Even though the calendar still says September, players and coaches at West Point High School have the extra step this week.
West Point has traditionally been one of the best Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A programs over the years. It is not uncommon to bundle up, go to Hamblin Stadium and watch a defensive-oriented playoff game in the month of November.
After a couple of disappointing seasons, it appears West Point is headed back in that direction.
This Friday night, the quest for the Class 5A playoffs begins in earnest when West Point (3-1) travels to Oxford (2-2) in the Class 5A, Region 1 opener for both teams.
A year ago, Oxford swept West Point, winning 43-22 in the regular season and 42-14 in the postseason. West Point held second-quarter leads in both defeats. However, the speed and depth of the Chargers proved way too much to overcome.
The Oxford victories are what led West Point senior Jeffrey Drake to say this in a pregame interview:
“We are looking forward to the Oxford game. We have a big rivalry with them. We feel like we can match up with them again. It’s a big opportunity for us. We feel like we have something for them this year.”
One felt like things would be different at West Point this season. West Point last won the state championship in 2010. The Green Wave lost five games in three of the last four seasons.
Veteran coach Chris Chambless had unbridled optimism when talking about his team and the ability level of several of his star players. After playing the underdog role, the last couple of years, one could tell the tide might be beginning to turn.
“This group of kids really enjoy playing the underdog role,” Chambless said. “I think we have slipped a little bit. We are slightly off the radar. When you have a young team, that’s a good thing. I think people will take us lightly because we haven’t been on that top row the last couple of years. It is the kind of role that will work well for this team.”
The early-season results indicate that West Point is indeed on the way back.
West Point opened the season with a 46-7 win at Louisville. The following week, West Point dropped a 16-0 decision to Starkville. Even in the loss, several positives could be drawn. Last year, Starkville won 34-3 with reserves playing the second half for both teams. This season, the game was in doubt until the closing minutes. The West Point defense also shut down Starkville High star receiver A.J. Brown, holding him to four catches.
Even though it was a loss, the West Point defense continued to grow and draw confidence.
In the past two weeks, the West Point defense has been sensational. The Green Wave allowed 400 total yards combined in a 13-3 win over Columbus and a 21-6 win over Noxubee County. The Green Wave allowed a field goal after fumbling the kickoff against the Falcons. The following week, the Tigers found the end zone once and were virtually ineffective for the remainder of the contest.
“We have taken great pride in bringing the West Point defense back,” West Point senior Nick Melton said. “We are flying around and making plays. The guys are really having fun. We take the other team getting big plays personally. We gave up too many big plays the last couple of years. That is the biggest difference. Everybody is locked in and ready to go.”
West Point allowed 405 points in 2013 and 307 points in 2014. Thus, the 32 points allowed through four games is the biggest reason to smile in Clay County.
On offense, West Point continues to get better. Quarterback Marcus Murphy and running back Chris Calvert make things go. Bringing junior Trevino Harris to the offensive side of the ball has been a plus. Senior lineman Scott Lashley is backing up his billing as one of the state’s best lineman.
West Point is solid in all aspects of special teams play, with junior Jose Garcia handling the kicking game.
In the victories over Columbus and Noxubee County, West Point showed a flashback to the teams of old. There was no deep threat (other than a 77-yard hookup from reserve quarterback Dmarrio Edwards to Drake). There was no hard-nose running and strong blocking. West Point runs the ball and does a great job of maintaining field position and keeping both the clock and chains moving.
The scheduling row of Starkville, Columbus, Noxubee County and Oxford means the youthful West Point players are growing up on the job against some of the best defensive lines in the state.
“I think you are seeing some old-school West Point football from our offense,” Chambless said. “We are running the ball with authority. We are growing up. We are a lot different team than we were a month ago. Hopefully, we will be a different team a month from now.”
Oxford enters with home-field advantage and a higher number of senior college prospects. However, the Chargers have already matched last season’s loss total with early-season setbacks to Starkville and Madison Central.
It appears the gap has been closed in this region race. Friday night will be fun but it pails in comparison to the probable rematch we could see in November.
Big games are back at West Point. Honestly, can’t wait to see how this team performs in them.
Scott Walters is a sports writer for The Dispatch. You can email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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