WEST POINT — If time of possession figured into deciding the outcome of a game, Holmes County Central would be making plans to visit Oxford next week for a second-round Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 5A playoff game.
Fortunately for West Point, points on the scoreboard win games, so despite having possession of the ball for only 8 minutes, 27 seconds in the first half, the Green Wave went to the locker room with a 20-0 cushion. The Green Wave rode that lead to a 41-7 victory in a first-round game at Hamblin Stadium.
West Point used a balanced second half time of possession (14:14 to 9:46) to score three more times to end the season for Holmes County Central (5-7).
Utilizing a two-quarterback system that featured the running of Marcus Murphy and the passing of Clayton Knight, both seniors, the Green Wave averaged 6.5 yards per carry in a 278-yard effort. West Point also threw for 149 yards on a near-perfect 10-for-12 effort to outgain Holmes County Central 427-337.
Murphy, a Mississippi State commit, scored once and rushed for 160 yards on 18 carries, while Knight was 9 of 11 for 140 yards and three touchdowns. Knight’s favorite receiver, Jason Brownlee, had four receptions for 73 yards and two scores, while Murphy had two catches for 40 yards.
“Offensively, we had a good night,” said West Point coach Chris Chambless, whose team improved to 11-1. “We ran the ball well, our passing game was effective, and the credit goes to our offensive line. They came off the ball hard and knocked some heads off.”
Holmes County Central, in its third year of existence after S.V. Marshall, Williams-Sullivan, and J.J. McClain high schools consolidated, came to West Point averaging almost 260 yards per game rushing, led by three players with a combined for 2,640 yards and 28 touchdowns. Sophomore Robert Jackson was the top gainer with 1,245 yards (10.6 yards per carry), followed by quarterback Rodderius English with 820 yards (12.1) and Lydarius Kirklin with 575 yards (16.4).
But West Point’s defense held Holmes County Central to 169 yards rushing. The Jaguars were on track to reach their average with 110 yards in the first half, but they gained only 59 in the second half.
“Defensively, we bent but we didn’t break,” Chambless said. “We knew coming in they had good quickness. Speed hurts and can extend drives, but we talked at halftime about playing a step faster in the second half, and that was the difference in the two halves.”
West Point limited Holmes County Central’s runners to a combined 133 yards rushing on 28 carries for a 4.8 average. English, who proved hard to contain, led the way with 67 yards on 12 carries, followed by Kirklin with 35 yards and Jackson with 31 yards.
“The English kid can go,” Chambless said. “He can make you miss and then turn a 3-yard loss into a 30-yard gain.”
English and his offensive mates utilized that quickness on their two first-quarter possessions that ate up more than nine minutes off the clock. Eight plays into the game, Green Wave defensive back Rasson Carr came up with a 54-yard interception return for a score. Two incomplete passes by English from the West Point 19 prevented a possible game-tying score on the Jaguars’ second possession.
Leading 7-0, West Point’s offense took the field for the first time with 2:58 left in the first quarter and marched 81 yards on 13 plays. Knight capped the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Demarrio Edwards with 9:20 left in the second period. Holmes County Central’s Rodrevious Harris blocked Jose Garcia’s kick to make it 13-0.
Late in the second quarter, Knight guided the Green Wave on a four-play, 65-yard drive. Knight threw a 25-yard pass to Murphy and Brownlee had two catches for 40 yards, including the second that went for 25 yards and a touchdown. Garcia’s kick made it 20-0 at halftime.
The Green Wave tacked on a fourth touchdown on their initial possession of the third quarter, when Brownlee muscled his way into the end zone after latching onto a 22-yard toss from Knight. A 49-yard gain by Murphy moved the ball from the Green Wave 29 to the Holmes’ 22 and set up Brownlee’s touchdown.
A three-and-out on the Jaguars’ ensuing possession gave the Green Wave the ball at their 41-yard line. Andre Lane (35) and Murphy (22) accounted for all but 2 yards on the nine-play, 59-yard, drive. Lane’s 18-yard burst up the middle, followed by Garcia’s kick, made it 34-0 with 4:14 left in the third quarter.
Two false start penalties brought on a second straight three-and-out for Holmes County Central. Another clip from the Lane-Murphy show followed, as Lane carried for 38 yards and Murphy latched on to a 15-yard toss from Knight, rushed for 17 yards, and then scored on a 6-yard run. Garcia’s kick capped the scoring 38 seconds into the fourth period.
Holmes County Central avoided the shutout on Tamos Stevenson’s 1-yard plunge and Chrishawn Davis’ kick against the reserves with eight seconds remaining.
English completed five passes for 76 yards and rushed for 13 yards, as the Jaguars drove 90 yards on their final possession.
Despite the setback, Holmes County Central coach Kenneth Nelson Jr. sees only good things for his squad in the future.
“Our goal was to reach the playoffs, and we did just that,” Nelson said. “We worked hard, we practiced hard, and I’m proud of Holmes County. We made it to the dance and had a good time, but this is just the first step for our young program. We made it here this year and we’re here to stay.”
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