So many who have worn a West Point football jersey have gone on to represent the Green Wave at the next level.
In just a few months’ time, senior Kahnen Daniels will be the next on that list as the four-star prospect heads to Florida.
However, he won’t be going there empty-handed, bringing a state championship ring with him after West Point dismantled Laurel in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A state championship game on Thursday night.
“I really left it all out there,” Daniels said. “… “This means a lot to me. I feel like this is one of the things that I really wanted to accomplish in my career and we got it done.”
Daniels put on a state championship performance for the ages to cap off one of the most impressive careers of any West Point player, finishing the game with 253 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, punctuating a senior season where he ran for over 2,700 yards and 29 touchdowns, both career-highs.
West Point’s team-first mindset doesn’t typically single out one player over another, but Daniels has solidified himself as the key piece for the Green Wave over the past few seasons, and he finally checked off that last goal in his career, winning a state title.
“[West Point] means a lot to me,” Daniels said. “I feel like through the past three years, I really embraced being a West Point football player and now myself, I feel like I am a West Point football player.”
Chase Richardson was a one-man wrecking crew that Noxubee County couldn’t stop
Over the past two seasons, Noxubee County has faced a gauntlet of opponents en route to a MHSAA Class 3A state title game appearance, but despite reaching the top of the hill, the Tigers haven’t been able to get over it.
Among a number of other reasons, that’s come down to two players, one each year, who terrorized Noxubee on the field: Raleigh’s Suntarine Perkins and Winona’s Chase Richardson.
The latter made his mark on Saturday afternoon, leading Winona to a state title and perfect 15-0 season as he ran for 294 yards and four touchdowns, totaling over 400 yards of offense.
“They came out and they made plays,” head coach Teddy Young said. “Our second half, we had a big drop offensively where we didn’t execute plays and that’s what the game came down to. We didn’t make the plays. They made one more play than us.”
Noxubee went into halftime with a 19-6 lead, controlling the game at a high tempo, but all of that went away as Richardson took over in the second half.
Winona scored 28 unanswered points to begin the second half, snatching momentum and a state title right out of Noxubee County’s hands, despite the best efforts of junior quarterback Kamario Taylor.
“I don’t know where to start at,” Taylor said. “I’m thankful that (the seniors) helped us get here. To the seniors, I’m sorry I failed them. I’m sorry that we failed them as underclassmen. We just have to keep moving forward.”
Starkville’s bid at back-to-back state titles comes up short
Coming into Saturday’s first-ever MHSAA Class 7A state title game, Starkville knew it had one game in front of it to finish the job and go back-to-back.
The Yellow Jackets had dealt with a target on their backs this entire season following last season’s seventh state title in school history.
Tough non-district games and a blowout loss at Tupelo to end district play certainly dealt blows to this team, but Starkville kept weathering the storm and rightfully earned a spot in Oxford. Once there, however, when push came to shove, the Jackets came up short.
“I’m proud of my guys, man,” head coach Chris Jones said. “You win some, you lose some, but we fought hard. Nothing to be ashamed of. We lost to a really good team.”
Starkville (10-4) had an incredibly tough task in front of it in Oak Grove (12-1), and the Warriors came out firing early.
It almost looked like the Jackets were caught off-guard, especially after a 63-yard pick six from Jalen Owens gave Oak Grove an early 14-0 lead.
Jackets quarterback Trey Petty was under pressure the entire night, completing just 36 percent of his passes, and Starkville was forced to play from behind all game.
Starkville had its chance late to win, but Oak Grove’s last-minute defensive stand helped bring a title home to Hattiesburg.
“We’ve been through a lot,” Jones said. “We won a lot of games. We won a championship. We lost a championship … At the end of the day, the sun will rise tomorrow and we’ll be alright.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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