Veteran presence carries Green Wave in playoffs
A combination of veterans and reserves shined brightly in the West Point Green Wave’s 40-7 win over Ridgeland in the opening round of the MHSAA Class 5A football playoffs this past Friday.
West Point head coach Chris Chambless said it will take another such effort to beat the Vicksburg Gators in the North Half semifinal tonight.
The Green Wave (9-2) got standout efforts from linebacker Mackenzie Robertson and reserve kicker J.D. Tumey, among others, as West Point routed
Ridgeland. Robertson collected a tackle, three assists and two pass deflections, while Tumey was 4-for-6 on extra points.
“It’s always tough on guys who hadn’t started to step into that role,” Chambless said. “They did a good job for us.”
Along with the newcomers, veteran quarterback Kahnen Daniels completed an economical five of six passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Shun Melton paced the West Point receiving corps with catches totaling 38 yards and a touchdown. Colin Ferguson chipped in with an 8-yard scoring reception, and Ahmari Cox added on a *catch for 13 yards.
The passing game was complemented by a running game that saw four players rush for at least 50 yards. Cameron Young led the way with nine carries for 81 yards and two scores along with his 61 yards passing, Daniels added six carries for 65 yards. Keyshawn Henley tallied six rushes for 63 yards and a touchdown. Jaquantis Harris rushed six times for 50 yards and a touchdown.
To go with Robertson’s stellar defensive night, Josh Lairy added four tackles, two for a loss, and two assists. Jykeon Cunningham had four tackles and two assists. They were joined by Corbin Hendricks with three tackles, one for a loss, and three assists. Jacoby
Mcquiller had two tackles, intercepted a pass and deflected another. Chris Chandler added two tackles and an interception.
“It’s going to take another effort like that,” Chambless said. “We’re playing a very physical and very fast team. That’s what we’ve seen on film. This is going to be a line of scrimmage battle.”
Chambless said the Gators (8-4) run a smash mouth-like offense out of the wing-t and double wing with plenty of speed and misdirection. He added that this will be an entirely different animal than they faced against Ridgeland.
“Ridgeland was more of a pocket pass team,” Chambless said. “This will definitely be a challenge for us.”
After losing its final two regular-season games, Vicksburg opened the postseason with a victory last week. Leading 6-3 at halftime against Cleveland Central, Vicksburg outscored its opponent 19-0 in the second half to close out the win.
At the helm of the Gators’ offense will be quarterback Demarion Robinson. The running back corps includes Alex Jefferson and Malik Montgomery. Receivers are Jaleel Fleming, J.D. Kelly and Kedarrius Sims.
Defensively, Vicksburg operates from several alignments, according to Chambless.
“They move around a lot and they don’t blow many assignments,” Chambless said. “It’s all about what kind of setup the offense shows.”
Montgomery and Kellen Washington man the outside linebacker spots, while Wallyeke Curry will be at middle linebacker.
Fleming, Eric Wesley, Kelly and Nicholas Mickey make up the Gators’ secondary.
Chambless said while two players whom he did not want to mention and missed last week’s game are out for the season, he expects everyone who played against Ridgeland to be available for the Vicksburg game.