Photo by Colin Damms/Dispatch staff
WEST POINT — For the first time since 2006, West Point has a new head football coach.
Brett Morgan, a 15-year veteran coach with the program, is in his first year as head coach.
“I’m tired, end of the day tired,” he said with a laugh when asked how Year One was going.
“It’s been good,” he continued. “We’re not where we need to be yet, we know that, but we never have been in the first week of full pads. We’ve had good work, I think we’re as good as we possibly can be at this point, but we’ve got a good group of kids, a good group of men leading these kids, and I feel good about what we’re doing.”
Morgan succeeds Chris Chambless, who retired after the 2023 season, ending an 18-year run with West Point. Chambless won 11 district championships and seven state championships while in charge of the Green Wave, posting a 206-45 record. In a stretch of four seasons from 2016 to 2019, the Green Wave won four consecutive district and state championships, losing only three games in that time.
It’s safe to say that a legend of the game has stepped away, but his successor is the offensive coordinator from those same years, Morgan.
“It’s been different,” senior linebacker Louis Facella said of the transition. “They’ve been pushing us hard to reach that standard because Coach Cham set a high standard. We’ve been working hard to keep that going and make sure we win another one.”
“We’ve been working hard every day and not getting complacent,” teammate Javon Randle added. “We always follow our seniors, I was a starter last year but now I’m stepping into that senior role. Our offense is looking good, I think we’re going to do some good things this year.”
Brett Morgan joined the staff in 2009 as an assistant and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2015, serving on the staff for every state championship under Chambless. He played for his father, Robert Morgan, at Warren Central before playing under Jackie Sherrill and Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State.
Morgan has the football pedigree and experience, but more importantly, he has an understanding of how West Point functions. There is of course the newness of being down on the field calling plays rather than working in the box with offensive coordinator James Welch down on the field, but there is still the same staff of coaches he has worked with for years, the same support system with the school and the same group of players who understand the assignment: Get better every week and win titles.
“I’ve been here 15 years and we’ve gone undefeated once,” Morgan said. “We’ve won some big games, we’ve won several state championships, but undefeated years in this area are few and far between. It’s a schedule that gets you prepared for December. We want to get to that and we feel like this prepares us for that.”
The Green Wave aren’t built to win every game, they’re built to win championships. Winning every game doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t help them to play at their very best in November and December, and with the teams they play early on there is no doubt that’s the case.
“We’re willing to take on any adversity that comes our way,” Facella said of the team’s mentality. “We’re willing to beat any team that’s in our way and we believe that we can win every single game.”
Last year started with two losses to two of the best teams in the state, which nearly became three losses if not for a second-half comeback win in a 50-40 thriller at Noxubee County. The Green Wave program is built to embrace challenges.
“It’s good right now but we haven’t played a game,” Morgan said. “We won our spring game, but the adversity is getting tested with that. There was a point last year where we’d lost the spring game, the jamboree, lost to Louisville and then lost to Starkville. We were down 20 points at Noxubee, looking at losing five straight as a team, and we found a way to come back. We got rolling from there, but this area is a gauntlet and it’s just something you take one at a time.”
West Point won 11 of the next 12 games in 2023, avenging its only district loss to Clarksdale in the playoffs to punch their ticket to Oxford for the 5A state championship game. They defeated Laurel 35-7 to give Chambless the sendoff he deserved.
The new era under Morgan begins with a nearly identical schedule, and a chance at redemption hosting Louisville to kick off the regular season.
But Morgan isn’t ready to talk about Louisville yet.
“There is an expectation and level of a standard to play and compete at, a character we want to show on the field,” Morgan said. “But with our schedule, adding Brandon, Tupelo and Neshoba to the Golden Triangle schedule we play, there isn’t a more difficult schedule that I know of. It’s a week-to-week approach and you can’t look past anybody. People want to talk about Louisville, but we play the No. 1 team in Mississippi this week in a jamboree. We can’t look past that, we’re in an ‘Every day get better’ mindset. Our attention is on Brandon and we have to get ready to fight our guts out in a jamboree.”
