Robert Wilson spent 23 years at The Clarion-Ledger/Jackson Daily News as a sportswriter with more than half of those years covering high school sports, mostly in the Metro Jackson area. He helped choose the All-Metro teams in various sports for more than a decade. Wilson rebirthed this team six years ago with Priority One Bank All-Metro Football Team with 50 players and a Coach and Player of the Year. With the help of high school and college coaches, Wilson selected the best players from Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties.
By Robert Wilson
Hartfield Academy’s Kenzy West and Lanier High coach Tommy Kelly – this year’s Performance Therapy/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player and Coach of the Year – made history for their respective teams this season.
The 6-foot, 180-pound West – an electrifying senior wide receiver-defensive back-return specialist and University of Houston signee – had 1,568 all-purpose yards and 25 total touchdowns and led Hartfield to a 12-2 record and its second consecutive MAIS Class 6A state championship, the first two state football titles in the history of the school.
Kelly – a former Provine High, Hinds Community College, Mississippi State and 11-year NFL defensive lineman – led Lanier to a huge turnaround season in his first year as head coach. He won eight games, five more than Lanier did last season, one more than the last three seasons combined, the first winning season since 2019, the most wins in a season since 2018 and won the first playoff for the school in 37 years.
West’s performance in the 19-14 victory over No. 1 seed and previously undefeated Jackson Prep in the 6A state championship topped off a remarkable season.
West produced 176 yards and three TDs, scored the winning one with one minute, five seconds to play and caused a fumble to clinch the win.
West – rated the No. 15 player 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.
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 in the game where Prep ended Hartfield’s 21-game winning streak, at that time was the longest active winning streak in Mississippi.
“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 and was last year’s PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Coach of the Year. “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 makes 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 wants to do whatever he could to put our team in a position to win.”
“Winning the championship back-to-back is an unforgettable experience that goes beyond just the game itself,” West said. “The feeling of triumph was amplified by the hard work, dedication, and teamwork. This was a dream come true because so many people counted us out after our first loss, but we gave it our all and we mastered the plan.”
“Kenzy scored 14 touchdowns in the last six games of the season,” Bowman said. “Not only did he score, but we also asked him to cover our opponent’s best receiver in the semifinal and championship games. He is an excellent talent, but he is grown and matured into a leader on the field. Kenzy was willing to play whatever role was necessary for our team to be successful. He was willing to give everything he had for his team. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to coach Kenzy and be around him for the past three years.”
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.
“My season was an experience filled with growth, teamwork, and unforgettable moments,” West said. “The season began with intense practices where we learned the importance of discipline, and dedication. As the weeks went by, the bond between us grew stronger, transforming us from individuals into a united team with one common goal. Each game that we played taught us a valuable lesson whether we faced victory or defeat. Through the challenges on and off the field, we learned resilience and the significance of supporting one another making this season not just about winning but about brotherhood.”
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.
And this year, he stepped up his role on the team.
“My role as a senior player on the team extended beyond just playing the game,” West said. “I had to be a leader. I set positive examples by demonstrating commitment, sportsmanship, and hard work. I had to be willing and ready to do whatever was needed to help my team be successful.”
“Kenzy was dominant for us all season on both sides of the ball,” Hartfield defensive coordinator/defensive back coach Ryan Lindsey said. “I was proud of the toughness he displayed week in week out, guarding the other team’s best wide receiver, and still managing to do what he did for us on the offensive side of the ball. It’s hard to put into words how valuable that young man has been for us throughout his time in the program.”
“Kenzy and I are more than just teammates,” said Hartfield senior defensive lineman and Arkansas signee Reginald Vaughn, a member of the Tatum and Wade/Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson Team. “We treat each other like family. He’s like a little brother to me. As a player he is an athletic freak. Kenzy is like Superman.”
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 played in the MAIS All-Star Game at Jackson Prep and in the U.S. Army All-American Game at Frisco, Texas.
West, who grew up in Port Gibson before transferring to Hartfield when he was a sophomore, played basketball and ran track and field (long jump, 400 meter and 800 meter relays) for Hartfield his sophomore and junior years and will only run track this spring.
