Easton, PA -- The West Point Prep Football team traveled to Easton, PA to take on Lafayette University’s JV team.  Lafayette was able to capitalize on some early mistakes by the Black Knights to get an early lead.  Turnovers plagued West Point Prep all day long, twice giving Lafayette’s offense short fields to work from, and twice at the Lafayette goal line with the Black Knights poised to score.

Offensively, West Point Prep moved the ball well at times, particularly in the second half.  RB Jay Tully led all carriers with 73 yards.  QB Cody Jackson added 36 rushing yards to his 115 passing yards.  WR’s Scotty Williams, Justin Trimble, and Casey Hughes all had catches that prolonged offensive drives.  RB Bryce Flowers had a couple strong runs around the right side and also two strong kick returns.  RB’s Kyle Dravis and Julian Crockett also provided some outstanding blocking.  Center Shelby Jackson led the way for the Offensive Line. 

               

The West Point Prep defense was led by LB Casey Brewer, who had 2 sacks and 7 tackles on the day, and flew around playing with great effort all day long.  LB Colby Miller had 5 tackles and 1QB hurry, and also brought fire and energy to the Black Knight sideline.  LB Corey Watts contributed 3 tackles and 1QB hurry, with a big hit that caused an errant pass from the Lafayette QB that was nearly intercepted.  DB Jordan Crockett also turned in a strong effort with 2 tackles and a pass break up.

Wayne, PA -- Although leading for most of the game, West Point Prep came up short against Valley Forge JC, losing in overtime by a score of 24-21.  The game was yet another hard fought contest, as the Black Knights fought it out with Valley Forge for all of sixty minutes.  It was the fifth game this season that was decided by eight points or less.

Offensively, West Point Prep again moved the ball well, amassing nearly 380 yards of offense.  The offense came out strong with a TD on its 2nd possession and two TD’s in the 2nd quarter.  Cody Jackson hit Justin Trimble for a 37 yard TD pass for West Point Prep’s first score. 

In the 2nd quarter, Jackson hit Raymond Maples for a 10 yard TD pass.  Maples led the Black Knights in rushing with a standout 174 yards on 19 carries.  He also scored on a TD run of 34 yards.  Kyle Dravis and Julian Crockett provided some outstanding blocks on several positive yardage runs by West Point Prep.  WR Scotty Williams had 2 catches for 30 yards and some outstanding efforts as a punt returner.   The offensive line effort was led by Center Shelby Jackson, who turned in another strong performance. 

               

While the offense played well in the first half, scoring 21 points, it was unable to get a score in the second half and “put Valley Forge away.”  West Point Prep was still able to move the football, but two drives stalled on downs and the most legitimate scoring opportunity was snuffed out by a turnover deep in Valley Forge territory.        

               

Defensively, West Point Prep also played very well in the first half, and throughout most of the game. The only score for Valley Forge in the first half came on a short field opportunity after a West Point Prep turnover.  With the exception of that one Valley Forge score, the defense controlled Valley Forge’s offense for the first 30 minutes.

               

On the defensive line, Jamal Mtshali, Julius Warmsley, and Clayton Keller put forth strong efforts against the Valley Forge “wishbone” offense, which was trying to pound the ball running the football.  They were able to apply pressure on passer when Valley Forge sought to throw also.  

Linebackers Colby Miller and Casey Brewer were very active and made plays to stop the Valley Forge fullback throughout the game.   In the secondary, Brandon Porter showed great competitive spirit as he made strong plays in run support, and also worked hard in coverage against a tall, talented WR from Valley Forge. 

               

Defensively, West Point Prep was unable to prevent the “big play” in the second half, as Valley Forge ripped off a long TD run to on the first play of the second half.  The West Point Prep defense held strong for the next several possessions, but gave up an 80 yard TD drive late in the 4th quarter to allow Valley Forge to tie the game at 21-21. 

           

In the overtime, Valley Forge won the toss and elected to play defense first.  West Point Prep’s offense was forced to attempt a 36 yard field goal, which caromed off the left upright…no good. When Valley Forge took possession, they were also forced to attempt a field goal, which made it through the uprights and ended the game.

