STARKVILLE — In 2013, Chris Jones was hired as a football coach at Kemper County High School. The Wildcats were 1-10 that year. Nobody really cared. It was time to play hoops. Kemper was a long-standing basketball school. Jones, a former Jackson State wide receiver star, knew that he was not going to transform the De Kalb school in to a football factory. It was his goal to be competitive. He was able to see some athletes who could assist him in this regard, but they were not playing football, but basketball. Jones stated, “The first thing that I had to do was to recruit in the gym. Our gym.” Mission accomplished. The Wildcats won the first ever state football championship Saturday thanks to five football starters who helped Kemper win last winter’s State Class 3A basketball title. On a rainy, raw day at Scott Field, the ‘Cats defeated perennial North State powerhouse Charleston 12-8. This victory marked the culmination of an incredible football turnaround. Kemper County football is now more competitive than ever. Take this for example: * The Wildcats won 15 consecutive victories after losing to Class 6A Columbus, 26-12, in their opener. They average 37 points per match. Jones has now compiled a 46-12 record in four seasons at Kemper. This is not bad for a school that was just 1-10 before Jones arrived. * The Wildcats ran a modified version of Hal Mumme’s Air Raid offense. They threw for 237 yards per game and ran for 185. Kemper’s receivers were running so wide that you could swear the Wildcat receivers had bad breath or body odor several times Saturday. It seemed like no one wanted to be around them. Kemper’s quarterback Eric Clark only completed nine passes, but those nine were for 251 yards with two touchdowns. Jones was asked about his offense and said that most of it was based on the system Mummeet Mike Leach created. However, Jones added that some of it was a result of his time at Jackson State. Some of it comes from my time in NFL. Some of it comes from watching TV. But here’s the truth. “What you saw today was not about me or my method. I had playmakers making plays. It was all about them.” DJ Clayton was a fast wide receiver and basketball star who caught five passes for 229 yards. He also scored two touchdowns. If you keep track, that’s 46 yards per catch. Scott Martin, Charleston coach, said that he doesn’t know how the team got so open. They do a great job. Chris does a fantastic job.” The Wildcats weren’t just good at pitching and catching. The Wildcats were strong and solid on defense, keeping Charleston’s average of 34 points per game down to one score. The Wildcats spend a lot of time in the weight room and the basketball court. Chris Jones will now celebrate by getting a haircut. Before the season, he promised his teammates that he would cut his usual short hair to celebrate with them winning the state championship. Jones stated, “I cannot wait.” “I will be calling my barber tomorrow to get it done. I can’t wait for this stuff to thin out.” Martin, the balding Charleston coach said, “Tell Chris, I could have done it for you.” I have already taken all my stuff out.” *** Rick Cleveland, Mississippi Today’s sports columnist. Check out his columns as well as his Sports Daily blog. Reach Rick at rcleveland@mississippitoday.org.