WEST POINT — A first down is when a team moves the football 10 yards in as many as four attempts.
The West Point High football team didn’t allow one for three-plus quarters and gave the Conquistadors very little say in the matter Friday night.
Along with the stout performance by the defense, Marcus Murphy scored two of his three touchdowns before halftime to lead West Point to a 51-7 victory in a Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 5A, Region 1 game at McCallister Field.
“We care how we finish,” West Point coach Chris Chambless said. “That’s the way all my guys are. Tonight was another step toward the finish line we want to achieve.”
Entering the game, West Point’s and Olive Branch’s defenses had kept opponents to an average of eight points per game. The teams also were scoring more than 35 ppg., so it looked like an intriguing matchup that many thought would decide the region title.
West Point, the No. 1 team in The Associated Press rankings, had other ideas.
The Green Wave raced out to a 34-point, halftime advantage on rushing touchdowns by Chris Calvert and Murphy. West Point added 10 points in the third quarter and another rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to account for the final margin.
“Every game is about making a statement,” Murphy said. “It doesn’t matter who we play. We aren’t losing any sleep about what people outside the team think.”
The Green Wave (8-0, 4-0 region) forced eight three-and-outs and a turnover on downs before the Conquistadors earned their first first down with five minutes remaining. West Point held Olive Branch to 55 yards rushing and 6 passing.
Ryan Melton blocked two punts to set up first-half scores.
“We play consistently on the defensive side of the ball,” Chambless said. “The defensive line and linebackers are going to cause problems, and the secondary does a great job of preventing other teams from making big plays through the air.”
While the defense was in full gear, West Point rushed for 275 yards by halftime. It added 134 yards in the final two quarters for 409 yards on 39 attempts. Murphy had 141 yards on 16 carries, and Nate Montgomery had nine carries for 122, including a long of 58 yards in the fourth quarter. Chris Calvert had nine carries for 81 yards.
Jake Chambless had for 73 of West Point’s 88 passing yards. He gave West Point a 13-0 lead when he connected with Jason Brownlee for a 33-yard touchdown strike. Brownlee had three catches for 58 yards against Jaylon Reed, who has made a verbal commitment to Mississippi State.
Olive Branch opened the game with a recovered onside kick. The Conquistadors followed with the first of their six three-and-outs in the opening half. Leading rusher Demarcus Ware II had nine carries for 9 yards.
“You try to steal possessions off a team like (West Point),” Olive Branch coach Tyler Turner said. “We just couldn’t do anything offensively.”
West Point will play host to Grenada at 7 p.m. Friday.
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