The Simmons Blue Devils fell short by one point in the 1A state championship game, but even without the final exclamation point, the young men from Hollandale have a lot to be proud of.
The Blue Devils finished the season with a 13-1 record after they fell 21-20 to the Baldwyn Bearcats in the MHSAA Class 1A State Championship game on Friday night at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.
The Blue Devils looked well on their way to their first state title since they won three state championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Simmons led Friday's game 12-0 at halftime but the Bearcats stormed back with three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 21-12 lead.
However, like a bolt of lightning, Simmons' Prentavis Madison got the momentum right back when he returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown.
"I hate that we came up on the short end of the stick," Simmons Coach Derrick Hooker said. "We were two plays away with those two-point conversions. That is what made the difference in the ball game.
"Prentavis' touchdown was huge for us. That was what we needed at the time. We needed a spark. He gave us the spark. These guys worked hard all summer. We fell short. It is disappointing, but life goes on."
The Blue Devils got their first score when Jamarion Lundy returned a blocked punt by Kamaal Williams into the endzone to put the Blue Devils up 6-0 with 6:59 left until halftime.
Simmons quarterback Tyrone Buchanan then threw a 9-yard pass to Armani Strahan for the Devils' second score in the first half.
Said Baldwyn coach Michael Gray, "Simmons is a heck of a team. When we watched film, it felt like we were looking in a mirror. They were fast a physical and a lot like us. I think we wore them down a little later in the game."
