Brandon football falls to Starkville, drops back-to-back MHSAA Class 6A title games

Stefan Krajisnik, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read

HATTIESBURG — For two straight seasons, Brandon football has been among the Magnolia State's elite. The Bulldogs have won at least 11 games, and they've reached the MHSAA Class 6A championship game in consecutive seasons.

But both seasons have featured a bitter ending. Brandon has lost the title game in back-to-back years. The latest blow came Saturday at M.M. Roberts Stadium with Starkville taking home the banner behind a 48-32 win.

There was little the Bulldogs could do the slow down Yellowjackets quarterback Trey Petty −a three-star junior holding offers from Mississippi State, Southern Miss and San Diego State. It didn't help Brandon (12-2) that Petty's top receiver Braylon Burnside − a four-star Class of 2023 prospect with Mississippi State and Ole Miss in his top eight − played one of his best games.

The Brandon defense Khalil Norwood (23), Deaunde Washington (95) and Jacob Toro (36) crush Starkville quarterback Trey Petty III (12) during the MHSAA 6A State Championship Gridiron Classic at M.M. Roberts Stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. Starkville went on to win 48-32.
The Brandon defense Khalil Norwood (23), Deaunde Washington (95) and Jacob Toro (36) crush Starkville quarterback Trey Petty III (12) during the MHSAA 6A State Championship Gridiron Classic at M.M. Roberts Stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. Starkville went on to win 48-32.

It started midway through the first quarter when Petty led a nine-play, 47-yard drive to give Starkville (12-3) a 7-0 lead. The drive was capped by a Petty 1-yard rush.

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Midway through the second, the Yellowjackets went 82 yards on 12 plays with a 22-yard touchdown connection from Petty to Burnside providing the final blow.

Down 14-0, Brandon elected to take an aggressive approach. Bulldogs coach Sam Williams decided to go for a fourth-and-12 near midfield. It failed and quickly backfired. Starkville took advantage of a short field for a crucial touchdown − another one-yard rush from Petty − to go up 21-0 with 19 seconds left in the half.

Petty and Burnside wasted little time out of the break to extend the lead. A Burnside 62-yard catch set up another Petty one-yard touchdown run − his third of the game.

Starkville wide receiver Stonka Burnside runs against the Brandon Bulldogs during the MHSAA 6A State Championship Gridiron Classic at M.M. Roberts Stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.
Starkville wide receiver Stonka Burnside runs against the Brandon Bulldogs during the MHSAA 6A State Championship Gridiron Classic at M.M. Roberts Stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.

Brandon appeared to gain some momentum while riding the back of running back Nathaniel Blount. Blount scored a touchdown to make it 28-10, and the ensuing drive was rolling in Brandon's way. However, Brandon's Jarvis Durr was stripped on a big run by Starkville's Jaylon York.

Starkville scored off the turnover on a touchdown pass to York to make it 35-10 late in the third and put the game away.

Starkville secured its first state title since 2015. Brandon still remains without one.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Brandon football drops MHSAA Class 6A championship game to Starkville