By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

HATTIESBURG — For much of the last 26 minutes of action or so Friday night here at M.M. Roberts Stadium on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi it appeared that West Point would capture the Class 5A state championship with ease against Gautier.

But it all came down to an onside kickoff with just :19 seconds left in the game before the Green Wave actually sealed the deal at 28-21 and took home their state record 13th overall Gold Ball when West Point’s Shamane Clark fell on that climactic kick.

“These kids don’t quit, they know they always have a shot to win.” Gautier head coach Marc high said. “With the number of close games we had this year just it just shows their determination.”

The decision snapped an 11 game win streak for the Gators, as they wrapped up one of the most successful seasons in school history at 12-2. The mark tied the record for the most wins in a single season in school history with the 1998 team that went 12-1 after winning the first 12 games of the season before falling in the second round of the state playoffs.

Gautier wasted no time in taking a quick 7-0 lead on the opening drive of the game as Latrell Pogue scampered 10-yards to cap a touchdown march. But then the Gators then watched as West Point tallied 28 unanswered points over a 23-minute span from the end of the first quarter to the middle of the third period to take control of the contest with a 28-7 lead.

“Turnovers hurt in the end,” High added. “It’s Hard to lose the turnover battle against a team like West Point and win. “We got it inside the 20 three times and didn’t get it in, and that’s on us. Give credit to West Point, they did a great job keeping us out.”

Green Wave linebacker Jamichael Forrest helped turn the tide in the game as he came up with a fumble recovery late in the first period and then grabbed an interception mid-way through the second stanza and West Point capitalized on both Gator miscues and converted them into touchdowns.

Gautier missed two great chances to add to its point total in the first half. Gator placekicker Eric Robinson missed a 25-yard field goal in the first frame. Then, just before intermission and after facing a first and goal at the Green Wave 5-yard line, Gautier turned the ball over on downs at its own 17 after Irving was sacked on third and fourth down.

Versatile Green Wave athlete Clark, who plays several different positions on both sides of the ball including quarterback, was a difference maker for WPHS as he ran for 168 yards and three of its four touchdowns and was named the game’s most valuable player.

Despite the finish to the season, the current Gator squad will go down in history as the first ever team to play for a state title in any of the major sports.

“This has been a resilient squad all year,” High added. “They came to practice every day to get one percent better. This group of seniors have won more games, more playoff games, than any other group of seniors at this school ever.”

Indeed. Gautier has played in three straight Class 5A South State championship games and has compiled a 30-13 record over those last three campaigns with seven postseason wins. It’s a record only surpassed by the 1997-1999 team, as those teams were the first three football squads ever in school history and they went 34-3, but won just two playoff games during that span.

High and GHS will say goodbye to 15 seniors including seven on offense and three on defense as they ended their careers on the playing field Friday night.

Included in that group is senior standout signal-caller Trey Irving, who departs after a splendid season in which he accounted for right at 4,000 yards of total offense and 44 touchdowns on the season. For his stellar play he was named as the Class 5A “Mr. football” in the state.

Irving finished Friday night with 229 yards passing with a touchdown and 120 yards rushing to lead Gautier.

Defensively, senior stalwart linebacker Fredrick Nicholson is leaving as well after registering almost 180 total tackles on the year.

“I’m just unbelievably proud of this team,” High concluded “They set a lot of standards and achieved many accomplishments for this program.”