What the Golden Wave Says About Starkville...
There are a lot of big games on our schedule, but I don’t think there’s any one game that is any bigger or more important to us than the Starkville game.
Mac Curlee
Tupelo Principal
Tupelo and Starkville have never liked each other. Growing up, you would walk around at high school football games and all you saw was, “I hate Starkville” t-shirts. It’s pretty bad.
Chris Garrett
Tupelo Football Player
Tupelo and Starkville are what I would consider the crown jewel cities in north Mississippi. Both have good schools, both have great athletes and great traditions, which is what makes this rivalry so good. There is a lot of respect on both sides.
David Garrett
Tupelo Booster Club President
From Tupelo’s perspective, it’s a respectful rivalry. From Starkville’s view, it’s hostile.
James Sloan
Former Tupelo Head Football Coach
I have my sister’s old “I Hate Starkville” t-shirt. A lot of people have “I Strongly Dislike Starkville” shirts.
Lindsay Purnell
Former Tupelo Cheerleader
When Starkville walked out on the field wearing their all-black uniforms, they were intimidating. They were always good, mean and very well coached. You knew it was a battle, no matter the sport, when you played Starkville.
Kirk Presley
Former Tupelo Football Player
Today, I think the Starkville-Tupelo rivalry is a friendly rivalry, unlike in the ‘80s when it was more hostile.
Danny Porter
Tupelo Athletic Director
There is no question about it. It’s a huge game for us and the blood goes back a long way – long before I got here; but I feel it.
Eric Collins
Tupelo Head Football Coach
If you want to pinpoint one year where it all kind of happened, it was 1983. Willis Wright was the head coach at Starkville and Ricky Black was at Tupelo.
Bob Monroe
Former Tupelo Assistant Football Coach
They have great facilities, great hospitality and great spirit, just like it is here. That’s why the rivalry is so good and positive, because there is so much respect between the two schools.
David Garrett
Tupelo Booster Club President
In the 22 years I’ve watched the rivalry, Starkville was more physical than Tupelo. They were always so talented athletically.
Will Kollmeyer
Former Tupelo TV Sportscaster
I remember the Starkville pep rally my first year as principal at Tupelo. There was a lot of energy in the gym. I remember seniors wore “I Hate Starkville” t-shirts and carried fly swatters.
Mac Curlee
Tupelo Principal
Now that I’ve been here four years, I understand it. Because of those epic battles that took place in the ‘90s, I know the Starkville game is special.
Eric Collins
Tupelo Head Football Coach
Starkville looked at us as the preppy, rich kids. I viewed them as a mean, dirty, “will hit you in the mouth and not think twice about it” team – just more of a blue collar “we’re coming after you; you better get ready.”
Kirk Presley
Former Tupelo Football Player
I’m sure Starkville thinks we’re the rich people who are snobby and get everything we want, which is very untrue. Starkville always thought they were better than us in every sport – pretty cocky.
Chris Garrett
Tupelo Football Player
We don’t have pep rallies for every game, but we always have a pep rally for the Starkville game because it’s so big. We do skits and one of our guys dresses up like a Yellow Jacket. They attack him and he gets put in a garbage can.
Lindsay Purnell
Former Tupelo Cheerleader
After we beat Starkville the first time, the school superintendent came down and shook my hand.
Eric Collins
Tupelo Head Football Coach
Just knowing we are going to play Starkville gets everyone pumped up.
Chad Bumphis
Tupelo Football Player
When I was considering moving to Tupelo, my friend Willis Wright gave me some advice. He said, “Don’t interview with the superintendent. Find out who the tailback is first.”
Ricky Black
Former Tupelo Head Football Coach
There were some people who were convinced Coach Willis Wright was psychic.
Bob Monroe
Former Tupelo Assistant Football Coach
When Tupelo and Starkville play each other, all the records go out the window.
Samuel Bell, Jr.
Tupelo Fan
I think the Starkville-Tupelo rivalry is an excellent rivalry. I wish we had more of them.
Randy McCoy
Superintendent of Tupelo Schools
Some of Tupelo’s rivalries have come and gone; Starkville hasn’t.
Will Kollmeyer, Former Tupelo TV Sportscaster
