By Robert Wilson
Murrah won only football game last season after moving back from playing an independent schedule to a difficult MHSAA Class 7A schedule.
But if Rod Murray continues to shine like he did Friday might, the junior quarterback will be leading Murrah to more than one win this season.
Murray completed 13 of 21 passes for 358 yards and four touchdowns without an interception and ran three times for 12 yards and one TD to lead Murrah to a convincing, 48-23 victory over Jackson Public Schools rival Callaway at Hughes Field in South Jackson.
For his outstanding performance, Murray has been named the Taste Restaurant/MSB Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Murray completed a TD pass to junior Jayden Carson and ran for a 5-yard in the first quarter, passed to senior Montreal Beamon for a 32-yard TD in the second quarter, passed to senior Van’Quaveous Lard for a 19-yard TD in the third quarter and passed to senior Jouston Foster for an 8-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter.
Murrah came in ranked No. 233 and Callaway No. 70 in the Mississippi by MaxPreps. The Mustangs had lost seven games in a row dating back to midseason last year when they lost 10 games, including a 52-13 loss to Callaway. Murrah allowed 40 or more points in nine games.
This is a new season and last week was definitely a new week. After losing to Terry 55-6 in the season opener, Murray and his teammates put together a winning game plan and executed it to a huge win over its crosstown rival.
“Week One was rough on all of us, but he came back in Monday, went to work, and six days later we put 48 on the board,” eighth-year Murrah coach Marcus Gibson said. “That tells you what kind of kid he is. He’s a junior. He’s got this season and next, and he’s still growing into his frame and his talent. I like where he’s headed. Rod has been here before, he started for us last year and you can see how much those reps have affected his development going into this year. His zero interception game is the fruit of that. He did a great job managing the football game. When you get a kid who is supremely talented, it can be tough to get him to take the easy completion, but he stood in the pocket, too, what the defense gave him, and made plays when they were available.”
Murray passed for 1,579 yards and seven TDs last season as a sophomore.
Murray is the son of Denise Clairbush and Schrod Murray. Denise played volleyball and track at Velma Jackson. Schorrard played basketball at Velma Jackson. Murray has two sisters, Verneishia and Denisha who went to Canton High and Belhaven College. He has two brothers, Isaiaha, who played football at Canton, Murrah and Hinds Community College, and Demetrius, who played at Canton and attends Jackson State.
Murrah plays at MHSAA Class 6A Canton, 2-0, Friday night at 7 p.m. at Canton.
Robert Wilson selects a football player of the week each week from teams from Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties. To contact Robert, text him at 601.506.2276.
