HATTIESBURG — Starkville entered the playoffs as a No. 4 seed. It exited as the No. 1 team in the state.

Quarterback Trey Petty completed 13 of 19 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, and added 62 rushing yards and three more TDs, to lead Starkville over Brandon 48-32 in the MHSAA Class 6A football championship game Saturday night.

Starkville (12-3) won its seventh state championship with a run that seemed improbable in October. The Yellow Jackets lost their first three Region 2-6A games, then won the last four to sneak into the playoffs as the league’s No. 4 seed.

They then won three consecutive road games to claim the North State championship, and defeated Brandon in the state title game at Southern Miss’ M.M. Roberts Stadium.

Brandon (12-2) lost in the Class 6A championship game for the second year in a row.

Petty ran for two touchdowns in the first half, and his third on the opening drive of the third quarter put Starkville ahead 28-3.

Courtland Cooper added two touchdown runs in the second half as the Yellow Jackets’ lead swelled to as many as 31 points. Brandon scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the game to make the final score a bit more respectable.

Cooper finished with 67 rushing yards on 11 carries, and Curtis Willis led Starkville with 85 yards on 14 carries. The Yellow Jackets totaled 250 rushing yards as a team. Stonkka Burnside caught four passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.

Eric Thomas had eight tackles and three sacks to lead Starkville’s defense.

For Brandon, running back Nathaniel Blount carried the ball 24 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Landon Varnes was 20-of-38 passing for 297 yards and two TDs, both to Lester Miller.

Miller caught eight passes 168 yards, while Quincy Phillips also had eight receptions for 104 yards.

Class 4A
Louisville 17, Mendenhall 14
Mississippi’s winningest football program added another golden football to its trophy case.
Ceidrick Hunt kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired Saturday to lift Louisville (14-1) over Mendenhall (13-2) in the MHSAA Class 4A championship game.

Louisville, which has the most wins (758) of any high school program in Mississippi, won its 11th state championship.

Louisville’s game-winning drive started following a fumble by Mendenhall at its 43-yard line with 32 seconds remaining. Quarterback Keyarrion Jackson ran for 14 yards, then completed a 19-yard pass to Jaden Triplett to move the ball to the Mendenhall 10-yard line with 4 seconds left.

Hunt then booted his game-winner as time expired.

Jackson finished 15-of-29 passing for 134 yards. Kendon Sanders and Nigel Anderson each scored a rushing touchdown for Louisville, which only had 19 rushing yards as a team and 153 total yards.

Darius Dampier led Mendenhall with 107 rushing yards. Tayton James was 15-of-24 passing for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

Mendenhall was making its first state championship game appearance since 1988, when it won the second of back-to-back Class 3A titles.

Class 2A
Scott Central 42, Charleston 12
Scott Central cemented its status as a football dynasty on Saturday with a convincing victory over Charleston in the MHSAA Class 2A championship game.

Quez Goss threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns — on only 9-of-14 passing — and also ran for a touchdown to lead Scott Central (13-2) to its second consecutive state championship and third in five seasons.

Goss’ touchdown passes all covered at least 25 yards, and three went for more than 50 yards. Antreyvious Edwards caught three passes for 133 yards and three TDs covering 50, 31 and 52 yards. Javieon Butler had TD receptions of 73 and 28 yards and finished with five receptions for 131 yards.

Charleston quarterback Devon Olive was 5-of-10 passing ro 44 yards and two touchdowns, both to Deondre’ Riley.

Charleston (11-4) made its sixth appearance in a state championship game in the past 12 seasons, but its only victory came in 2011.

MHSAA championship schedule
All games at M.M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg
Friday, Dec. 2
Class 3A – Raleigh 55, Noxubee County 52
Class 1A – Bay Springs 22, McEvans 0
Class 5A – Picayune 31, West Point 21

Saturday, Dec. 3
Class 4A – Louisville 17, Mendenhall 14
Class 2A – Scott Central 42, Charleston12
Class 6A – Starkville 48, Brandon 32