OXFORD — When the final second ticked off the clock Friday night, elation found its way to the West Point sideline.
The Green Wave had overcome a 24-7 second-half deficit and stunned Lafayette with a 28-24 victory in Oxford in their region opener. While the Commodores were in a state of shock, West Point players sprinted their way to midfield to celebrate the achievement.
“We handled adversity about as well as we ever have,” West Point coach Chris Chambless said. “We settled in and settled down.”
Despite the comeback victory, Friday’s rematch of last year’s Class 5A playoff matchup was downright sloppy at times. A combined 41 penalties were called, 26 on Lafayette (including eight personal fouls) and 15 on West Point.
“I about lost it a few times,” Chambless said.
After Lafayette kicked a field goal on its first series of the night, West Point answered with a scoring drive of its own, cashing in on a six-yard touchdown run from running back Jimothy Mays.
On the Green Wave’s next offensive series, quarterback Brandon Harris threw an interception around midfield, opening the floodgates for the Lafayette offense.
The Commodores converted the turnover into points with an eight-yard touchdown run from Randy Anderson, then used a trick play to score on their next series. Lafayette’s Tyrus Williams lined up under center, threw a bass behind the line of scrimmage to Anderson, who proceeded to fire a strike downfield Brendan Toles. The Commodores led West Point 17-7 at halftime.
Anderson kept it rolling for Lafayette with his third touchdown of the night on the opening series of the third quarter, but then West Point went to work.
The Green Wave reduced the deficit to 10 points after a 4-yard touchdown run from Dantariyus Cannon late in the third quarter. Cannon finished with 101 yards on 11 carries.
“Coach told us to fight hard and push hard,” Cannon said. “We had to stay together, that’s all we thought about.”
Cannon added his second touchdown of the night in the fourth quarter to cut the Lafayette lead to 24-21 and the defense responded with a stop to give the Green Wave the ball with 5 minutes remaining.
Harris had a 34-yard run wiped out by a holding penalty, but Cannon picked up his signal caller with a 25-yard first down conversion on the next play.
“We’re the dynamic duo,” Harris said of himself and Cannon. “When I’m down, he picks me up; when he’s down, I pick him up. We have to keep that up, because we have to get that four-peat, baby.”
Later, Mays punched in a 2-yard, go-ahead touchdown with just more than three minutes remaining. Mays only had 10 yards on the night but scored two key touchdowns on the ground.
“I knew my offensive line was going to do what they had to do,” Mays said of his late touchdown run. I’m just thankful I made it in.”
Lafayette had plenty of chances to engineer a game-winning drive, but Toles had a go-ahead touchdown slip through his fingers with 50 seconds remaining. Toles was running free on the sideline on a go route, and West Point’s defensive back fell down, leaving him without a defender in sight for 20 yards, but the standout receiver couldn’t haul in the throw.
Regardless, Anderson drove his team to the 9-yard line with nine seconds remaining but was sacked on the game’s final play.
“Coaches always tell us to keep our head up and not look down despite what the other team does,” Harris said, who finished with 143 yards on 14 carries. “We just kept pounding and pounding. Our senior leader leadership kept us up, and we got out with the win.”
West Point (5-1) is back in action at home against Saltillo next week.
“Our guys never had a doubt in their mind,” Chambless said. “I told them we almost waited a bit too late. But we played hard and did what we needed to do.”
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
