By Stan Caldwell
stanmansportsfan.com
HATTIESBURG – As the final seconds ticked away, Picayune coach Cody Stogner embraced former longtime Maroon Tide coach Dodd Lee in a celebratory hug.
Picayune wiped away two years of bad memories from its last trip to M.M. Roberts Stadium, a 38-26 loss to West Point in Lee’s final game as coach of the Maroon Tide, turning the tables on the Green Wave with a 40-21 victory Saturday night in the Class 5A state championship game.
It was the fourth state title for Picayune (14-1), adding another gold ball trophy to join the ones the Maroon Tide won in 1986, 2011 and 2013. West Point (11-1) lost in the 5A finals for the second consecutive season in its sixth straight trip to the finals.
“Nobody gave us a chance all year,” said Stogner. “That’s just the way it was.
“That’s what we preach. Try to work hard and get better every day. It didn’t matter who we played, we knew we were going to show up on time and give our best effort. That’s what we were able to do tonight.”
This one had classic written all over it from the start.
Picayune took the opening kickoff of the game and drove 66 yards on seven plays, scoring on a 37-yard run by sophomore Chris Davis.
West Point’s first play from scrimmage was a 55-yard run down the left sideline by senior Cameron Young to the Maroon Tide 12-yard-line.
After a holding penalty moved the ball back to the 30, junior Ahmari Cox floated pass to Kolban Hogan for a 29-yard gain to the 1-yard-line. Young scored on the next play to tie the game 7-7.
Picayune took the next possession and ate up nearly seven minutes off the clock on a 13-play, 65-yard march, with junior Dante Dowdell scoring on a 7-yard run.
Back came West Point with an eight-play, 56-yard scoring drive, with Young bursting in for a 10-yard touchdown run.
“We really didn’t play bad (on defense),” said Stogner. “We were just freaking out a little bit, because they do a lot of different things and they’re very good at it.
“But we finally settled down. We’re really young on defense, but I thought after about the fifth game I thought we had the best defense in the state. They fly around, they’re ball hawks and they have a ton of energy.”
It was Davis who regained the lead for Picayune on a 73-yard dash, but the PAT kick was blocked, leaving the score 20-14, which is how it stayed until halftime.
Davis has been overshadowed this season by Dowdell, who came into the game with more than 2,600 yards rushing, but he finished with 139 yards Saturday on just eight carries.
“We’ve actually got a couple more than (just Dowdell and Davis),” said Stogner. “We’ve got a stable full of them. It’s nice to have, just to mix it up back there.
“Chris is a phenomenal athlete and we’ve got him for two more years, and we’ve got Dante for one more year. It’s going to be fun going into the offseason with them.”
The Green Wave opened the second half like they were about to take over the game.
Cox returned the opening kickoff 32 yard to the Picayune 41, keying a five-play scoring drive, with Young scoring on a 5-yard run. The PAT kick gave West Point its first lead of the game, 21-20, just 1:39 into the second half.
But the lead didn’t last long. Fullback Darnell Smith took an inside handoff through a hole in the middle of the line and pinballed his way 59 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.
After stopping West Point, Picauyne took command with another long march, this one 80 yards on 12 plays, taking 6:13 off the clock, with Dowdell scoring on a 2-yard run.
Dowdell got the Maroon Tide out of a third-and-18 hole from the Maroon Tide 12 after a holding penalty with a 49-yard run, and Picayune converted two fourth downs inside West Point territory to keep the drive alive.
“That’s been our M.O. all year, that’s been our M.O. for the past 25 years,” said Stogner. “We threw a few wrinkles in there, but it just comes down to attitude. They know it’s always going to be a grind, and they know it’s not easy, but they find ways to get it done.”
In an unfamiliar position trailing by two scores, West Point simply fell apart.
On the kickoff, the Green Wave had a player ejected, then after getting a first down, they tried a gadget play, a reverse, but Cox lost the ball and it dropped right at the feet of sophomore Javonta Waller, who dashed 35 yards for the back-breaking score.
Dowdell’s strong second half earned him Player of the Game honors, as he finished with 148 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns. In all, Picayune rushed for 393 yards, did not turn the ball over and were 4 for 4 on fourth downs.
Young finished with 92 yards on 14 carries to lead West Point.
Afterward, Stogner paid homage to Lee, who coached the Maroon Tide for 24 seasons.
“Outside of my father, Coach Lee has been the biggest influence in my life,” Stogner said. “He’s taught me a lot. He coached me and molded me as a coach, put me in the right situations. So to have him there was just awesome.”
GAME SUMMARY
Saturday at M.M. Roberts Stadium
Class 5A State Championship
Picayune 40, West Point 21
West Point 7 7 7 0 – 21
Picayune 7 13 7 13 – 40
First Quarter
P – Chris Davis 37 run (Morgan Craft kick), 8:38 (7 plays/66 yards/3:22 possession).
WP – Cameron Young 1 run (Alex Harper kick), 6:53 (4/67/1:45).
Second Quarter
P – Dante Dowdell 7 run (Craft kick), 11:54 (13/65/6:59).
WP – Young 10 run (Harper kick), 9:18 (8/56/2:36).
P – Davis 73 run (Kick failed), 3:29 (4/92/1:27).
Third Quarter
WP – Young 5 run (Harper kick), 10:21 (5/41/1:39).
P – Darnell Smith 59 run (Craft kick), 8:47 (3/66/1:34).
Fourth Quarter
P – Dowdell 2 run (Craft kick), 11:10 (12/80/6:13).
P – Javonta Waller 35 fumble return (Kick failed), 8:24.
TEAM STATISTICS
WP P
First downs 14 15
Total net yards 309 414
Rushes-yards 33-160 53-393
Passing yards 149 21
Comp-Att-Int 11-18-0 1-3-0
Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 6-64 3-33
Punts-total (avg.) 3-125 (41.7) 3-115 (38.3)
Sacks 1-4 3-7
Third down 4-10 5-12
Fourth down 1-3 4-4
Time of possession 20:14 27:46
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
West Point – Cameron Young 14-92, Kahnen Daniels 6-37, Keshawn Henley 5-29, Jaquantis Harri 3-17, A.J. Lee 2-8, Quintarion Tillman-Evans 2-(-6), Ahmani Cox 1-(-17); Picayune – Dante Dowdell 25-148, Chris Davis 8-139, Darnell Smith 10-88, Noah Carter 5-17, Dawson Underwood 4-3, Team 1-(-2).
Passing
West Point – Kahnen Daniels 6-10-0-98, Quintarion Tillman-Evans 4-7-0-22, Ahmani Cox 1-1-0-29; Picayune – Dawson Underwood 1-3-0-21.
Receiving
West Point – Jamarquez Melton 5-88, Ahmani Cox 5-32, Kolban Hogan 1-29; Picayune – Juston Martz 1-21.
Photos courtesy of Jesse Johnson
