The West Marion defense remains on a historic pace six weeks into the season following a Trojans 33-7 road victory over Vancleave Friday night.
The Trojans (6-0) held the Bulldogs to just 185 yards offensively and have yet to allow an opponent compile 200 yards this season. Even more impressive is the mere 27 points they have allowed this year, which equates to 4.5 points per game against.
Head coach Brad Duncan said prior to the game that Vancleave would pose a different kind of challenge for the Trojans defense because the Bulldogs throw more than any other opponent West Marion had faced. But the Trojans more than held their own, limiting Bulldogs quarterback Christian Kell to 3-of-13 passing for 58 yards and intercepting two passes.
“Our defense has been really lights out all year, and to pick off (two) passes I’m very proud of them,” Duncan said.
Now the Trojans are in an eerily similar position to last year: undefeated through six weeks of non-district competition and heading into a huge game against a historically potent program (Jeff Davis County) to begin the Region 8-3A slate. It didn’t work out for West Marion last year as it went 1-4 in district down the stretch and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
The Trojans have played a much more difficult non-district schedule this year, though, with four games against Class 4A schools as opposed to one last season. Their 213-27 point differential this time around is also remarkably better than the 194-68 they had a year ago at this time, despite the harder schedule.
This week will be the true litmus test, though, as they travel to Bassfield to face the Jaguars (2-3). Jeff Davis’ record is a little deceiving with their three losses coming against Taylorsville (35-3 since 2017), Hattiesburg (13-1 in Class 5A last year) and Jackson-Olin, a 6A school from Birmingham, Ala., that went 10-1 last season.
Duncan said the Trojans know exactly what they’re in store for Friday night.
“Wing-T baby — coach (Lance) Mancuso and those guys run the Wing-T, and they run it really well. They have a wheelbarrow load of trophies over there for a reason. They have some really good players, a really good coach and such a rich tradition,” he said. “We lost a heartbreaker there last year, and as luck would have it we have to go back over there again. We’re a year older and a year wiser so maybe we can be better at it.”
Last year’s game came down to the very end as West Marion got down to the Jeff Davis 2 with 13 seconds left trailing by a touchdown only to come up short in a 13-6 loss. Duncan said that last season’s loss has been on the team’s mind for the past year and that the players have talked about it several times, but the Trojans need to handle their business between the lines Friday night.
“We’ve got to go and make it happen, and we can’t just talk about it. I’m hoping that’s what our guys have learned. We can talk all we want and everybody else can talk about us all they want, but until we can go and do it, it hasn’t been done,” he said.
The Jaguars have been ravaged by injuries in recent weeks as they lost four starters against Hattiesburg Sept. 20, and Duncan said he’s not sure who will be ready to go and who won’t but that Jeff Davis will always have players that can run.
“Our defense has to be really sound, take care of their responsibilities and read those guards on that Wing-T stuff. Offensively we have to do a better job blocking up front,” he said. “I know that sounds (silly) because we’re 6-0 and scoring points, but there’s so many things that we can clean up and get better at. That’s what we have to do if we want a chance in this tough district.”
Jartavious “Tater Rabbit” Martin opened the scoring at Vancleave Friday, racing 56 yards untouched to pay dirt less than a minute into the game. Then early in the second quarter Qavonte Swanigan intercepted Kell and returned it deep inside Vancleave territory, where Jeremiah Holmes hit Larry Magee for a 16-yard score. Just before halftime the Trojans forced a punt, and Holmes connected with O’Marion Husband for a 47-yard touchdown to give West Marion a 20-0 edge.
Midway through the third quarter, Ott Mitchell picked off Kell to set up a 5-yard touchdown run by Martin on a quick toss out of shotgun. Then in the fourth quarter, Holmes scored the Trojans’ fifth touchdown of the night on a 26-yard scamper that made it 33-0. Kell ran in from 11 yards out late to keep West Marion from pitching its fourth shutout of the year.
The game plan going in was to work on the passing attack more with district on the horizon, and Holmes and the Trojans’ receivers answered the call with 13 completions for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Duncan said Vancleave did a pretty good job of containing West Marion’s running game, but the Trojans still compiled 222 yards on 7.4 yards per carry and three touchdowns.
“They kind of stopped us a little bit up front, but we still averaged (seven) yards per carry. They were big and physical inside, and like everybody we play they were bigger than us. Jeremiah threw the ball around a little bit, and we got some athletes in space that made some plays,” he said.
Duncan added to be able to withstand a two-plus-hour bus ride, play a bigger school on the road and overcome the added pizazz of Vancleave’s homecoming was encouraging as the Trojans head into district play.
Pictured Above: West Marion's Jartavious Martin breaks into the open field against Forrest County AHS. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