Roster
# Players Pos 1 Pos 2 Year Height Weight
0 Quantarrius Dawson LB – 5′ 11″ 190 lbs
1 Shamane Clark ATH Sr. 5′ 8″ 180 lbs
2 Cam Randle ATH – 5′ 9″ 189 lbs
3 Quintin Thompson ATH Jr. 5′ 5″ 150 lbs
4 Jermaine Elliot ATH Sr. 5′ 10″ 160 lbs
5 Marcus Mukeba ATH – 6′ 1″ 167 lbs
6 Ladvious Harris LB – 5′ 9″ 180 lbs
7 Sharmarion Mckinney ATH Jr. 5′ 9″ 190 lbs
8 Walker Moore ATH – 5′ 11″ 150 lbs
9 Javon Randle ATH – 6′ 1″ 200 lbs
10 Blake Tillman ATH – 5′ 9″ 150 lbs
11 Bryson Wells ATH – 6′ 0″ 190 lbs
13 justin White ATH Jr. 6′ 3″ 200 lbs
14 Colt Whitacre QB Jr. 5′ 10″ 170 lbs
15 Louis Facella ATH Sr. 5′ 8″ 155 lbs
16 Jaquez Davis DL Jr. 6′ 0″ 200 lbs
17 Jaylen Hall ATH So. 5′ 11″ 150 lbs
18 Travion Humphries ATH – 6′ 4″ 180 lbs
19 Maurice Hall ATH Jr. 5′ 9″ 150 lbs
20 Jordan Rush DL Jr. 6′ 1″ 220 lbs
21 Jaylon Moore ATH Jr. 5′ 9″ 155 lbs
21 Taurrence Pierce ATH – 5′ 8″ 150 lbs
22 Willis Gill ATH – 6′ 1″ 180 lbs
23 Kasavion Shelton DB Jr. 5′ 8″ 150 lbs
24 Jordan Robinson ATH – 6′ 1″ 220 lbs
25 Cameron Saddler ATH Jr. 5′ 8″ 150 lbs
26 Meshullam Mukeba ATH So. 5′ 6″ 165 lbs
27 Mckinvein Mckinney ATH Jr. 5′ 8″ 180 lbs
28 Wade Hamby ATH Sr. 5′ 10″ 180 lbs
29 Jamichael Forest ATH Jr. 5′ 7″ 150 lbs
30 Alan Haughton ATH – 5′ 10″ 150 lbs
32 Quinterrious Hall DL Jr. 5′ 9″ 215 lbs
33 Josh Gray ATH – 5′ 10″ 220 lbs
34 Tristan Eggerson ATH Jr. 5′ 11″ 200 lbs
38 J’Michael Strong ATH So. 6′ 1″ 195 lbs
38 Cameron Donald ATH – 5′ 9″ 150 lbs
39 Dacorryn Mazie DB So. 5′ 10″ 165 lbs
40 Markinzius Bell LB – 5′ 5″ 180 lbs
41 Amahd Brown LB So. 5′ 11″ 135 lbs
42 Joshua Young ATH So. 5′ 11″ 170 lbs
44 Jabari Cunningham DL Sr. 5′ 10″ 235 lbs
44 Jernari Rush DL – 5′ 10″ 290 lbs
45 Jermarion Edwards ATH – 5′ 10″ 200 lbs
47 Elijah Matthews DB So. 5′ 7″ 145 lbs
48 LaShaun Hopkins ATH So. 5′ 8″ 150 lbs
52 Cortez Whitfield DL – 5′ 11″ 220 lbs
53 Deundre Young DL – 5′ 7″ 190 lbs
53 Jorden Brownlee DL So. 5′ 9″ 210 lbs
54 Keundre Young DL – 5′ 7″ 190 lbs
55 Tytus Davidson DL Jr. 6′ 1″ 260 lbs
56 Rashaud Greenlee OL – 5′ 8″ 190 lbs
57 Barrett Allen OL Sr. 6′ 1″ 260 lbs
58 James Coggins OL So. 6′ 3″ 285 lbs
59 Felix Blair DL – 5′ 7″ 240 lbs
60 Kamran Lucious OL – 5′ 10″ 220 lbs
61 Emmanuel Davidson OL – 6′ 5″ 310 lbs
61 Jayden Daye OL So. 6′ 2″ 275 lbs