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.
Kelly was a basketball star and helped Provine to a state championship as a junior in 1998. He only played football his senior year. He signed football with Ole Miss but played one year of football at Hinds CC before playing at MSU.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Kelly was a problem for opposing offensive lineman whenever he was in the game in the NFL. He was so good the Oakland Raiders signed Kelly to the largest contract ever given to a defensive tackle at that time in 2008, a seven-year, $50.5 million contract. He ranks ninth all-time in Raiders history with 34 sacks in his nine seasons in Oakland.
After being released by the Raiders in 2013, Kelly played with the New England Patriots in 2013 and the Arizona Cardinals in 2014 before retiring before the 2015 season.
Since his retirement, Kelly was a defensive line coach for seven seasons and defensive coordinator for five of those seasons at Provine and the defensive line coach at Copiah-Lincoln CC last season.
And then came the opportunity to become a head coach at Lanier. And boy, was Kelly a perfect fit.
“When I got the job, I hit the ground running,” Kelly said. “I got the kids back in the weight room and running four days a week. It was a little rough in the spring because we were low on numbers and my quarterback had to miss the whole spring with an ankle injury. But we got through it as a team. The kids bought into our plan and our numbers picked up over the summer. I had a good feeling coming into the season because the kids were coming to practice and working hard. But I knew after our first game, we had an early morning practice Labor Day weekend and I worried about our numbers being low, but over 50 kids showed up, so I knew they were buying into the process.”
Lanier defeated Newton 54-6 in the season opener, then opened up eyes across Jackson Public Schools with a 16-6 win over Provine, Kelly’s alma mater, the first time Lanier had beaten Provine in 35 games, and for the first time since 1986 when Kelly was five years old.
Not since Coach Walter Griffin led Lanier to an 8-6 win in 1986, had Lanier defeated Provine. The two rivals have played every year since then except for two seasons (1998 and 1999).
Lanier had scored only one TD in its last four games with Provine. Provine won 40-0 last season, 35-7 in 2022, 19-0 in 2021, the teams didn’t play in 2020 due to covid, and 21-0 in 2019. The last time Lanier scored two TDs against Provine was a 51-20 loss in 2011.
It was a historic night for Kelly and his team.
“The kids deserved all the credit,” Kelly said. “They had been working hard in the weight room and on the practice field. It was good to see all that hard work pay off. They really wanted to end the losing streak. I told them if we stop the run and limit big plays, we’re going to get a shutout. They didn’t believe me. I told them trust the big coach.”
Lanier won despite its starting running back, Jeremiah Wilson out with a rib injury. Wilson had 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago.
Junior Jamison Kelly, Kelly’s son, led Lanier with 20 carries for 178 yards and TDs, a 30-yard run in the third quarter and a 31-yard run in the fourth quarter. Freshman Knolyn Bailey scored both two-point conversations.
Lanier won its first seven games – for the first time since – and didn’t allow more than two touchdowns in any of its wins. The Bulldogs lost a region game to McComb and a non-region game to Murrah to end the regular season and bounced back with a 28-21 historic victory over Sumrall in the first round of the MHSAA Class 4A playoffs. Lanier lost a heartbreaker to Forest 23-20 when Forest completed a long touchdown pass with 30 seconds to play for the winning score.
Lanier had lost seven consecutive first round playoff games and had not won a playoff game since a 28-21 win over Tupelo in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs in 1987. Lanier bounced back a 14-point deficit in the second quarter to upset the then-No. 3 ranked Tupelo. Defensive tackle William Gaines stole the ball from Tupelo quarterback Todd Jordan and for a 14-yard TD to cut the lead to 14-6 and he blocked a Jordan punt to set up the winning TD with 4 ½ minutes to play.
Lanier lost to Greenville 28-7 in the second round. Lanier also won a playoff game in 1986 – its first playoff appearance in school history – with a 27-8 win over Southaven before losing to Clarksdale 12-7 in the second round.
