WEST POINT — Noxubee County was knocking on the doorstep in the third quarter, having just scored its first touchdown of the game to begin the second half.
The Tigers came out energized and hungry, and after stopping West Point on a drive, Noxubee looked to cut into the lead that much more before the end of the third.
However, a steady rain made everything that much more slippery, including the ball. For Noxubee quarterback Ekamryn Smith, that spelled disaster as he fumbled inside the Green Wave 30-yard line with 5:34 left in the quarter.
West Point recovered and would go on a near-seven-minute, 79-yard drive, scoring a touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter to go up 27-8 as the Green Wave went on to secure their first win of the season, defeating the Tigers, 34-16.
“It feels really good,” West Point head coach Chris Chambless said. “Seeing our guys smile, that’s a lot better than the alternative. Our guys know we fought all week long. We had some rough battles out at practice. We tested their manhood and they answered it tonight.”
That West Point (1-2) running game was clicking on all cylinders and then some, starting with the play of quarterback Kahnen Daniels, who had himself quite the game for the Green Wave.
Daniels ran for three touchdowns in the game, including two in the first half alone. He finished the game with 18 carries for 95 yards and those three touchdowns, helping to set the tone early and often for West Point.
Overall, three Green Wave players ran for 70 yards or more in the game against Noxubee County (2-1), showcasing both utter dominance and great balance in the running game.
“They couldn’t throw the ball as much as they wanted to and we love to run the football,” Daniels said. “It was a big advantage for us against the defense.”
The rainy conditions at McCallister Field played into West Point’s advantage as the slippery conditions favored the run much more than the pass.
With the size that West Point throws out on the run, the slippery conditions not only made it harder to hold onto the football, but harder to tackle players.
“I feel like we were ready for it,” running back Keshawn Henley said. “In the rain when it’s wet, that’s us all day, just like last year. We just play well in the rain.”
For as good as West Point played, Noxubee County was knocking on the door in the second half and had a number of chances to come back and cut into the deficit.
As said above, the Tigers answered back in a big way just 25 seconds into the second half, with Smith completing a 59-yard touchdown pass to Ledareoun Mosley that, after a successful two-point conversion, cut the lead to 20-8.
On that play, it looked like the Green Wave were caught off guard on defense as Mosley turned on the afterburners down the left sideline for the score.
Momentum was building as that quarter wore on, but that fumble halfway through was really the turning point in the game in favor of West Point.
“We didn’t play our ball in the first half,” Noxubee County head coach Teddy Young said. “We played sloppy ball. We weren’t focused on the little things. We got beat in the trenches, but in the second half, we fought hard and fought until the end.”
That elusive first win is finally in the books for West Point, and moving forward, the Green Wave are just looking to replicate Friday’s success, showcasing what they can do on both sides of the ball.
An 0-2 start was quite uncharacteristic for West Point, but a win is a massive boost for morale and momentum as the season wears on.
“Last week, we didn’t stop the bleeding,” Chambless said. “That affected our attitudes and things, but we didn’t let that affect us tonight. We stuck together.”
After a strong performance in its home opener, West Point has a bye week next week before heading back on the road for the third time in four games so far this season, traveling to Oxford to play Lafayette on Sept. 23.
West Point 34, Noxubee County 16
Noxubee County (2-1) 0 0 8 8 — 16
West Point (1-2) 7 13 0 14 — 34
First quarter
WP — Kahnen Daniels 4 run (Quinterion Tillman-Evans kick), clock 8:11
Second quarter
WP — Daniels 4 run (kick failed), clock 2:48
WP — Keshawn Henley 1 run (Tillman-Evans kick), clock 0:49
Third quarter
NC — Ledareoun Mosley 59 pass from Ekamryn Smith (Mosley pass from Smith), clock 11:35
Fourth quarter
WP — Daniels 4 run (Tillman-Evans kick), clock 10:43
WP — Tillman-Evans 2 run (Tillman-Evans kick), clock 4:28
NC — Jaylon King 42 pass from Smith (Anthony Little Jr. pass from Smith), clock 2:31
Individual Statistics
PASSING: West Point — Quinterion Tillman-Evans 4-4, 27; Noxubee County — Ekamryn Smith 8-18, 156
RUSHING: West Point — Quinterion Tillman-Evans 16-118; Kahnen Daniels 18-95; Keshawn Henley 12-70; Noxubee County — Ekamryn Smith 5-26; Ledareoun Mosley 6-3
RECEIVING: West Point — Ahmari Cox 3-23; Noxubee County — Jaylon King 4-74; Ledareoun Mosley 1-59
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