               

 It was a hard fought game and a bitter loss for West Point Prep, as they appeared to be in control for most of the first half, and third quarter.  West Point Prep will now look to get back in the win column in its next game, against the Lafayette JV’s on Sunday, November 1. 

Kick-off is at 2:00 PM at the Lafayette campus in Easton, PA.

Ft. Monmouth, NJ -- With numerous family and friends of the West Point Prep Cadet Candidates there for support as the West Point Prep School celebrated “Parents Weekend”, the West Point Prep football team put forth a strong showing in defeating Stevens Tech JC by a score of 54-34.  West Point Prep played very solid football in all three phases of the game, and set a season high in scoring offense. 

The Black Knight offense scored touchdowns on five of its six first half possessions.  RB Bryce Flowers started the Black Knight scoring with a 51 yard TD on run on an option pitch out on the right side.   Flowers would score another TD in the 2nd quarter on another option pitch to the right side, this one from 10 yards out.  Flowers rushed for 167 yards and the two TD’s.  He also returned the second half kick-off for a 73 yard TD.  In, all, Flowers gained 305 total yards in a dominating performance. 

“Just an outstanding performance…Bryce really ran with confidence today.  He made some great moves in the open field and knew when to just hit it.  I’m also real proud of his improvement as a blocker,” said Head Coach Tom Simi after the game.

QB Cody Jackson operated the offense extremely well.  In the option, he made good decisions with the ball, getting it pitched or handed off when needed, and rushed for 46 yards of his own.  Jackson also threw for 133 yards and two TD’s. 

2LT Carlo San Diego, who coaches the QB’s and B-Backs, commented that Jackson “…did a great job of leading the offense today…”

RB’s Raymond Maples and Kyle Dravis also had outstanding games.  Maples averaged nearly 7 yards per carry, though often hard fought and in the middle of the big Stevens Tech defensive front.  He also scored on TD runs of 3, 12, and 4 yards.

“Raymond didn’t get as many touches today, but he did a great job with the ones he had, and did a good job blocking, particularly in the passing game,” said Simi. 

Kyle Dravis had a strong performance also.  Dravis provided strong running, averaging just over 5 yards per carry.  He also had a 32 yard reception.   Dravis also had several key blocks that helped spring some big plays for the Black Knights.  On a 44 yard run by Flowers at the end of the 1st quarter, Dravis knocked down one Stevens Tech player, then got up, sprinted to the sideline, and knocked another pursuer off the trail. 

“Kyle played with great effort today,” said 2LT Michael Wright, who coaches the RB’s and WR’s for West Point Prep.  RB Julian Crockett also had some outstanding blocks which helped secure the outside for some big yardage

Three West Point Prep Wide Receivers caught passes as Scotty Williams caught two for 47 yards and a TD.  Casey Hughes had two receptions for 43 yards and a TD also.  Justin Trimble had one reception for 11 yards and had some dominating blocks on the Stevens Tech corners.   In all, the receiving core turned in a strong performance, making crucial receptions for TD’s or first down yardage, and in their blocking.

Up front, the Black Knights were able to create inside running creases and did a good job of getting the inside pursuit cut down, which helped produce some of the big running plays on the outside.  The offensive line, consisting of Austin Noonan, Robert Panchisin, Shelby Jackson, Zach Burge, and Dan Whitaker, produced a strong performance.  With one exception, they also provided very solid pass protection for Cody Jackson. 

Although the Stevens Tech offense did score TD’s on its first two possessions, the Black Knight defense came up big the rest of the way.  The remainder of the Stevens scoring came late in the game after the outcome was basically decided. 

“As a defense, we played hard and fast…we gang tackled and played the whole game with a lot of enthusiasm,” said Defensive Coordinator Wade Green. 

Up front, the Black Knight D-Line battled hard and did a great job stuffing the gaps against the large Stevens Tech offensive line, using speed, quickness, and good technique.  Julius Warmsley led the charge with 2 tackles and 2 QB hurries.  Mike Sikorski had 4 tackles. 

