Stingy unit allows SHS to make playoff run

To make a good run in the playoffs, Starkville High School head football coach Chris Jones believes a solid defense has to be part of the equation.

The Yellow Jackets have gotten just that on their journey to the Class 6A State Championship game.

After knocking off previously unbeaten Southaven 3812, Starkville played perhaps its best defensive game of the season in a 30-2 win over Clinton. Even though the Jackets gave up some points to Tupelo, they made the plays they had to make in upsetting the Golden Wave 41-32 last week.

"Anytime you are playing this time of the year, it's probably because you have a good defense," Jones said. "If you want to win playoff games, go deep into the playoffs and win championships, defense wins those games. I've always been taught that offense scores points, but defense wins games. I thought we made plays (against Tupelo), especially when it mattered. Sometimes you've got a good opponent and Tupelo is good. We stopped the bleeding when we needed to."

Starkville started out the season with a shutout of Columbus 28-0, but down the stretch it has been playing better on the defensive side of the football.

It was just a matter of Jackets getting healthy during the course of the season to become the type of defensive unit that coordinator Terrance Pope wanted.

"I think we're clicking on all cylinders now," Pope said. "We've got some guys back healthy and we finally put some games together where we had the same group out there. It was like musical chairs for about six weeks. Now we have a starter and two deep that we feel comfortable with."

Veteran middle linebacker Nyjadus Robertsholloway has shown a nose for the football in his senior season and leads SHS with 165 tackles. He has 31 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

"He's been great for us this year," Pope said. "He's been playing well. During a stretch last year when we lost him, you could really tell. We went through our woes last year. This year he's been healthy the whole time and I'd say he's one of the best players on defense."

Roberts-holloway said there is nothing special about the way he plays the game. His philosophy is simple.

"I'm just doing my job," Roberts-holloway said. "I'm a middle linebacker reading my guards and I've got to react to it."