WEST POINT — Marcus Murphy is considered a “self-starter.”
When it comes to the weight room, practice field, or on game nights, the West Point High School junior always finds a way to make himself better.
One day after West Point won the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A State championship, Murphy tweeted he was headed back to the weight room to start work on an even bigger senior season.
“He is the best leader I have ever been around,” West Point junior running back Chris Calvert said. “It doesn’t matter what we are doing, he is out there trying to make the team better. He is a hard worker and a motivator. When you see what he does and where it has gotten him, you want to be out there doing the same things.”
Coach Chris Chambless is pleased Murphy is a “self-starter.” However, the veteran coach also likes to call him a “team-starter.”
“We go as he goes,” Chambless said. “It takes a team to win a championship. However, when we needed a lift, (Murphy) was always there. He has the type of ability that can change a game on one play.”
Murphy rushed for 1,756 yards and 25 touchdowns to help lead West Point to a 14-1 record and the program’s eighth state title. He also threw for 97 passing yards and two touchdowns and had 137 receiving yards and another score.
For his efforts, Murphy is The Dispatch’s Large Schools co-Offensive Player of the Year.
“This team set some really high goals and fortunately, we were able to achieve them,” Murphy said. “West Point football is about winning championships. It had been quite some time since that happened, so it feels really good to be the team that brought the tradition back. Our goal every year is to win the state championship.
“The players really believed. I don’t know if any teams that worked harder than we did. Each week, you could tell we grew a little bit.”
After a season-opening win against Louisville, a one-sided loss to Starkville followed. The Green Wave then won their final 13 games to capture the school’s first state championship since 2010.
In a 29-8 victory against Laurel in the state championship game, Murphy ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns. After receiving the game’s MVP award, he turned around and presented his plaque to the team.
“That’s just the kind of player that he is,” West Point senior quarterback Clayton Knight said. “Being around here, you don’t know he is the star player. What he does on the field is amazing. Off the field, he is just a regular, hard-working, humble guy. I think he knows how great a player he can become.”
The banner season came after a position change in the spring. As a sophomore, Murphy played quarterback. He was learning how to throw the ball with accuracy, while learning how to lead and play on the varsity level.
“It was the biggest challenge I have ever faced playing sports,” Murphy said. “It’s hard in 10th grade because you are playing varsity ball for the first time. I am learning all about playing quarterback. As the quarterback, you have to be the leader. I felt like the leadership came natural to me.”
When Knight transferred in before spring ball, he took over the quarterback duties, which allowed Murphy to flourish as a running back and receiver. Chambless said he felt Murphy was gifted enough to play any position on the field.
“The chemistry between those two (Knight and Murphy) was so good,” Chambless said. “That is what really made the offense go. Marcus stepped back and let Clayton do his job, while making so many other contributions elsewhere.
“We were able to use both players at quarterback and run a wide array of offensive plays which helped both players succeed. It was fun watching it all come together.”
With Calvert sidelined for more than half the season with a concussion, the pressure to drive the running game fell on the shoulders of the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Murphy. Senior Andre Lane added another 809 yards rushing, while Calvert came back for a three-touchdown night in a playoff victory against Oxford.
“The best thing about this team is we had a lot of players who could have a big game,” Murphy said. “The pressure wasn’t on any one player. We knew we would all have our chances to make plays. Our defense played so well this season, that it took a lot of pressure off the offense. We could let things come to us naturally.”
In four playoff wins, West Point allowed three touchdowns. Offensively, West Point averaged 35.1 points per game.
While Knight performed well at quarterback, Murphy made the offense go at its highest level. Entering the 2017 season, Murphy will be one of the state’s top running back prospects.
Already having given a verbal commit to Mississippi State, Murphy is excited about the recruiting process picking up in earnest.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but it is also going to be fun,” Murphy said. “I watched (current Mississippi State player and former West Point player Aeris Williams) go through the process and also watched (current Alabama player and former West Point player) Scott Lashley go through the process. I tried to learn the best I could to be ready.
“The coaches are always great about keeping everything organized. I am looking forward to what lies ahead.”
On the field, West Point also should have high expectations. With as many as 16 sophomores or juniors in the lineup on a regular basis, the Green Wave should enter the season as the state’s pick to win Class 5A again.
Those expectations are a big reason why Murphy was back in the weight room 48 hours after receiving the plaque at Davis Wade Stadium.
“Not a lot of teams get a chance to repeat,” Murphy said. “We are going to take that challenge very seriously.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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