62 Tyran Cox OL Sr. 6′ 1″ 250 lbs
63 Robert Fisher LB Jr. 5′ 7″ 185 lbs
64 Xavier Pernell DL Jr. 6′ 2″ 250 lbs
65 Elijiah Lowery OL – 6′ 5″ 280 lbs
66 Ladarius Brownlee OL So. 5′ 9″ 175 lbs
67 Aidan Brooks OL Jr. 6′ 2″ 270 lbs
68 Kenneth Kinsey OL Jr. 6′ 0″ 230 lbs
68 Noah High OL So. 5′ 11″ 250 lbs
69 Ronald Odneal DL – 5′ 10″ 240 lbs
70 Braydon Wofford OL – 5′ 11″ 220 lbs
71 Cameron Carothers DL So. 5′ 11″ 250 lbs
72 Lucas Clardy OL Jr. 5′ 9″ 175 lbs
73 Ergin Carter DL So. 5′ 10″ 185 lbs
74 Jacorie Lairy OL So. 5′ 10″ 275 lbs
75 Isaac Warren OL Jr. 6′ 3″ 280 lbs
77 Makeal Box DL Jr. 5′ 8″ 280 lbs
79 Aundrea Loverson OL Jr. 5′ 9″ 180 lbs
80 Bryceson Hoskins ATH Jr. 5′ 7″ 150 lbs
81 Jamarion Bell ATH Jr. 5′ 9″ 150 lbs
82 Jakedric Powell ATH So. 6′ 3″ 160 lbs
83 Jacorion Jones ATH So. 5′ 10″ 145 lbs
84 Ahmarion Blair ATH So. 6′ 2″ 150 lbs
86 Dontavian Ivy ATH Jr. 5′ 8″ 150 lbs
87 Maurice Heard ATH So. 5′ 7″ 155 lbs
89 Mac McGee ATH Sr. 6′ 1″ 230 lbs
90 Bryson Brownlee DL Jr. 5′ 10″ 220 lbs
91 Christopher Virges Jr. OL So. 5′ 11″ 211 lbs
92 Javarious Altman DL Jr. 5′ 7″ 220 lbs
93 Mac Spraggins ATH – 6′ 2″ 200 lbs
93 Jamichael Dent DL – 6′ 0″ 200 lbs
96 Javion Taylor ATH – 5′ 10″ 260 lbs
97 Jack Carter Taylor K – 5′ 8″ 150 lbs
98 Drake Stafford K Sr. 5′ 10″ 200 lbs
99 Damarvion Haughton DL Jr. 6′ 0″ 230 lbs
Tamarrion Pierce ATH So. 5′ 11″ 135 lbs
Savion Jefferson ATH Jr. 5′ 10″ 125 lbs
Markell Logan ATH So. 5′ 5″ 145 lbs
Decoryon L. Ewing So. 5′ 7″ 200 lbs
Garrett Haughton Fr.
Braiden Parson Fr.
Nadrikus Johnson Jr.
COACHING STAFF
| Coaches | Position | Exp |
| Brett Morgan | Head Coach | |
| Andrew Hardy | Assistant Coach | |
| Roger Burton | Assistant Coach | |
| Boone Lairy | Assistant Coach | |
| James Welch | Assistant Coach | |
| Jerry Fremin | Assistant Coach | |
| Quon Brand | Assistant Coach | |
| Steve Cannon | Assistant Coach | |
| Matt Snow | Assistant Coach | |
| Anthony Watt | Assistant Coach | |
| Sharone Wright | Assistant Coach | |
| Austin Yelton | Assistant Coach | |
| Benjamin Earnest | Video Coordinator |
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You can help your community
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 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
