WEST POINT — The West Point High School football team’s most valuable player Friday night in a 56-21 victory against Center Hill didn’t play a down.
Instead, senior tailback Lacequiu “Quincy” Starks, out for the season with an injury, watched his teammates come together to win in dominating fashion. He also watched his jersey number wreak havoc.
Senior Kadarius Forside, who was West Point’s top defensive player through five weeks, switched to tailback two weeks ago to replace the injured Starks. On Friday night, Forside donned Starks’ No. 23 jersey in honor of his friend and did the number proud. Forside rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns to lead West Point (5-3, 2-1 Class 5A, Region 1) to a season-high 56 points.
“It’s all love,” Forside said of wearing his teammate’s number. “He’s my brother. Wearing this number motivated me to play my best tonight because I had to do it for him.”
Forside’s homage was part of a spirited West Point effort. The Green Wave collected more than 400 yards and forced three turnovers. The defense scored a touchdown and pitched a shutout in the second half.
For West Point quarterback Dason Thomas, who passed for 104 yards and three touchdowns, the effort in light of Starks’ injury was emblematic of a team that’s coming together in all phases.
“We are a team, all the way through,” Thomas said. “When one man goes down, somebody steps up. A lot of people stepped up tonight.”
Forside’s three touchdowns covered 8, 7, and 8 yards, as the Green Wave scored a season-high 42 points in the first half.
Like his players, West Point coach Chris Chambless mentioned Starks after the victory.
“He’s such a good kid, such a hard worker,” Chambless said. “Our kids love him. For Kadarius to get to wear his number tonight, that’s a true honor. That’s something he took very seriously.”
Forside’s first touchdown, the 8-yard run, gave West Point a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter, a lead the Wave didn’t relinquish. Forside added a 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and another 8-yard scoring run in the third quarter.
Thomas, a senior, added three touchdown passes. He connected with Kaelon Collins on an 18-yard touchdown, with Steffon Moore on a 37-yard strike, and with senior Miller Keys on a 10-yard touchdown.
Keys added a 1-yard touchdown plunge on his team’s first drive.
West Point’s defense also made a big impact, sacking quarterback Danterius Ellington five times. Two of the three turnovers allowed the offense to take over inside the Center Hill 10-yard line. A third resulted in a 60-yard fumble return for a score by Tony Rush in the first quarter.
“It’s hard to simulate what Center Hill does in practice because they are so athletic,” Chambless said. “But at halftime, our guys settled down and started to use their heads a little better. They really played well after that.”
But Starks was the story of the night, even though he didn’t play. His effect on the game came through Forside, who wore No. 23 with pride.
“We are a family, more than a team,” Forside said. “When my brother went down, I just had to step up and make plays. We just want him to know how important he is to us.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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