WEST POINT — Friday night in Hattiesburg, the West Point Green Wave will play for its 13th state championship in school history, and eighth in the last 15 years. 

It was the end of an era when head coach Chris Chambless stepped down as head coach last year after winning his eighth state championship, but from August to now the expectation, the culture and the results have sustained under first-year head coach Brett Morgan.

The program values a business-like approach from its players, instilling a work ethic and the X’s and O’s early on to develop players who are ready to step up when their time comes. 

“It means a lot, and I don’t know if you can put a measurement on it,” Morgan said of the program’s standard. “The expectation of the program and standard we try to operate to, along with our preseason schedule and who we play against, tough football teams.” 

The Green Wave consistently plays one of the toughest non-district schedules in the state. This year they faced Louisville, Starkville, Noxubee County, Neshoba Central and Tupelo, all five teams reaching at least the second round of the playoffs with three playing for state championships of their own this weekend. 

“I don’t know if anybody plays tougher than that,” Morgan said. “It matters to us to have that grind, it teaches how to overcome adversity, to keep grinding with a next-play mentality and how to be tough. I think that and the expectation of the program factors into our success.”

The schedule never scares the Green Wave, and because of that the team is almost always prepared for November and December. 

“We talk about this here all the time, to our players, administration, and school, we’re all about the program,” Chambless said. “You’re going to graduate seniors, different kids every year, but the way the program is run, the tradition we have and work ethic of everyone, there is an expectation. We’ve had some great players come through, great character guys coming through, but there’s more behind them.”

Chambless remains a mentor for the coaching staff and offers his help wherever needed for the athletic department, but for the first time in years his November and December has had a lot less stress game planning for the biggest game of the year. 

Morgan has his first trip to the title game as a head coach, but he has the experience as well after 15 years working with Chambless. 

Simply put, the program is in the right hands and it’s why Chambless felt so comfortable leaving it with Morgan in the first place. 

“He’s a man of faith, he’s got great character and that rubs off on kids,” Chambless said of Morgan. “He works extremely hard and he’s very serious about his job, he treats his kids and fellow coaches great, and he was a great addition to the staff.”

Morgan arrived in 2009 as a wide receivers coach, eventually ascending to offensive coordinator in 2015. In his time directing the offense, the Green Wave averaged 36 points per game and helped the team win five state championships. 

He is the son of legendary Warren Central head coach Robert Morgan, and brother of current Vikings head coach Josh Morgan, where their other brother Rob is also an assistant. It’s safe to say that the coaching gene runs in his family, but Morgan’s ascension at West Point has seen him take on another lineage as well. 

Apart from one assistant, the entire staff stayed in place in the transition from Chambless to Morgan. The same staff remains, and the standard that was set for them as well as the players. 

“It meant everything to me and I think it meant a lot to our administration,” Morgan said of keeping the staff together. “The camaraderie, the continuity, it’s all important and we’ve been able to do what we have over the past decade because of that continuity. It’s so much deeper than just one person. It means the world to me to keep our staff together, and it means a lot to our whole program. We’re about family and having each other’s back, and that includes our staff.”

Chambless is still on staff as well, though he only goes where needed. 

“It makes me happy because I feel included, but I sleep really well at night,” he said with a laugh. 

He noted the support of the administration and the rest of the school that just helps to make West Point a special place, and the football program’s run of success that started before him with Bubba Davis and Dennis Allen. To him, every part of the Green Wave community has built the program into what it is now, and he’s always happy to answer the call to help where needed, just as his staff always was for him. 

“To be in a support role now, I’m just as happy,” he continued. “Our coaches have a brotherhood here, there’s no ego, and that’s why it’s been so special here. Nobody is above anyone else. If they need something and call me, I’ll be first in line for it.”