WEST POINT — West Point High School football coach Chris Chambless keeps meaning to go back and check the records: How many Green Wave players have gone on to play college football?
Chambless isn’t currently sure of the exact number, but he knows it’s a big one.
“It’s got to be a bunch,” he said.
On Wednesday morning, that total grew by six as the latest group of West Point seniors made their signings official.
The Green Wave’s destinations included East Mississippi, East Central, Northwest Mississippi, Northeast Mississippi and Hinds community colleges.
“I like seeing people from West Point get out there and do something better,” tight end Kolban Hogan said.
Hogan will continue his career at Hinds, where he hopes to teach teammates the lessons he learned while playing for the Green Wave — hard work and a “winning mentality” that saw West Point make its seventh straight state championship game last fall.
And he’ll get to achieve a lifelong goal himself.
“It was my dream to go to the next level to play football, make my mama proud,” he said.
Hogan is the lone West Point player headed to Hinds, but two other Green Wave seniors will double up in Decatur this fall.
Running back Keshawn Henley and offensive lineman Tajon Smith both signed with East Central, and they’re glad to be heading there together.
“It’ll feel a lot better knowing I’ve got somebody that I’ve been with for the past couple years coming down there with me,” Henley said.
During his West Point career, Henley ran to great success in the Green Wave’s dynamic rushing attack.
But the Wave’s offense was much more two dimensional this season, and standout receiver Ahmari Cox was a big part of that.
Cox, who signed with EMCC, said he was glad to see the Lions reciprocate the interest he had in them.
“They seemed more interested in me than all the other ones,” Cox said. “I wanted to go somewhere that wanted me.”
On the defensive side of the ball, a pair of key West Point players are headed north.
Linebacker Jhace Mallard is headed to Northwest, while defensive end Kenneth Yates signed with Northeast.
Both players said they expect to bring West Point’s penchant for winning with them to their new schools.
“It’s the memories,” Yates said. “You’re going to want to do the same thing that you did with your last team with the other team.”
In West Point’s case, the Green Wave are continuing to do what they’ve always done: win football games and send players to the next level. Wednesday’s ceremony wasn’t all for the Green Wave, either. Chambless said he wouldn’t be surprised if more West Point players signed during the spring or over the summer.
Chambless said the sheer number of college-bound athletes from the program is a testament to the community’s high standards and the pressure put on his players and staff.
“Our guys, our coaching staff and our teachers, we have the mindset that we don’t want to let the community down, so we’re going to give them all that we have,” Chambless said. “And the kids are going in turn to give us all they have.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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