Starkville High School

Starkville, MS (Oktibbeha County); home of the Yellow Jackets; located in Starkville, the county seat of Oktibbeha County and home to Mississippi State University; one of the more historically significant high school programs in northeast Mississippi; Starkville is the birthplace of James "Cool Papa" Bell (National Baseball Hall of Fame 1974), the legendary center fielder of the Negro Leagues whose extraordinary speed made him a living legend and whose birth in Starkville made him one of the most famous athletes ever associated with northeast Mississippi; the Starkville High School program has also benefited from its proximity to Mississippi State University, one of the SEC's marquee athletic programs, as the university's presence in the community has elevated the sports culture of the entire region