WEST POINT – On Friday evening against rival West Point, Tupelo head coach Ty Hardin had flashbacks to last year’s 21-20 loss to the Green Wave. But this time around, Tupelo never surrendered the momentum they gained at the end of the half and rolled to a 35-14 victory.
The Golden Wave (6-0) scored on the final play of the first half and that led to 21 unanswered points by Tupelo to help snap a five-game losing streak to West Point (2-3).
“It was the same exact thing as last year,” Hardin recalled. “Last year we were up 20-7 at halftime and scored on the last play of the half. I told our guys it was deja vu and we were in the same spot last year. But this year we got the ball to start the second half and did something with it.”
Tupelo quarterback Noah Gillon completed 8 of 11 passes for 197 yards with three touchdowns. Junior tailback Jaeden Hill added 80 yards rushing and two touchdowns while Braylon Matthews had 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns for Tupelo.
“Being balanced helps,” added Hardin. “We got a chance to do a lot of different things. We got a special running back (Hill) and we got several special skilled guys. We’ve got the best offensive line we’ve had and I’m excited about that group.”
Tupelo wasted little time denting the scoreboard first in the opening quarter. On the Golden Wave’s second play from scrimmage, Hill took the pitch and raced 58 yards for a touchdown.
West Point managed to tie the game at 7-7 thanks to a Cam Randle short rushing touchdown with less than five minutes left in the half. But Tupelo was nowhere near done, offensively.
Hill found the end zone for a second time late in the second quarter. Then on the final play of the half, Tupelo quarterback Noah Gillon connected with Matthews, who broke a couple of tackles en route to a 36-yard touchdown catch. Despite the missed extra point, Tupelo led 20-7 at the break.
“We had it 7-7 and we were right there,” said West Point head coach Brett Morgan. “We know they’re a good team but we didn’t play good enough and we were not good in all three areas. The kid (Matthews) made a really nice play down there at the end of the half. We had him defended pretty well but he made a nice play and they went up 20-7.”
Tupelo limited West Point to 247 yards of offense on the night. The usually-potent Green Wave run game was held to just 126 yards, including just 57 at halftime.
Extra Points
Turning Point: On the final play of the first half, Tupelo quarterback Noah Gillon connected with Braylon Matthews for a 36-yard touchdown to give the Golden Wave a 20-7 halftime advantage.
Point Man: Tupelo receiver Braylon Matthews finished the night with three catches for an even 100 yards and two touchdowns.
Talking Point: “I told our guys it was deja vu and we were in the same spot last year.” – Tupelo head coach Ty Hardin.
Notes
- Tupelo now leads the all-time series with West Point, 31-12, and snapped a five-game losing streak to West Point.
- Both teams open up region play next Friday. Tupelo plays host to Madison Central while West Point travels to Corinth.
- Tupelo junior running back and Mississippi State commitment Jaeden Hill now has 902 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns on the season.
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