GRENADA — The West Point High School football team continued its perfect region run on Friday night.
Whether it was on the ground, through the air, or on defense, the Green Wave did what they had to do in every phase of the game in scoring three touchdowns in the first half en route to a 38-17 victory against Grenada.
The victory stretched West Point’s winning streak to 25 in Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 5A, Region 1 action.
“We knew the implications were still high for tonight’s game. We made sure we handled business on the road,” West Point coach Chris Chambless said. “Our guys know we are going to play our brand of football, and it worked out tonight.”
Junior Dantariyus Cannon had eight carries for 100 yards. Five carries went for 11 yards or more. His longest was a 32-yarder.
Kameron Martin added 85 yards. He scored on a 5-yard run and a 1-yard surge. Brandon Harris rushed for 69 yards.
Senior quarterback Jake Chambless joined the fun by going 11-for-22 for 211 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with Shun Crawford five times for 130 yards.
Martin opened the scoring a little more than two minutes into the game. Jaylun Eggerson made it a two-possession game with a 6-yard run. Chambless found TJ Anderson for a 15-yard strike before halftime to give West Point (8-1, 5-0 region) a 21-3 advantage.
In the third quarter, Chambless found Crawford for a 33-yard touchdown that put the game out of the reach. Martin’s final score and a Jose Lemus 28-yard field goal helped tie up the loose ends in the fourth quarter.
The West Point defense delivered a workmanlike performance. Ryan Melton, a senior defensive back, led the way with an interception and a fumble recovery. Tyler Rupert also had an interception. The Green Wave minimized the damage done by the Chargers’ run-first offense, which gained 239 yards.
“We played assignment football,” Melton said. “When it was time to make big plays, we delivered them. It is all about playing West Point football. We have to keep that mentality.”
Grenada (3-7, 1-4) scored its touchdowns in the final quarter and never truly threatened.
Although West Point maintained its perfect record in region action, it didn’t come without 13 penalties for 148 yards — 133 of them on offense.
“We have to clean up the little things, and the penalties are one of the biggest little things we are facing,” coach Chambless said. “I know it can hurt drives or prolong the opponent’s drives if we continue to give away field position like that.”
West Point was resilient despite of the penalties. In the first quarter, Jake Chambless threw a 67-yard strike to Shun Crawford on third-and-36 following three straight blocking infractions. The completion set up Eggerson’s touchdown two plays later.
Even with penalty yardage stacking up, the Green Wave never really lost offensive momentum. They pieced together 529 yards and had 18 plays of 10 yards or more. Six of the 18 plays were through the air.
“We know we are finding a good click on the offensive side of the ball,” coach Chambless said. “It is, again, just important to clean up the penalties before we get into the playoffs.”
The victory helped West Point clinch home-field advantage for the first round of the Class 5A playoffs on Nov. 9.
“The home-field advantage is exactly what we needed. It’s important,” Melton said. “I know it’s hard to beat us at home. The fans are going to bring great support. We wanted home-field advantage (during the postseason) from the beginning of the season and know how important will be to help us get back into a state championship game.”
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