GRENADA — West Point High School senior defensive lineman Tony Rush has been waiting for this moment for quite some time.
“The senior class wanted to bring West Point football back,” Rush said. “After getting put out in the first round in my 10th-grade year and the second round last year, this game meant a lot to me. The seniors really poured their hearts into it. We wanted to make it a special season.”
West Point took another step toward a special season by beating Grenada 16-9 in a second-round Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A North State playoff game Friday night at Charger Stadium.
West Point (11-2) will play at Region 1 rival Oxford (11-2) at 7 p.m. Friday for the North State championship. It is the first time West Point has played for the North State title since 2012.
“Two thousand, twelve seems like a long time ago,” West Point senior defensive back Jeffrey Drake said. “We were determined to get this program back. It has taken a lot of hard work to do this. We really want to get West Point football back on that level.”
In back-to-back five-loss seasons, West Point had struggles on defense. To become elite, West Point addressed those concerns. The Green Wave now rank again among the state’s best. The West Point defense has allowed two touchdowns in the last 22 quarters.
After D.D. Bridges broke a 66-yard touchdown run for Grenada (10-3) in the first quarter, West Point became airtight. In the second half, West Point allowed two first downs, including one on a questionable pass interference call. For the game, Grenada had five first downs and 144 yards of offense.
After taking the touchdown off the ledger, Grenada had 78 yards on 39 other snaps. That defensive dominance allowed West Point to rally from a 9-7 halftime deficit.
“It was all about focus,” West Point sophomore defensive lineman Terrence Cherry said. “We had one letdown, and that was it. In the second half, we played with more focus. We know our defense is really in a groove. We just have to keep that momentum up.”
While Rush, Cherry, Drake, and senior linebacker Jaylon Ewing made life miserable for Grenada, the West Point offense continued to thrive on the unbelievable play of two sophomores.
Quarterback Marcus Murphy ran for 124 yards on 20 carries, while Chris Calvert ran 23 times for 160 yards. Murphy scored on a 44-yard run in the second quarter. Murphy hit Calvert for a 19-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-9 midway through the third quarter.
Another prolonged drive ended on a 22-yard field goal by Jose Garcia. A 35-yard kickoff return by Drake set up the march.
In the second half, West Point ran 37 plays, compared to 19 for Grenada.
“This is what West Point football does,” West Point coach Chris Chambless said. “We run the football and play great defense. I am really proud of this group. A lot of people think we are overachieving, but this team doesn’t believe that. We are simply doing what West Point football is supposed to do.”
Murphy topped 1,500 rushing yards Friday, while Calvert topped 1,400 yards. Rush knew the talent of his teammates. He also knew the defense had to set the tone for the 2015 season.
“When you were at practice every day, you knew we had some really talented guys,” Rush said. “You don’t know how quickly that is going to translate to Friday nights. For the defense, the challenge was to set the tone. We had to be perfect until our offense found its identity. Fortunately for us, the offense and defense started clicking pretty quickly.
“Each Friday night, you could tell the offensive guys played with a little more confidence.”
The same could be said for the defense. The lone region loss was a 50-28 setback to Oxford. The Chargers had five passing touchdowns and a rushing score. After that, West Point re-dedicated itself to becoming one of the best.
“The Oxford loss really humbled us,” Drake said. “I think we learned a lot from that experience. We want to play them again. We have wanted that since the night that game ended. The main thing is focusing on our team and continuing to do what we do best.”
Rush said the togetherness of the defense has held it together through tough times.
“We really have good chemistry,” Rush said. “We aren’t giving up the big plays like we did last year. We are playing a more physical brand of football, too. West Point has always been known for really great defense. It has been disappointing to not live up to those standards. We weren’t going to be down long.”
As the defense has excelled, the offense has blossomed. West Point overcame an atypical 11 penalties against Grenada but had another turnover-free performance.
“The biggest thing is patience,” Murphy said. “We just have to stay true to our identity. We really have a confidence. At the beginning of the year, we thought we could have success. You still never know for sure. As we started winning some games, the confidence grew. Now we feel like we can compete with anybody.”
For West Point, the need is to no longer beat anybody. Now Oxford and Laurel or Wayne County are the last two opponents to stand in the way of the school’s first football state championship since 2010.
As Thanksgiving week begins, Cherry has one goal.
“We got to beat Oxford,” Cherry said.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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