Green Wave defense flexes again in North half win

West Point football is heading back to the MHSAA Class 5A state championship game. 

This has been an evergreen sentence for nearly two decades, from Dennis Allen’s reign culminating in a 2005 championship, to 18 years of dominance under Chris Chambless, to 2024 and the first year of Brett Morgan’s tenure at the helm. 

The Green Wave, who will make their eighth-consecutive state championship game appearance, have rolled, throughout the years with a relentless running game, rushing into December with everything on the line. This year, the attack has been start and stop with a slew of injuries forcing changes under center and at skill positions, but through it all the team has continued to win thanks to the grit and grind on the defensive side of the ball. 

The Green Wave defense has posted two shutouts this season and allowed one score or fewer on six occasions. The sixth came on Friday as Charles Herron’s defensive unit held previously undefeated Cleveland Central to just seven points at home. The Wolves offense averaged 33 points per game going into the matchup, boosted by a strong defense of their own, but simply couldn’t get through in the second half to overcome the reigning champions. 

The 14-7 win wasn’t perfect, but it once again showed why the Green Wave have stayed at the top of the game throughout the years. It’s a winning program that just knows how to win time and time again. 

“We found a way to survive and advance,” Morgan said after the game. “I can’t say enough about our defense, about our offense’s toughness and the cleanness of our special teams. I can’t say enough about our coaching staff, our fans and our community. We have found a way. Survive and advance.”

Young’s Tigers are never out

Noxubee County head coach Teddy Young has had some memorable games in his young coaching career, but nothing may come close to the instant classic comeback his team produced on Friday at Magee.

The Trojans were 12-0 coming into the South half championship game, hosting a 10-2 Tigers team that had won nine straight, and looked every bit the unbeaten juggernaut through 43 minutes of football. 

The Trojans led 34-16 with just over five minutes remaining in the game, but they would get the ball back only once with a chance to close out the game as Tigers quarterback KaMario Taylor led three remarkable touchdown drives in the closing minutes. 

Special teams showed up as well with an onside kick to make it two scores in a row, but the defense stood tall to get one last chance to take the lead with a three and out at midfield. 

What followed was a screen to Ledareoun Mosley to get the Tigers down inside the five and a fifth Taylor touchdown of the evening to take a 36-34 lead with 30 seconds to play. 

The Trojans failed to retake the lead and the Tigers booked their ticket to the 3A title game for a third straight year. 

It was a stunning turnaround, and while the Tigers showed their vulnerability on the night, they also showed that they are never down and out until the final whistle blows.