Colby Miller, coming off an outstanding performance from the week before, played another solid football game with 3 tackles.  Corey Watts also had 3 tackles and flew around delivering some big hits.  Bobby Kough and Clayton Keller also had strong games in the trenches for the Black Knight D.

LB Marcus McInerney led the team in tackles with 8 in the middle.  Casey Brewer also had 6 tackles and a fumble recovery.  Zach Williams played solid minutes at LB and had 2 tackles as he finally recovers from a nagging injury that has hampered him all season.   LB Sherman Pruitt also had 3 tackles.

               

In the secondary, several players made key contributions.  Davonte Anderson had another strong performance, with 2 tackles and 2 pass break ups.  Randall Williams, who moved to defense from Wide Receiver had 3 tackles and continued to show promise as a rising defensive back.  Demarkus Chambliss had 7 tackles and did a good job in coverage.  Brandon Porter had 3 tackles and 1 pass break up, and Jordan Crockett had 2 tackles and a pass break up also, as these two players continue to play with great heart, determination, and effort week after week.

In all, it was a strong performance and a good win for the young Black Knights.  West Point Prep   plays again against Valley Forge JC at Valley Forge in Wayne, PA.  Kick-off is at 2:00 PM

West Point, NY -- In a wild contest that saw 98 total points scored, big plays, the West Point Prep football team was unable to defeat Milford Academy.  A highly entertaining game for the spectators from start to finish, both teams battled hard for 60 minutes.  In the end, Milford made just “a few more plays, and we made just a few more mistakes…” in the words of West Point Prep Head Football Coach Tom Simi.

Offensively, West Point Prep again moved the ball well, amassing over 380 yards of offense.  But some key errors stopped a few drives, and the Black Knights missed chances of scoring more points.   Some of the standout performers were RB Raymond Maples, who rushed for 118 yards and WR Justin Trimble, who had 5 catches for 62 yards. 

RB’s Kyle Dravis and Bryce Flowers played made many great plays, not only running, but blocking, receiving, and returning kicks.  Dravis had a 71 yard reception that led to West Point Prep’s first score, carried 3 times for over 30 yards, and made several outstanding blocks.  Flowers had an 85 yard kickoff return for a TD, and carried 7 times for 50 yards, including a gutsy 5 yard TD run in the 4th quarter that pulled the Black Knights within a TD of taking the lead.  

QB Cody Jackson scored on a 6 yard TD run on the Black Knights opening possession, and threw for 133 yards for the Black Knights also.  The Offensive Line, again playing without the injured Zach Burge, competed hard all night against a big, fast Milford defensive front.

               

Defensively, there were a lot of fireworks as the West Point Prep team was facing some pretty dynamic skill position players from Milford.  Although Milford’s offense was able to generate a lot of points, the West Point Prep Defense kept the Black Knights in the game by coming up with big plays and scoring 3 defensive TD’s of their own. 

Gang tackling, pressure on the QB, and the propensity for forcing the turnovers, were high lights of the defensive performance.  Marcus McInerney put forth a standout effort at the Middle Linebacker position, leading the Preps in tackles. 

Jamal Mtshali and Julius Warmsley both put forth great efforts on the defensive line, coming up with 13 tackles and 3 tackles for lost yardage between them.  Cornerback Davonte Anderson had 4 tackles and an interception return for a TD. 

Taylor Hayes-Leak also had 4 tackles, and returned an interception for a TD.  LB Colby Miller had 4 tackles, 2 sacks, an interception, and a fumble recovery for a TD in an outstanding performance.

Mobile, AL -- The West Point Prep Football team got a taste of Division I football Saturday as it took on the fledgling Division I program at University of South Alabama at Ladd-Peebles in Mobile. 

While the game itself was a lesson in hard knocks for the prep players, it was experience that provided insight into the speed and intensity of playing in a Division I game.  The game itself was a one sided affair, with South Alabama defeating the Preps by a score of 56-0.  The size, speed, and depth of South Alabama were just too much for West Point Prep.

For several of the West Point Prep players, it was a home coming of sorts as there are several young men from Alabama, Florida, or Louisiana.  The fan support for the West Point Prep team was evident as families from the region, and some that traveled from places like Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and even California, gathered to share in the experience and show support. 

