It’s hard to argue who the two most storied programs in the state of Mississippi are at this point.
A quick glance of the trophy cases around the state can give you a pretty good clue where Louisville and West Point stand. The Wildcats and Green Wave both lead the state in titles with 11. Louisville is a perfect 11-0 when it gets to the big game and has won a championship in every decade since 1980. West Point has been to an unprecedented seven-straight state championships.
There are a lot of similarities between the two teams as well from a culture standpoint. Both of them value the defensive side of the football, being disciplined and playing a hard-nosed brand of football.
Despite being a classification apart, there have been some classic battles between the two over the years with the Wildcats coming out on top more often than not. Last season proved that to be the case again as LHS pulled off a 24-14 triumph in the rain in West Point to spearhead what would become a 14-1 season and another state title run.
“It was big for us. Last year we came in with a young ball club and had a lot of uncertainties, especially on the offensive line. Our guys took the challenge. That win sparked our season last year and put us on the right track,” coach Tyrone Shorter said of the win over West Point in 2022.
“The last two times that we’ve played West Point we beat them and that’s our goal this time. We’re going into the ball game expecting to win. They have a great program and we have a great program and this is good for our communities and good for Mississippi football.”
For the Wildcats, expectations are sky high yet again. The team returns the bulk of its starters on each side of the ball and will have played one of the toughest non-conference slates in Class 4A by the time they get to Region 4 play.
Shorter knows just about everything he needs to know at this point. It’s why the jamboree was more about getting some other players experience and fine tuning some things before the season begins on Friday night.
“We really just wanted to continue to build our continuity and being in sync. We played a lot of kids,” Shorter said. “We went into that ball game working on us and ironing out all of our kinks. If you make mistakes against West Point, they’re going to capitalize. We wanted to do the little things right.”
As good as it was for his team to play some other competition prior to the season, there isn’t much that can prepare one for a battle with West Point. The Green Wave is the favorite to win the Class 5A state title and go to the final game for the eighth-straight year.
Florida commitment and four-star Dandy Dozen running back Kahnen Daniels is going to be a pill to defend, but West Point has a lot of different options on the table and is always a problem in the rushing attack.
“The challenge is that we’ve got to stop their run,” Shorter said. “They’ve got a Dandy Dozen running back and others that run the ball well. They have a big offensive line. That’s going to be the key to win in the trenches on both sides of the ball.”
It’s the start of a fun season in 2023 and a schedule that is going to prepare LHS for November and beyond. Neshoba Central, Columbus, Starkville and Noxubee County follow in the gauntlet of the schedule and LHS won’t be backing down from anyone.
That includes a team that is almost a mirror image of them on Friday night.
“We know that it’s going to be a tough task. This team has been to seven-straight state championships and they’re going to be ready,” Shorter said. “We’re never going to back down from a good challenge and we’re ready too. It should be a fun one.”
Due to the outrageous temperatures, Friday night’s contest between the two teams at R.E. Hinze Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m.
