WEST POINT — Two numbers — 50 and 28 — are displayed prominently in the West Point High School locker room.
To the casual observer, the numbers might not stand out. To a West Point defensive player, the back story can be shared rather quickly.
“Coach writes down 50 and 28 just about every day,” West Point senior linebacker Nick Melton said. “Everywhere we go, it is somewhere. It means a lot to us. It is the motivation when things are tough. It’s there when we need to be pushed that one extra mile.”
West Point lost to Oxford 50-28 in its Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A, Region 1 opener on Sept. 25.
Since that setback, West Point has been destroying the opposition. On Thursday, West Point won its sixth-straight game with a 34-0 victory against Lewisburg on Senior Night at Hamblin Stadium.
“The Oxford game really hurt us,” West Point senior defensive back Jeffrey Drake said. “They beat us bad twice last season. This was the year we were supposed to compete with them. We were supposed to take that next step and beat them. It didn’t happen. We were embarrassed. It hurt. It hurt us a lot. It hurt our pride.
“Since that game, the coaches have not let us forget.”
West Point (9-2, 6-1 region) will play host to Ridgeland (5-7, 5-2 Class 5A, Region 2) in the opening-round of the North State Class 5A playoffs next week.
West Point has won by an average of 38.7 points in its winning streak. The latest victory was the team’s third-straight shutout. The Green Wave haven’t allowed a point in the last 14 quarters.
“We are on a roll and everybody knows it,” West Point sophomore defensive lineman Terrence Cherry said. “I think it comes from having a lot of confidence in what you are doing. The coaches keep us grounded. They make sure we keep working hard. There is never a day that we let up. On defense, we are just making a lot of plays. We are proud of the streak. We want to keep it going.”
West Point made quick work of Lewisburg (3-8, 1-6), scoring on its first five offensive possessions and forcing five turnovers. In the second half, the fans earned a good look at several talented young standouts, such as junior Andre Lane and sophomore Nate Montgomery.
By design, several West Point seniors received touches and scoring chances. Marcus Murphy threw a touchdown pass to senior Thomas Williams, while senior Kaelan O’Neal rushed for a score. Murphy also scored on an 84-yard quarterback draw and hit junior Demarrio Edwards for another score. Chris Calvert, also a sophomore like Murphy, rushed for a touchdown.
“You have really seen Marcus and Chris grow up a lot this year,” said Edwards, of his two 1,000-yard rushing teammates. “They have gone from good to great players during the course of the season.”
West Point’s defense has grown with its offense. Last season, Lewisburg quarterback Jake Harville threw for 374 yards and five touchdowns in a 65-51 loss. He threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns in a 62-34 loss in 2013.
On Thursday, Lewisburg had two scoring threats. Junior Trevino Harris ended one with an interception in the end zone, while Drake did the same on the other threat. Harris finished with two interceptions. The other went to senior Randall Johnson, who also had a fumble recovery after sophomore Ledarius Glover stripped Harville.
“We had to step our game after the loss to Oxford,” Harris said. “We had to play harder. Balling out was the thing we needed to do. We paid more attention in the film room. We paid more attention in practice.
“We are still processing things. The big thing is to keep our heads up because we want to play for a state championship.”
West Point had slipped from elite status in Class 5A in the last couple of seasons thanks in large part to sub-par play on defense. Thursday night was another sign West Point is reverting to its old form. Cherry and Tony Rush helped set the tone with bone-jarring sacks on back-to-back first-quarter possessions.
In the second half, the youngsters fought to protect the shutout. Lewisburg had an 83-yard drive before Harris closed the door for good in the closing seconds.
“When do you feel good about a streak?” West Point coach Chris Chambless said. “When you see your second- and third-string out there fighting for it — when they are playing every play like it is the biggest play of the game. That is when you really take pride as a coach. That is when you know you have a team that can become special.”
West Point will need to be special to make a run to the North State championship. A potential rematch with Oxford would take place in the third round.
“It’s now a one-and-done,” Cherry said. “We have been great these last three games. However, we have to become even better.”
For the West Point seniors, it has been a long road back to playing top-shelf defense. A year ago, West Point allowed 21.9 points per game. This year, the number is 12.
“We are getting there,” Melton said. “I don’t think we are there yet. However, we are taking more pride in what we are doing. That’s a big step. We are getting close to becoming the unit we need to be. However, we can’t let 50-28 happen again.”
While Ridgeland is the first playoff opponent, Drake has his eyes on a bigger target.
“We really want Oxford again,” Drake said. “You can’t let one loss define a season. You can let it motivate you. Sometimes in life, you don’t get a do-over. We really want one this time around. It will be a different game. We are on a different level now.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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