WEST POINT — If DeQuinten Spraggins keeps playing at this level, he will have enough Reese’s peanut butter cups to last him the rest of the year.
Given Spraggins had to go to the dentist Monday to get a tooth pulled, that might not be the best course of action.
But that mans West Point High School football coach Chris Chambless, the Green Wave players, and their fans will have to find another way to reward the senior quarterback for his fine play.
Last week, Spraggins rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 118 yards and another score to help West Point beat Hernando 33-22 in a Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A, Region 1 game.
For his accomplishments, Spraggins is The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Week.
“Through all of the bad things that happened to us, I heard him talking to the offense and talking on the sidelines,” Chambless said. “He is the one who kept everybody calm and that it was going to be all right and that we were going to push through it and win. That is what it takes out of a leader.”
West Point (3-3, 2-0 region) overcame a string of four turnovers to pile up 463 yards of offense. Spraggins orchestrated the damage, going 8 of 12 with an interception, throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to William Harrell and scoring on runs of 43 and 4 yards.
The effort showed how much Spraggins has matured since a season-opening 37-17 loss to South Panola. Spraggins rushed for 75 yards and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Mario Virges, but he also had a fumble in the second half that helped South Panola pull away.
After the game, Chambless and other coaches and fans had to console an emotional Spraggins, who took the loss particularly hard. The emotion was understandable considering Spraggins had waited two seasons as a backup to Justin Cox to have his chance to lead the Green Wave.
“I had some big shoes to fill,” Spraggins said. “I knew my time was going to come and hat I had to wait patiently, but I was kind of nervous at first. I knew I had to come back and keep the tradition going.”
Spraggins acknowledges taking over for Cox, who helped lead the team to back-to-back state titles, was a lot of pressure to shoulder, but he said he has received a lot of support from coaches, teammates, and family members. He said those words of encouragement have helped him understand how he needs to set the tone and to be a calming influence.
“It built up some much inside of him in the first regular-season game at the starting quarterback that it was a big game,” Chambless said. “He wants to win like the rest of us, and he puts it on his shoulders.
“Now, instead of putting everything on his shoulders, he wants to be a calming factor for the whole team. It has helped us out.”
Spraggins feels he has done a better job of playing that role the past two weeks compared to the season opener when he said he wasn’t able to get his teammates to play at the same level.
“I am trying to get my team on the same page,” Spraggins said. “It can be hard. There are some hard-headed ones who don’t want to listen, but, at the end, they see when they have listened to me and calmed down that we are able to get back on a winning streak.”
Spraggins hopes that focus for the players and the fans carries over to the games. If it does, it usually benefits Spraggins’ love for sweets. By getting the West Point fans into the games, Spraggins has been able to tell them how much he enjoys Reese’s peanut butter cups, so don’t be surprised if you see him munching on a cup or two before during, or after a game.
Just as Spraggins is the voice that keeps his teammates motivated and focused, the chocolate and peanut butter mix helps bring him good fortune and makes it easier for him to have a good game.
With back-to-back victories under his belt, Spraggins feels more confident about his ability to help West Point get back to Jackson, the site of the state championship games.
Chambless said Spraggins has the mentality to handle pressure, and he feels his senior, who played defense last year, isn’t going to waver.
Spraggins also doesn’t feel he is going to buckle to the weight of being the quarterback of the 2011 West Point High School football team. He takes pride in playing that role and is focused on doing everything he can — and eating as many Reese’s peanut butter cups as it takes — to guarantee the Green Wave win a third state title in a row.
“We’re not where we need to be yet, but I can tell we’re making progress on the road to Jackson, so I want to keep it going,” Spraggins said. “I believe I am getting more confident at the quarterback position and am keeping the running backs, the wide receivers, the offensive line, and everybody on the team motivated.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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