Although South Alabama dominated in all three phases of the game, the young men of West Point Prep battled hard and were still working to make plays when the final horn sounded.  As the West Point Prep players left the field, they seemed to better understand the speed of the game at the Division I level and were determined to continue to work to raise their level of performance. 

West Point Prep Football takes the field again on Friday, October 9 to take on Milford Academy.  The game will be played at Michie Stadium at West Point.  Kick-off is at 5PM.

Note: The game scheduled for Oct. 2 against the Army JV has been postponed until a later date that is yet TBD. 

West Point, NY -- In a tough, hard hitting and hotly contested ball game, West Point Prep football was defeated by perennial powerhouse Nassau JC by a final score of 13-8 on Friday at Michie Stadium at West Point. 

In contrast to the offensive shootout the Prep team won the previous week against Hudson Valley JC, this game was a defensive struggle from start to finish.  The early portion of the game saw both teams trading punts and fighting to gain a field position advantage.

Although West Point Prep offense moved the ball, they were not able to get the ball into the end zone in the first half.  The Nassau defense was very big, fast, and talented, and it was a hard fight to get first downs.  Also, some miscues kept the Prep offense from converting on 3rd and 4th down in the “red zone”.

Defensively, several West Point Prep players shined.  Up front, Jamal Mtshali and Bobby Kough crushed running lanes and applied heat to the Nassau QB.  LB’s Colby Miller, Corey Watts, and Casey Brewer flew around and made plays all over the field.  The speed, quickness, and relentless effort of the often stunting Prep defensive line was able to neutralize the big, physical Nassau offensive line and corral the very fast and talented Nassau running backs for most of the night. 

In the secondary, there were several outstanding efforts and performances. 

Strong Safety Lyle Beloney made several great plays in coverage and coming up to support the run.  Corners Davonte Anderson, Brandon Porter, and Jordan Crocket were outstanding in coverage and played with great effort to chase down runs from the backside. 

The only scoring in the first half was a Nassau field goal that was set up when the Prep offense coughed up the ball in its own territory.  An impressive “hurry up” drive by the Preps at the end of the half was unable to produce points when a field goal attempt was blocked by Nassau.

The second half opened with the Prep offense once again moving the ball into Nassau territory only to be turned away partly by the strong Nassau defense and partly by a couple of key errors in execution.   The Nassau defensive line, averaging 290 pounds across their front four, and their fast LB’s and safeties, made every yard a fight for the Prep offense…but there was no doubt watching the game that the offensive players for the Preps were fighting hard the whole way.

Probably the most impressive play of the evening occurred in the 3rd quarter when a Nassau running back broke into the clear and raced down the sideline for what appeared to be a breakaway TD run.  Corner Jordan Crockett showed much more than impressive make up speed as he closed in on the Nassau runner…he showed the kind of heart , desire, and relentless effort that is fundamental to Army Football and to the Army itself as he closed the gap and tripped up the Nassau runner inside the Prep ten yard line.  It was the kind of play the spectators, coaches, and players speak of with admiration as it was a great combination of athletic ability and heart.  The Prep defense held on the next three plays and forced Nassau to kick another field goal. 

With the Prep offense still moving the ball, but unable to find the “zone”, Nassau finally scored a TD in the fourth quarter with a 23 yard pass to a well covered receiver. 

The Prep offense finally got in the end zone in the fourth quarter after a strong drive led by QB Cody Jackson, that saw him hit WR’s Justin Trimble and Casey Hughes.  Jackson also ran the triple option well and handled a fourth down with tremendous poise, getting the ball pitched to RB Julian Crockett, who scampered 26 yards deep into Nassau territory.  Two plays later, Raymond Maples scored from two yards out to get the Preps their only TD of the night. 

A fumble recovery by Brandon Porter late gave the Preps one more chance with the ball, but time was the enemy and after two first downs, the Prep offense was forced to throw to the end zone with time running out…the game would end with Nassau holding it’s slim 13-8 lead. 

In all, it was a hotly contested game with tremendous physical effort and emotions running high on both sides. 

The West Point Prep Football team plays again next Saturday against the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama at Ladd Peebles Stadium.  Kick-off is at 4:00pm.

