Murphy was listed as an athlete in the game program. He is. He ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries, leading the Green Wave’s tradition-rich team to a 29-8 win over Laurel to claim the Class 5A State title. Murphy ran for 3, 1, and 2 yards, and lined up at quarterback and running back. Murphy also played on slippery turf. Murphy’s yardage was largely based on first and second hits. He was 6′ 2″ tall and 191 lbs. West Point led 16-8 at the end of the fourth quarter. The Green Wave faced the fourth goal from the Laurel 1-yardline. The Green Wave faced fourth and goal at the Laurel 1-yard line. However, West Point coach Chris Chambless didn’t hesitate to make it a two-score match. Chambless stated, “The book probably states that you kick the field goal here.” “But I had a lot confidence in Marcus and a LOT of confidence in our offensive lines to get a push.” Murphy took a shotgun snap, and eased into the end zone. Murphy stated, “That’s West Point football.” “If it’s fourth-and-one, you’re supposed score. That’s exactly what we did. Breland stated, “Either one.” I’m certain their thinking process is to position him in the best possible way to get the ball into his hands as often as possible. Murphy is expected to play on the opposite side of the football at State. He said, “They’ve spoken to me about safety.” “I don’t care. Chambless said, “I just want to play.” He is a good-natured kid with a positive outlook who has never had a bad day. He’s a leader, he keeps us moving.” This was also the case for West Point’s defense tonight. Laurel averaged 40 points per game. Before this night, nobody had ever held the Golden Tornadoes to below 20 points. Murphy was a solid workhorse who managed to get the yards and keep the Tornadoes offense from the field. West Point finished possession in 33 minutes and 50 second, Laurel’s time being 14:10. It’s impossible to score many points in a short time span of 14 minutes. Murphy stated that West Point’s goal this year was to win another gold ball (championship trophy). Since 2010, we haven’t won one. “That’s too long for West Point.” Check out his columns as well as his Sports Daily blog. Reach Rick at rcleveland@mississippitoday.org.