“Winning that playoff game was big for our program,” Kelly said. “The kids deserve it because they put a lot of hard work into the season. A lot of my former teammates and coaching buddies called and were happy for me. It was some that I always talked about for a long time. I wish I had the last 40 seconds back of the second-round game against Forest, but it was a great learning experience that will help me and the kids in the long run.”
Lanier had nine returning starters, five on offense and four on defense, from last year’s 3-8 team, which lost 58-26 to Poplarville in the first round of the MHSAA Class 4A playoffs. Poplarville reached the semifinals.
To show how much Lanier had improved this year, Poplarville barely beat Forest 24-21 in the semifinals and Louisville 29-28 for the championship.
Despite the narrow loss to Forest, Kelly was excited about his team and the season.
“We had some good running backs and solid offensive line with three seniors (Kristan Edwards and Rayquan Course, and sophomore Koriyan Dixon) who really lead the way for us on offense,” Kelly said. “Our quarterback (sophomore Darrel Roberts) was young and wide receivers were young. So early on, we really leaned on our run game and the passing game came along as the season went along.
“On offense, (senior and Jackson State commitment) Jeremiah Wilson, who made first team All-State Class 4A, had over 1,300 yards and 11 TDs. Knoyln Bailey, a ninth grader, has a chance to be special. He had over 600 yards and six TDs Jamison Kelly (Kelly’s son) was the playmaker with the ball in his hands. He scored 12 TDs and had over 1,000 all-purpose yards for us. Darrell Roberts really came on as the season went along and I took the reins off him. I didn’t want him to get hurt because I had no backup quarterback. But in the playoffs, he really showed he can be a dual threat at quarterback. So, I expect a big year from him next year.
“We were led on defense by defensive end Dmarion Smith. He had a monster year with over 80 tackles, 25 for tackles for loss, and 13 sacks. Defensive end Robert Wesley played well with 60 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. Linebacker Langston Clark led in tackles and was the vocal leader. Free safety Tremayne Guidry was the ball hawk in the secondary. He had four interceptions and returned one for a TD. Strong safety Phillip Scott and cornerback Jarius Lewis were solid and fast players who really stepped up. Cornerback Jamison Kelly (Kelly’s son) – who was second team All-State Class 4A – was a lockdown corner who took the other team’s no. 1 wide receiver and played great coverage all year.”
Kelly, who doubles as the defensive coordinator, is assisted by offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Curtis Stapleton, assistant head coach/defensive line coach Melvin Hodge, running back coach Lawrence Clark, wide receiver coach Quemesky Carey, defensive back coach Kharmai Ballard, and linebacker coach Roffeyl Gordan.
Kelly and his wife Jammie have three children, Tommy Kelly, Jr., 20, Jamison 17 and Harlem 11.
Tommy Kelly Jr. was a sophomore linebacker at Hinds Community College this season and will play at Delta State next season. He played at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC last season. Kelly was one of the best linebackers in Mississippi as a junior and senior at Provine. Kelly was a two-time Metro Jackson selection.
Kelly had 133 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, in 10 games as a senior. He had 134 tackles in nine games, an average of 14.9 tackles per game, as a junior.
Jamison Kelly transferred from Madison Central to Lanier this year to join his father. He is a member of this year’s All Metro team as a defensive back. The 5-11, 190-pound Kelly started last year at Madison Central as a sophomore. He played at Provine with his father two years ago as a freshman and transferred to Madison Central when his father went to coach at Copiah-Lincoln CC.
Co-Lin head football coach Glenn Davis is a big Tommy Kelly fan. He has seen him grow up since Kelly was in high school at Provine, was on the football staff at MSU when Kelly was playing for the Bulldogs, and watched Kelly became an NFL star with the Raiders.
“Tommy has done a great job this season at Lanier,” said Davis, who is retiring after 21 seasons at Co-Lin CC. “He is from Jackson and he can tell kids about growing up there, things he’s seen on a daily basis and how he made good decisions and worked hard to make it as an NFL player and became the largest contract for a defensive tackle in NFL history at that time. The players listened to him because he’s been there, and they played hard for him.”
Davis first saw Kelly when Kelly was a junior playing basketball on Provine’s state championship team.
