The Lincoln County Team of the Week is a spotlight series selected by Y’all Sports and presented by our partners at Bank of Brookhaven. A weekly feature focused on one team from the area and presented by Lincoln County’s only home owned bank, Bank of Brookhaven.

The 2025 football season couldn’t be off to a much better start than it already is for the Loyd Star football team.

The Hornets and coach Adam Smith are 2-0 this season and they’ve yet to give up a point a single point on the field.

Loyd Star started the year by winning 20-0 on the road at Perry Central. They followed that up with a home win last week, 48-0, over their neighbors from West Lincoln.

This is season number three for Smith as head coach at his alma mater. The Hornets are 22-5 overall during that time period and have won three playoff games in the past two seasons.

With just four seniors last season on a team that went 10-3 and reached the MHSAA 2A quarterfinals, Loyd Star knew it would come into the 2025 campaign with lots of expectations.

Seniors on the team this season include Anthony Humphrey, Cooper Creel, Zachary Reid, Lajavion Nelson, Jake Smith, Joe Taylor and Cedric Sanders.

Taylor was Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) 2A All-State selection on the offensive line last season. His work as a defensive end has been a big part of the Hornet defense being so stingy thus far in 2025 as he’s made 15 tackles, including two tackles for a loss and one sack.

Nelson and Sanders are two gap fillers up front for the defense while Humphrey and Creel contribute in a variety of ways. Humphrey does some of his best work as a wide receiver and Creel is a cerebral player that is a crucial piece for LS on special teams.

Reid has been having a great season thus far as a free safety, with one tackle for a loss and one broken up pass along with seven solo stops.

The junior class is an experienced group that has some players that have been starting since they were freshmen. It features Tristan Fortenberry, Jordyn Kees, Brayden Richardson, Brennen Reid, Phillip Ross Spencer, Parker Satterfield, Brantley Pickett, Paxton Price, Shelton Blue, and Carter King.

The whole team, but especially the junior class, draws inspiration from the memory of Toler Jordan, their teammate and classmate that passed away in January of 2024.

Reid and Price start at tight end on the offensive line as do Satterfield (left guard), Pickett (center), sophomore Micah Townsend (right guard) and the senior duo of Taylor (inside tackle) and Smith (outside tackle).

The single wing offense used by the Hornets is powered by the work done by this group of people-movers.

Kees, Fortenberry and Spencer wouldn’t have much room to run if it weren’t for the big guys up front.

Price has also been a strong contributor in his first season at the school as an outside linebacker.

Sophomores on the team include Tradarius Jackson, Carson Cunningham, Jase Reeves, and Townsend.

Cunningham moved into a starting role as a linebacker last season as a freshman. In 2025 he’s accounted for 10 tackles, one broken up pass, one tackle for a loss, and one interception.

Freshmen on the team include Caston Ballard, Zeb Crotwell, Brandon White, Memphis Falvey, Paxton Satterfield, Andrew Murray, Latron Brothern, and Benjamin Case. Eighth grader Michael Forrest is also part of the varsity roster.

Next up for the Hornets is another road game, this one at North Forrest High in Eatonville, just outside of Hattiesburg.

North Forrest beat Enterprise 39-0 in week one and lost last week 32-15 at Lumberton.

If the game is close in the late going like it was at Perry Central two weeks ago, expect Loyd Star to play their brand of Hornet football, says their head coach.

“Our guys, especially those juniors that were freshmen my first season here, they’ve got a lot of reps under their belts, and they believe in what we do as a program,” said Smith.

Loyd Star will be back at home on Sept. 26, hosting Bogue Chitto in The Possum Bowl.