The West Point High School football team finished the regular season on a high.
Now, the Green Wave will try to parlay that momentum into a third straight Class 5A state championship.
The quest for a state title will begin at 7 tonight with a first-round North State playoff contest against Neshoba Central at McCallister Field.
“We are excited about getting ready for the playoffs,” West Point coach Chris Chambless said. “We will start with a target based on our recent success. However, we have played well of late, and I think the kids are excited about this challenge. Playing at home is a huge advantage right out the gate.”
West Point finished 7-4 and 6-1 in Region 1. Since moving to Class 5A, West Point has owned its region. It is 20-1 in region games the past three seasons. After winning back-to-back region crowns, West Point tied for this year’s title with Center Hill, which defeated West Point 30-29 on Oct. 21.
West Point then made sure it nailed down the second seed in the region with wins against Oxford (31-21) and New Hope (56-20) to finish the regular season. The top-two finish was critical since it helped the Green Wave secure a first-round playoff game at home.
“Second place really means a lot to this team,” Chambless said. “It is such a huge advantage to start the playoffs with a home game. You can’t win four games until you win the first one. We should have never lost to Center Hill. We made some mistakes and they beat us. We learned that night how you can’t play without the proper mental focus and still expect to win.
“Credit to our kids for making sure they finished this thing and earned the second seed. I really like that attitude and mind-set of this team headed into the playoffs. However, we have to keep working hard at practice and we have to keep getting better.”
Neshoba Central (7-4, 5-2) earned the third seed from Region 2. It dropped region games to Ridgeland (27-21) and Starkville (35-14). The non-region losses were to Class 4A Quitman (28-7) and Louisville (53-35).
“Our team has made great strides during the season,” Neshoba Central coach Chuck Friend said. “We have played hard on defense but given up too many big plays. On offense, we have been able to move the ball this year. Like most teams, the key is not turning the ball over and being able to sustain drives.”
Last Friday, Neshoba Central had a chance to force a three-way tie for the regional title. Instead, Starkville broke open a tight game with two touchdowns in the third quarter en route to clinching its first region championship in 10 seasons.
“The key to the game was our inability to take advantage of chances,” Friend said. “In the second quarter, it was a one-touchdown game and we couldn’t find a rhythm. In the third quarter, they hit us with a couple of big plays. The game was a learning experience, and will help us be better Friday night.”
Neshoba Central quarterback Josh Stewart completed 5 of 13 passes for 70 yards with one interception. Three Rockets ran for 182 yards, including 20 rushes for 89 yards from Stewart and 10 rushes for 80 yards from O’Neal McCarty.
“Neshoba Central has a talented team on both sides of the football,” Chambless said. “We cannot allow them to control the game. Hopefully, we can establish our offense early. Defensively, we have grown a lot on that side of the ball. We just need to go out and play West Point football and take care of business.”
West Point scored 35 points in the second quarter to blow open its Senior Night contest against New Hope. Six players scored for the Green Wave. Aeris Williams opened the game with an 85-yard kick return touchdown. R.J. Tallie added a 36-yard interception return for another score.
Still, West Point had a couple of turnovers and missed key blocking assignments on a couple of long gainers by New Hope. Yet, the Green Wave advance to the postseason as one of the favorites in some people’s eyes.
“West Point has won the last two state championships,” Friend said, “so that means they are the team to beat until someone proves otherwise. We will have to play our best game to have a chance.”
The West Point-Neshoba Central will face the Starkville-Hernando winner in the second round. West Point defeated Starkville (33-12) and Hernando (33-22) in the regular season. If West Point wins, it will travel to either opponent.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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