“I watched him play basketball and he was a very good post player,” Davis said. “I stayed after the game and talked to Tommy and told him he could make a lot of money playing football on Sundays (in the NFL) one day. He decided to play football after that basketball season. I went to the spring football scrimmage when Provine played Brandon because I was recruiting a couple of kids from Brandon for Mississippi State. I watched Tommy tackle the dive, make the quarterback pitch it to (former high school All-American, MSU All-SEC star and former NFL running back) Jerious (Norwood), and knock Norwood out of bounds for only a 2-yard gain. It was an incredible play. I called (then MSU coach Jackie) Coach Sherrill and told him I just saw a phenomenal athlete and we need to keep our eye on him. After playing at Hinds, Tommy played with us (at MSU) and kept getting better and better. He’s a super guy and a quick learner. I knew his best football was ahead of him and he became a great pro. John Blake was his position coach at MSU and did a great job with Tommy. Tommy has become a great father and husband and I know he’s going to do well as a head football coach.”
Kelly has leaned on what he learned from his coaches during his playing career.
“I had a lot of great coaches in my playing career,” Kelly said. “Nothing replaces hard work. Never take short cuts on the field or in life. Attention to details. The little things matter. Being hard, but fair with my guys. Sometimes you have to get on a kid, but it’s important to go back and let that kid know I’m hard on you because I love them and want them to be great. Always putting my guys in a position to win on the field, but also in life.”
“Tommy is a great coach and a really good friend of mine,” Provine coach Tim Wilson said. “Coach Kelly and I worked together for several years at Provine. Coach Kelly is a defensive minded coach and one of the top defensive line coaches in the state. He is a student of the game and loves to coach football. His coaching influences goes far beyond a lot of coaches because of his tenure in the NFL. He played for Bill Belichick, Bruce Arians, Lane Kiffin, and Todd Bowles to name a few. He has seen the top level of football and how to run a program. Tommy always told me he wanted to run his own program. Although I didn’t want him to leave, it was something we talked about all the time. Lanier has gotten themselves a good football coach in Coach Kelly.”
“Tommy has always been a smart young man,” said Willie Collins, who coached Kelly at Provine and was an assistant under Stanley Blackmon from 1982-1990 and head coach at Provine from 1991-2013. “He would always go to the library and study up on teams and players, know their sizes, know the best players, and know their strengths and weaknesses. I knew he had a bright future after high school, and he was great at Mississippi State and in the NFL with the Raiders. I watched him all the time. Tommy did great this year as a head coach. He instills discipline into his players, and everything will fall into place after that. He will be a winner. Don’t be surprised if they play for the state championship one day.”
“Coach Kelly is a great coach and an inspiration to others,” Wilson said. “Given that Coach Kelly is a former NFL player and comes from Jackson, I tried to take in his advice and apply it to my playing. I respect his hard coaching style, which prepares every player to play on the next level.”
“One of the ways my dad has been a good influence on me is telling me to work hard,” Jamison Kelly said. “He kind of instilled working out into me once I got into middle school. My dad was undrafted free agent coming into the NFL, so he had to work his way up from the bottom. Another way my dad has been a good influence on me is having self-confidence. He used to always tell me if you don’t believe in yourself no one else will.”
Lanier returns 11 starters, four on offense (including quarterback Darrell Roberts) and seven on defense (including defensive back Jamison Kelly) next season.
“We don’t want to be a flash in the pan,” Kelly said. “I want to show we can play good, hard-nosed football on Maple Street (where Lanier is located in Jackson). And continue to represent our school, alumni and JPS the right way.”
PREVIOUS WINNERS
Player of the Year
2023: Gavin Griffin, Velma Jackson
2022: Luke Rogers, Brandon
2021: Davis Dalton, MRA
2020: Zy McDonald, Ridgeland
2019: Will Rogers, Brandon
Coach of the Year
2023: Craig Bowman, Hartfield Academy
2022: Dameon Brown, Callaway
2021: Sam Williams, Brandon
2020: Toby Collums, Northwest Rankin
2019: Herbert Davis, MRA
