#HSFT19 Stop #35 – Starkville Academy Volunteers

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — Starkville Academy head coach Chase Nicholson and the Starkville Academy Volunteers have set a standard of success.

“Our guys just buy in, they work hard and they want to out work people,” Nicholson said. “Then we put so much emphasis on our defense, to me, those are our two keys. Yes, I’m an offensive coach and I want to score points but if the defense is at a high level then it’s going to be hard for other teams to score.”

The saying goes that defense wins championships. Defense was a big factor for the Vols the year they won the state title back in 2017.

That season, Starkville Academy didn’t let up a single point in six games. In 2018, three of the Volunteers opponents failed to put a score on the board. Nicholson believes a strong defense sets the offense up to succeed.

“They’re going to steal us some points whether that be in field position, in turnover, in a pick-six or a scoop and score. Defense is going to find ways for us to score as well. We put all our emphasis on that and we take not the next best players but the best players we can on offense and do what we can. If they happen to be some of the same people, that’s fine too, but our defense is going to be number one,” Nicholson said.

Last season was the year this team wanted to prove they didn’t believe in rebuilding years and this season will be no exception.

“We really had to start over because we basically lost our whole defense and lost a lot of the offense. I think we’re going back just as strong honestly,” senior QB Garrett Lewis said.

“We’re going to come out this year and play the best we can play,” senior offensive tackle Trey Tyler said. “We’re going to show everybody else that this isn’t a rebuilding year and you can’t  underestimate us”

“We would love to have ten people coming back, but we probably would not have had the success we had last year or the year before that. It’s all a part of the wave. We’re excited about the guys stepping up in the roles. These part-time guys becoming full-time guys. Just excited about where we are right now. This is a fun, interesting group of guys. People are going to say ‘it’s a rebuilding year. We don’t rebuild,” Nicholson said.

While turnover may make some teams nervous the Volunteers remain confidence in the legacy that each class has built throughout the years.

“Well, we’re trying to win. Everyone is doubting us this year because everybody graduated last year so we’re trying to prove everybody wrong,” Lewis said.

“That’s everybody’s goal. That’s what everyone wants the outcome to be, is to get a ring on their finger. We’ve had that feeling before my tenth grade year and that’s what I want again,” Tyler said.

“You have to have a goal and if that’s not your goal then what are you doing out here? That’s a small piece of the whole puzzle and we know that. So we’re able to take that and put it far far at the end, but you’re still going to see it off in the distance or what are you fighting for. Now how are you going to get there? You have to beat Lamar, you have to beat French Camp, you have to beat Noxapater, and you have to continue to play every single week or your not going to reach that,” Nicholson said.

The Volunteers begin its season against Lamar Academy on August 23rd.