The Maroon Tide capped off a great season with a 40-21 victory over the West Point Green Wave, and earned the title of the 5A State Champions Saturday evening.

 

The Green Wave won the toss and decided to defer until halftime.

In the first quarter the Maroon Tide’s run game came out strong, running for 75 yards in just seven plays for their first touchdown of the night. Noah Carter broke lose for a 31yard run for a Maroon Tide touchdown. Morgan Craft knocked in the PAT and the Maroon Tide led 7-0.

 

West Point answered quickly. The Green Wave’s first big play of the game was a 50 yard run by Cameron Young, and that set the Green Wave with first and 10 on Maroon Tide’s 12 yard line. Five plays later, West Point scored and tied the game 7-7 with 6:50 to play in the first quarter.

 

The Maroon Tide followed with a methodical 14 play 65-yard drive ending in a Dante Dowdell seven-yard ouchdown run. The Maroon Tide regained the lead, 14-7 to open the second quarter.

 

In the second quarter, the Green Wave started the ball on their own 44-yard line, and in nine plays Young ran it to the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown. The Green Wave tied it back up with 9:18 to play.

 

The Maroon Tide was then shut to a three and out, but the Maroon Tide defense followed by holding the Green Wave in their own three and out stop.

The defensive stop gave the Maroon Tide the back the ball with the full length of the field to work with.  It was no problem for the Maroon Tide, on second and sixth Chris Davis broke loss and runs 74 yards for a touchdown. Morgan Craft’s PAT was blocked and the Maroon Tide led by 20-14 heading into the halftime break.

 

In the third quarter, the Green Wave decision to defer paid off. They scored in five plays for 40 yards in a series of plays capped off by a five yard touchdown run by Cameron Young. Alex Harper’s PAT was good and the Green Wave led for the first time 21-20 with 10:20 to play.

 

That lead didn’t last long as the Maroon Tide scored in just three plays for 66 yards when Darnell Smith capped off the drive with a 59-yard touchdown run, and the Maroon Tide reclaim the lead 27-21

 

In the fourth quarter Dante Dowdell added to the Maroon Tide lead after a two-yard run. The Maroon Tide scored in 12 plays covering 80 yards. With 11 minutes to play the Maroon Tide led 34-21.

 

On first and 10 for the Green Wave, West Point tried to run a reverse, but fumble the pitch allowing Maroon Tide’s Jamonta Waller to scoop up the ball and run 48 yards for a Maroon Tide defensive touchdown. With 8:25 to play the Maroon Tide led 40-21. That play capped off the game, as the Green Wave couldn’t get anything going on offense and the Maroon Tide managed to break to pull away with the win of the Green Waves 40- 21.

Dante Dowdell was rewarded player of the game. Dowdell finished with 148 yard rushing yards on 25 carries and found the end zone twice that night.