OXFORD — For the last two years of Kahnen Daniels’ career at West Point, he found himself on the losing end of a state championship game, all two times to Picayune.
This season’s senior class for the Green Wave, featuring Daniels, the Florida commit, Keimon Ewing and Quinterion Tillman-Evans, among other seniors had no intentions of letting that state title game losing streak continue any further.
In a battle of two run-heavy offenses, West Point staked its claim early, controlling the time of possession with lengthy touchdown drives. Defensively, the Green Wave held its own, helping build momentum as the lead grew.
Thursday night was West Point’s night, winning its first state championship since 2019 and a record-breaking 12th overall as the Green Wave dismantled Laurel, 35-7.
“This means a lot to me,” Daniels said. “I feel like this is one of the things that I really wanted to accomplish in my career and we got it done.”
Long drives and time of possession made all the difference in Thursday’s win. West Point (11-3) scored four touchdowns on its first five drives with each drive lasting at least seven plays of over 70 yards.
Three of those drives covered 80 yards or more, including a back-breaking 16-play, 80-yard drive in the second quarter that ate up more than seven minutes of clock.
West Point ran for 447 yards in the game, averaging 7.4 yards per carry, and didn’t complete a pass in the win.
“I think we’ve thrown it in the playoffs less than 10 times,” head coach Chris Chambless said. “That’s just something our kids love. Most people, you don’t throw the ball, you have your receivers quit. Our receivers, they love to block. They like to be part of it.”
Daniels led the charge in his final high school game, running for 253 yards and three touchdowns, one of two Green Wave players with 100+ yards rushing and multiple rushing touchdowns in the game.
Tillman-Evans was the other, ending his West Point career with a bang as he rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns, an impressive final performance himself in a dominant win.
“I really left it all out there,” Daniels said. “… We executed the game plan very well. We held onto the ball. No fumbles. Our O-line blocked really well tonight and that gave us the advantage in the run game.”
This senior class was the first one in almost a decade without a state title on their resumes, and coming up short multiple times lit a fire under this team to end the streak this season and start a new, winning, streak.
Chambless said the players scoffed at the North State trophy they earned last week, a trophy that signaled a journey incomplete.
The goal was to bring home the real hardware, and on that bus ride home to West Point, the Green Wave had some extra cargo with them in the form of a shiny gold football.
“This is what you work for,” Chambless said. “We break it down on state champs every day, after every workout, after every practice. It’s been our mantra. Refuse to lose, be a pro and win the state championship and we were able to do that.”
West Point 35, Laurel 7
West Point (11-3) 7 14 7 7 – 35
Laurel (8-7) 7 0 0 0 – 7
First quarter
WP — Kahnen Daniels 14 run (Jack Carter Taylor kick), clock 7:16
L — Kobe Pierce 31 run (John Gonzalez kick), clock 3:43
Second quarter
WP — Quinterion Tillman-Evans 3 run (Carter Taylor kick), clock 8:41
WP — Daniels 4 run (Carter Taylor kick), clock 0:59
Third quarter
WP — Tillman-Evans 1 run (Carter Taylor kick), clock 4:30
Fourth quarter
WP — Daniels 4 run (Carter Taylor kick), clock 5:02
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