West Point threw the ball twice on Friday night. It didn't need a third.
On its homecoming night, West Point ran 45 times for 460 yards. It beat Caledonia 41–16 for its first win of the season, and the first for Roger Burton as its head coach.
The answer
Our preview asked two questions. What is an 0–7 West Point, really? And which Caledonia would show up, the one that won at Lamar or the one Pontotoc beat 41–6?
The first answer is plain. The model had West Point by 8, and it won by 25. The preview's honest limit was that last season was still in West Point's rating, and that this season's results alone hadn't matched the name. On Friday they did. On Thursday, we said a storm was brewing. It turned out to be a tsunami, and the Green Wave overwhelmed the Cavaliers.
The second answer is split. Caledonia's passing game showed up. Caleb Lang caught six passes for 161 yards. Brody Watrous threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, Caledonia ran 25 times for 42 yards. It never turned the ball over.
How it happened
Kingston Branham's 20-yard run opened the scoring, and West Point scored four touchdowns before Caledonia reached the end zone. Branham ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Jaylen Hall ran for 156 more. He broke tackles on a 39-yard keeper, and nobody touched him on a 63-yard run. Freshman Jayden Webb added a 51-yarder around the edge.
Finn Stubbendorff's 42-yard field goal was Caledonia's only score of the first half, and West Point led 21–3 at the break. Two Caledonia drives ended on failed fourth downs, one of them with a pass into the end zone in the third quarter. Caledonia's best answers came late, through the air: Watrous found Lang for touchdowns of 47 and 70 yards in the fourth quarter.
What it does to the playoff picture
Region 1-5A has six teams, and the top four make the playoffs. Before kickoff, the model said a West Point win would lift its playoff chance to 97%. It said Caledonia's would fall to 21%. The two teams now have one region win apiece.
Next, Caledonia hosts Lafayette, and West Point hosts New Hope.
Notes
- How the projection works: the Press Coverage Power Index (PCPI) rates each team in points against an average Mississippi team, from who it played, where, and by how much, and adds the home edge. The projection here was set after Week 8.
- Sources: the Caledonia Sports Radio Network's call of the game and its game statistics.