Hattiesburg’s storybook season came to a close Saturday night in Oxford. It being the final night of the 2017 Mississippi high school season, win or lose that would have been the case.
Unfortunately for Hattiesburg, it was the latter as West Point (15-0) claimed the Class 5A State Championship for a second straight season, defeating the Tigers, 41-15, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
“They came out and did what they had to do to win the football game,” Hattiesburg head coach Tony Vance said. “Unfortunately for us, we didn’t play as well as we needed to play. Turnovers hurt us and misfortunes.”
More often than not, Hattiesburg could not contain West Point’s Marcus Murphy. Murphy, a Mississippi State commit, finished with 227 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
“Hats off to that West Point team and Marcus Murphy,” Vance added. “Great player. He’s Mr. Football for a reason.
Murphy helped West Point race out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Hattiesburg then answered with a touchdown drive, which was capped off on a two-yard rushing score from quarterback Jarod Conner.
West Point did not flinch. The Green Wave scored 27 straight points in blowing the game wide open, taking a 41-7 lead late in the fourth quarter. The scoring run was more than enough to secure the win and state title, their ninth in school history.
Vance’s Tigers finish 2017 at 14-1. Having won that many games on the way to their first South State championship in nearly 20 years, Vance does not see the loss to West Point or the unfortunate ending to their magical season as a failure.
“They’re winners. Regardless of what the scoreboard said, they’re winners,” Vance said. “They’ll be winners in life. This team did something that hadn’t been done since 1998. I’m so proud of them.”
“We’re still searching for that first state championship, but we’re going to get there. We’re going to bring that first state championship to Hattiesburg.”
