2014 High School Football Tour: Starkville

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — Starkville plans to put the pedal to the metal in 2014.

The Jackets return a strong junior class from a season ago that helped lead them to a 9-4 record in their first year back in Class 6A.

This year, State Championship is the expectation and head coach Jamie Mitchell is very high on his team.

“It’s all about consistency for us this year,” Mitchell said. “This is a tremendously talented team and I won’t lie about that. I think how we handle adversity and overcome negative things that may happen will determine where we end up.”

The expectations from the players are the same as the coaching staff: Gold Ball or Bust.

Two new pieces arrive this season for the Starkville offense: offensive coordinator David Boykin joins the Jackets from Louisville and Memphis verbal commit Brady Davis is the new starter at quarterback.

Those new additions to the offense strengthen a team that believes this is their year to shine.

“Our expectations are to have a perfect season,” Davis said. “I think we have a team that can go 15-0 and win a Championship. That’s what we’re aiming for and that’s what we’ve worked hard for all summer.”

“We’re Starkville and we aren’t a losing program,” senior Raphael Leonard said. “We’re used to winning. We’re ready and we want to win state.”

“The guys want it this year,” junior Maleke Bell said. “Last year we wanted it but not like this year. I have faith in our team.”While the offense will get most of the recognition at Starkville this season, it’s the defense that will lead the way early.

Paced by the defensive front of Lorenzo Dantzler, Kobe Jones and Maleke Bell, the Jackets are going to be downright nasty when stopping opponents this season.”I feel like our defensive front is the strength of our football team,” Mitchell said. “We have four guys that we feel good about and three of those four have division 1 scholarship offers. They’re a group we’re really going to lean on. I don’t think they’ve gotten the publicity they deserve but that’s okay because we like them flying under the radar.”

The hype is there at Starkville this season.

Whether the Jackets can live up to the preseason attention will be a story to watch throughout the year.

Starkville will hope to unveil their new turf field this Friday at home versus Noxubee County.