By Robert Wilson
The Chip Bilderback era Part II at Columbia High started with a victory over one of the top teams in Mississippi and one of the best players in the country.
Columbia escaped with a 22-21 win Friday night over Hartfield Academy in a season opening battle between two teams, which are state contenders in their classes in the MHSAA and MAIS respectively, at Hartfield’s Hawk Field in Flowood.
Columbia is one of the contenders for the MHSAA Class 4A state championship this season – ranked No. 3 in 4A and No. 29 in Mississippi by MaxPreps – and lost to eventual champion Poplarville 21-20 in the second round of the playoffs last season.
Two-time defending MAIS Class 6A state champion Hartfield – ranked No. 7 in Mississippi by MaxPreps – has a good nucleus back most successful run in school history, winning 26 games and with only two losses in the past two seasons. The Hawks’ most talented player is senior defensive back-wide receiver-return specialist and Auburn commitment Bralan Womack, Womack is rated the No. 2 player in Mississippi, the No. 1 safety and No. 12 player in the country in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports. He chose Auburn over Florida, Texas A&M and defending national champion Ohio State last week. Womack has 34 Division I offers, including 13 from the SEC.
Columbia gave Bilderback a happy two hour ride back home to South Mississippi thanks to his son, senior defensive end-tight end Drew, who caused a fumble when he knocked a Hartfield offensive lineman back into another Hartfield player, who fumbled and Columbia’s Junior Curley recovered it at the Columbia 22 late in the fourth quarter.
“We knew over the last couple of years that Hartfield has had some great football teams,” said Bilderback, who had a 69-12 record and won a state championship and one state runner-up finish in six seasons in his first stint at Columbia. “We didn’t know a lot about this year’s Hartfield team. We knew they had lost some good players off last year’s team, but returned some really good ones and weren’t sure who may have transferred in. Our focus was really to go up to Flowood and try to be the tougher, more physical team for four quarters. I thought our team overcame a lot of adversity throughout the game, but kept playing hard. It was a game that we believe will make us better for the rest of the season. I was very proud of our players and coaches to get a big road win under some very tough circumstances.”
The move back to Mississippi has been great for the Bilderback family. Bilderback left Columbia two years ago to follow his wife, Missy, was then the head women’s basketball at the University of Louisiana Monroe, to take a coaching job at St. Frederick High in Monroe. But Missy replaced the late Joye Lee McNelis as head women’s basketball coach at Southern Miss, then Columbia High coach Lance Pogue took the head coaching job at Brandon and Bilderback was asked to return to Columbia.
“Columbia is a special place for me and our family,” Chip Bilderback said. “It is special knowing that our son Drew could finish his high school career at a place where he was the water boy for five years and a member of the freshman football team a short time ago. It starts at the top. We have the best superintendent in the state in Dr. Jason Harris. He is fully aligned with our school board. They ensure that athletics remain an integral part of the educational journey for every student at Columbia. I have always had a special bond with our players and coning back we were able to build off that bond and relationships.”
Columbia’s talented duo of senior running backs – Tray Lewis and Ashton Daniels – combined for 328 yards and three touchdowns. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Lewis had 19 carries for 171 yards and one TD and the 5-10, 200-pound Daniels had 20 carries for 157 yards and two TDs. Lewis scored on a 40-yard run in the first quarter and Daniels added a 6-yard run in the second quarter for a 14-0 Columbia lead. Lewis also scored on a 6-yard run in the second half.
Hartfield junior quarterback Ethan Elliott completed a 3-yard pass to junior wide receiver and Brandon High transfer Logan Drummond to cut the lead to 14-7 at halftime.
Elliott completed a 50-yard pass to Womack in the third quarter and senior running back and Liberty commitment KD Catchings scored on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Womack had five catches for 126 yards and one TD, Elliott completed 13 of 23 passes for 210 yards and two TDs and Catchings had 15 carries for 55 yards and one TD.
Senior linebacker Coleman Yoder and senior defensive lineman Peyton Trigg had six tackles each and Catchings, who also starts at linebacker, had four tackles and one sack.
Hartfield coach Craig Bowman searched in the offseason to try to improve his non-conference schedule and was excited to have a team like Columbia to open the season with.
“It was the kind of game we expected,” said Bowman, who has a 53-12 record as he starts his sixth season at Hartfield. “It was a very physical game. I am proud of the character our team showed to come back from being down 14-0. We had a chance to win the game and we didn’t get it done. Columbia is a very physical team and we will learn a lot from playing them. We have to execute better and cut down on the mistakes. We will watch film and learn from this one and turn our attention to our next opponent (Hartfield plays host to Madison-Ridgeland Academy this week).”
Columbia is the first of two MHSAA powers that Hartfield will play this year. Hartfield visits defending MHSAA Class 7A state champion Tupelo, ranked No. 1 in Mississippi by MaxPreps, Oct. 3.
“There are great teams and programs in the state of Mississippi,” Bowman said. “It is time we have opportunities to play each other. It creates an excitement for fan bases and players. It is an opportunity to showcase what kind of players this state has. Playing top competition does more for our teams as we prepare for the rest of the season and playoffs.”
