By Robert Wilson
Hartfield Academy football coach Craig Bowman believes his senior wide receiver-defensive back-return specialist Kenzy West is the best all-around player in Mississippi.
Few could argue with Bowman, especially after West’s performance last week in the MAIS Class 6A state championship game.
The 6-foot, 180-pound University of Houston commitment produced 176 yards and three touchdowns, scored the winning TD with one minute, five seconds to play and caused a fumble to clinch the win and led No. 3 seed Hartfield to a 19-14 victory over No. 1 seed and previously undefeated Jackson Prep for its second straight state title Saturday night before an estimated 4,000 at Mississippi College’s Robinson-Hale Stadium in Clinton.
For his outstanding performance in a championship game, West has been named the Junction Deli/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week.
West – rated No. 15 in Mississippi in the Class of 2025 by 247 Sports – had seven catches for 104 yards and ran 17 times for 72 yards and three TDs.
He made big play after big play in the biggest game of the season.
The game was tied at 7-7 going into the fourth quarter, but West finished a 56-yard, 13-play scoring drive with a 4-yard TD run from the quarterback position. He carried the ball nine times on the drive to give Hartfield a 13-7 lead with 10:44 to play.
After Prep took a 14-13 lead, West made an outstanding catch on a pass from senior quarterback Cayman Tapper on the Hartfield sidelines for a 18-yard gain to the Prep 44 on third and 10, then made a dazzling catch and run for 29 yards to the Prep 15. After a face guarding penalty against Prep, West fought his way into the end zone for a 7-yard TD, dragging would be Prep tacklers with him, for an 19-14 lead with 1:05 to play to complete an 80-yard, eight play drive.
Prep got the ball back to try to have a game winning drive, but on second down, West caused a fumble and Hartfield junior linebacker Coleman Williams picked up the loose ball at the Prep 35 and ran to the Prep 2 with 35 seconds to play. Hartfield ran out the clock.
West – who scored Hartfield’s first TD on a 5-yard run to complete a 90-yard, 16-play drive for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter – understandably showed signs of fatigue in the second half but kept making big plays. On one timeout late in the game, he laid down on the field near the huddle, trying to get some relief, but came back with a lot of energy and kept breaking tackles and gaining yards.
West had 1,568 all-purpose yards and 25 total TDs this season. West had 832 receiving yards, 18 yards per catch, and 10 TDs, 287 rushing yards, 7 yards per carry, and 11 TDs, 143 kickoff return yards, 71.8 yards per kickoff return, and one TD, 256 punt return yards, 36.6 yards per punt return, and two TDs and completed his only pass for 40 yards. On defense, West had 13 tackles, all solos, one tackle for loss, three interceptions, six pass breakups, one fumble recovery for a TD.
“I have said it several times I believe Kenzy is the best all-around player in our league and our state, and I believe he proved it in the final weeks of the season,” said Bowman, who has a 52-12 record in his fifth season at Hartfield. “Kenzy has been absolutely dominant this season, but especially since the first meeting with Jackson Prep (a 51-45 loss on Oct. 18) where he had five touchdowns. He accounted for our two touchdowns in the semifinal (a 17-14 win over Madison-Ridgeland Academy) and then had all three touchdowns in the championship game. On defense, he had an interception in the semifinal and two pass breakups, and he forced the fumble in Prep’s last offensive possession to secure the win for us. He wants the ball when the game is on the line. Kenzy make the players around him better because they know anything can happen when he is on the field. I’m especially proud of his toughness in the championship game. He was exhausted, but he did what it took to win the game for his team. Kenzy trusts his teammates and wanted to do whatever he could to put our team in a position to win.”
In the regular season game against Prep, West accounted for 189 yards (186 receiving and 3 rushing) and five TDs. West caught 12 passes for 186 yards and two TDs and ran for three TDs.
Hartfield won three straight playoff games and finished 12-2 and avenged the loss to Prep, which ended Hartfield’s 21-game winning streak, at that time the longest active winning streak in Mississippi.
This title game was a rematch of last year’s state championship game when Hartfield defeated Prep 21-0 and held Prep scoreless for the first time since 2004.
Hartfield has now beaten Prep three of the last four meetings.
West had 52 receptions for 925 yards and 12 TDs, had 6 carries for 102 yards and 2 TDs, and had 22 tackles and 4 interceptions and helped Hartfield to a 14-0 record and its first MAIS Class 6A state championship in school history last season as a junior. He also had a 15.2-yard average on 15 punt returns and a 24.6-yard average on five kickoff returns.
In addition to Houston, West has Division I offers from Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Alcorn State, Jackson State, Arkansas, LSU, Texas A&M, Duke, North Carolina State, Memphis, South Alabama, Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, Western Kentucky, Toledo, Akron, Alabama-Birmingham, Grambling State, Jacksonville State, Samford, and Liberty.
He is playing in the MAIS All-Star Game Dec. 6 at Jackson Prep and the U.S. Army All-American Game Dec. 21 at Frisco, Texas.
West is the son of Kenzy and Angie West. Kenzy and Angie both graduated from Port Gibson High. Kenzy played football. Angie played basketball at Port Gibson and Hinds Community College. She graduated from Alcorn State. West’s sister, T’Angela, played basketball at Port Gibson High and graduated from Hinds CC and Alcorn. His grandparents, Delois and Oscar McDonald, have been influential in his life.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a football player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by text or call to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
WEEK ONE: Samuel Stockett, MRA
WEEK TWO: Billy Puckett, Jackson Prep
WEEK THREE: James Farr, Clinton
WEEK FOUR: Tyshun Willis, Velma Jackson
WEEK FIVE: Josef Walker, Clinton
WEEK SIX: Caleb Unger, MRA
WEEK SEVEN: Pierce Ingram, St. Andrew’s
WEEK EIGHT: Justyce Williams, Murrah
WEEK NINE: Daniel Watkins, Northwest Rankin
WEEK TEN: John William Walker, St. Andrew’s
WEEK ELEVEN: Billy Puckett, Jackson Prep
WEEK TWELVE: Myles Miller, Madison Central
WEEK THIRTEEN: Glen Singleton, Madison Central
WEEK FOURTEEN: Ryan White, Jr., Germantown