West Point, NY -- In a game that saw wild shifts in momentum, big plays on both sides of the ball, hard hits, and 90 total points scored despite damp weather, the West Point Prep Football team came out victorious over a talented Hudson Valley JC team.  It was a very determined effort as the Prep team trailed by two scores early and did not gain a lead in the game until late in the first half.

After West Point Prep kicked off, Hudson Valley’s offense looked impressive on its first possession as they marched down and scored right away.  The Prep’s first possession was less impressive as they went three plays and were forced to punt.  Hudson Valley started its second possession in good field position near mid-field.  They were able to capitalize by driving for the second score.

Down 14-0, the Prep offense mounted a strong drive hi-lighted by a Cody Jackson pass to Justin Trimble in which Trimble had to make a difficult adjustment to the football after being interfered with.  The drive was finished with an impressive 14 yard run by Raymond Maples behind strong blocking, particularly by Center Shelby Jackson. 

The Prep defense then stopped Hudson Valley, forcing a punt and giving the Prep offense a chance to get another drive together.  After working deep into Hudson Valley territory, Bryce Flowers took a sweep around the left side and scored easily from 6 yards out as RB Kyle Dravis threw a great block that knocked down two HV defenders. 

LG Robert Panchisin also was able to knock two players out of pursuit on the inside which helped clear the path for Flowers.  Flowers TD cut the HV lead to 14-12, but another failed extra point kept the Preps from tying the game.

In the second quarter, with Hudson Valley leading 21-12, Prep Corner Davonte Anderson intercepted an HV pass and faked, cut, and ran down inside the HV 20 yard line.  On the very next play, Cody Jackson hit Raymond Maples in the flat and Maples did the rest, getting the ball to the “zone”.  A two point conversion attempt failed, and the Preps still trailed at 21-18. 

For the remainder of the first half, the Prep defense was strong, allowing no more scores.  Another good drive by the Prep offense was stalled when a sideline catch to convert a fourth down was ruled incomplete, drawing the ire of the West Point Prep fans. 

Late in the half, however, the Preps mounted another drive and Cody Jackson hit Casey Hughes for an 18 yard TD pass.  This time the two point conversion attempt was successful as Cody Jackson threw a “dime” to Justin Trimble, who again showed a great ability to adjust to the ball in the air.  The first half ended with the Preps up 26-21.

As the second half began, the two defenses made stops on the initial possessions, and then the West Point Prep offense got back on the board when Bryce Flowers took a sweep to the right and slashed back against the grain, breaking it into a 53 yard TD run.  This put the Preps up 33-21.  They would never relinquish the lead.

The game was hard fought all the way through, with teams trading scores, the West Point Prep was never able to pull away as HV was able to continue to cut into the lead.  

Despite the high score, there were several Prep defensive players who played with great effort and performed at a high level.  LB/DE Clayton Keller had a sack and QB hurry, and was a strong physical presence throughout the game.  Julius Warmsley and Corey Watts also played very hard and delivered some big hits throughout the game.  John Pozonsky had an interception in the fourth quarter that also snuffed out a Hudson Valley drive. 

The Prep defense was challenged by a talented group of skill players from Hudson Valley, and battled hard with them for four quarters.

As the game wore into the final quarter, Cody Jackson hit Bryce Flowers from 14 yards out for a TD, and Jay Tully exploded up the middle behind the blocking of Zach Burge and Dan Whitaker for a 19 yard TD also to put the game out of reach.

Hudson Valley continued to compete hard, but the Prep defense hung in there and made them work to earn every yard.  By the time, Hudson Valley was able to cut the score to 46-44, there was only two seconds left.  An onside kick was recovered by RB Julian Crockett for the Preps, and the horn sounded.

In all, the Prep offense rushed for 315 yards and threw for another 134. RB Raymond Maples led the way with 170 rushing and 206 total yards.  QB Cody Jackson operated the offense very well and threw 3 TD passes. 

 West Point Prep Football plays again Friday, September 18 against the always tough Nassau CC. 

Kickoff is at 5:00 PM at Michie Stadium, West Point.