WEST POINT — West Point High School football coach Chris Chambless felt like a proud papa Wednesday.
Chambless had eight seniors sign college scholarship offers during a National Signing Day ceremony in the school’s auditorium.
“We will always be indebted to this senior class for helping bring West Point football back,” Chambless said. “These players will always be a part of my family. As a coach, this is why you are in the business. To be able to see players advance to the next level is rewarding.”
While West Point didn’t have a large senior class, the class was packed with talent.
After back-to-back five-loss season, West Point headed back toward prominence in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A ranks this season, finishing 11-3 and advancing to the North State Class 5A title game. The 11-win season was the program’s most since 2012, when it also won 11 games.
The suspense of National Signing Day was removed for the most part Tuesday, when consensus All-State offensive lineman Scott Lashley gave a verbal commitment to Alabama.
Rated No. 140 in the ESPN Top 300, Lashley chose Alabama over 24 other Division I offers, including Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Lashley helped pave the way for an offense that averaged 308 rushing yards per game this season.
“Alabama just seemed like a natural fit,” Lashley said. “There is no better tradition in the nation. I feel like this is a chance for me to learn so much more about my position. This is a chance to be part of a program competing for championships.”
Lashley signed his National Letter of Intent early Wednesday morning and his paperwork was faxed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, long before the school held its signing day program.
“He was anxious to say the least,” Chambless said. “Alabama is a getting a hard worker. They are getting a player who is going to show up and work hard every day to get better. His work ethic is what really sets him apart. It is what gave him a chance at this opportunity. I think he will go there and show people that he really belongs.”
The other West Point signees are all headed to the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges: Nick Melton (Itawamba Community College), Jeffrey Drake (Copiah-Lincoln C.C.), Jaylon Ewing (Northeast Mississippi C.C.), Devin Morton (Hinds C.C.) and William Ivy, Randall Johnson, and Tony Rush (Coahoma C.C.).
Drake excelled on offense and defense. After making five interceptions and 22 tackles as a defensive back, The Dispatch’s Large School co-Defensive Player of the Year for 2015 was still undecided in the final days.
“Several junior colleges showed an interest,” Drake said. “It was a stressful period because so many schools had so many good things to offer. I am excited about my choice. I am ready to go down there and get started.”
Lashley also felt stressed during the recruiting process. Many national recruiting experts had MSU as the favorite for a majority of the recruiting season. However, a late surge by the 2015 national champions proved too much to overcome.
“When you see the coaches are genuinely interested in you that means a lot,” Lashley said. “The process was a long a grind. However, you feel fortunate to be a part of it.”
Chambless also felt fortunate. With almost the entire offense returning, the next two signing days look equally promising for the Green Wave.
Lashley is the first West Point player to sign with a Power-5 school since Aeris Williams signed with MSU after the 2013 campaign.
“Aeris really handled everything the right way,” Chambless said. “He made a commitment and stuck with it. I think a lot of these guys learned from watching that process. Now going forward the young players in our program can again learn from these leaders.
“We aren’t all the way back yet because we want to be winning championships. However, we are close. These seniors can take pride in that.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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