10-consecutive games and won the Class 3A, Region 4 championship with a trip to North State. This one is looking to accomplish those same goals minus the bumps in the road during coach Jeff Roberts’ second season.
Choctaw County started the year with a 14-12 win over Class 2A standout Calhoun City and followed that up with an epic beat down of East Webster 50-18. The Chargers seemed locked in on both sides of the football and they don’t seem to have plans of slowing down as they head to Kosciusko tonight with just two games before Region 4 play begins.
“They look the part,” Roberts said of the Whippets. “We beat them pretty good last year and they’ll have that in the back of their mind, so I expect them to come energized and ready to play. I have a high expectation of them wanting to beat us and get on the winning track, so we have to be focused and be on our game.”
The Whippets will have their hands full dealing with one Charger in particular this week as Ques Mcneal is coming off of one of the most impressive single-game feats this area has seen. The OCH Regional Medical Center Athlete of the Week had five touchdowns. He caught three passes for over 100 yards and three scores. He also intercepted four passes and ran two of them back for touchdowns.
He’ll likely be matched up with the Whippets best player in Antonio Harmon at wide receiver. Harmon is being recruited by several schools around the country including Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
No matter who Mcneal goes up against, he and his teammates are taking the winning mindset to Atalla County.
“We’re taking each day as it comes and getting better,” Mcneal said. “On Friday, we expect to continue that work and win the game.”
East Union at East Webster
On the flip side of last week’s blowout were the East Webster Wolverines. It wasn’t the team’s finest moment as it threw five interceptions and, at one point, were down by 43 points.
Quarterback Steven Betts is expected to trot out on the field and be the starter this week and head coach Ron Price will likely run with him as the fulltime quarterback after he split reps with Chandler Hodges last week and didn’t play in week one at Vardaman.
Last year against the Urchins was Betts coming out party. It was his most dominant performance as a high schooler as Betts rushed 21 times for 279 yards and four touchdowns and he threw two more scores through the air. The Urchins couldn’t stop him and they’ll have their hands full with him again today.
For Price, he’s hopeful that last week was a wake up call and not a sign of what’s to come.
“We’re at a crossroads,” Price said. “My biggest fear going into this season was that our team would not remain hungry. We had a great team last year and a great group returning and mentally our kids thought all we had to do is show up. Some of our players didn’t put forth the effort in summer workouts and when you do those things, it eventually catches up to you.
“I think sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is to fall flat on your face and see how you learn from that. If this is a learning experience for us, it could be a great thing for us, but if we keep doing those same things, that experience will happen again.”
Kemper County at Eupora
Across the county at Eupora, the Eagles are reeling from a tough loss as well as they were beaten 48-0 against Union.
It’s homecoming week for both of the Webster County schools which means distractions often fill the atmosphere. Coupled with a loss from a week ago, that spells bad news for coaches trying to keep their team’s focused.
The Wildcats are no team to sleep on and head coach Steven Edwards is well-aware. Kemper County brings former Choctaw County star running back Dicenzo Miller Jr. to town with his strong bloodlines and he’s off to a hot start under the leadership of head coach and former Starkville High School receivers coach Ray Westerfield.
“They’re big and have speed,” Edwards said of the Wildcats. “It all starts with (Miller Jr.) he’s a really good player. They were the only team I could get and they’re willing to come here so I’m excited to play them. They’ve got a good scheme on both sides of the football.
With a 2-0 start to the year, Kemper County is gaining confidence and it’s something that Eupora (1-1) needs as well. The Eagles are pushing to gain it tonight.