Laurel is ready for the MHSAA 5A Championship

LAUREL, Miss. - The MHSAA Championship games are almost here.

South champs, Laurel (13-1) will take on North champs, West Point (13-1) in an epic 5A showdown.

Laurel is on the pursuit of capturing a fourth state championship.

Strong safety, Jalon Thigpen said, "It feels good getting to practice one more week with all my seniors and this team, and knowing that we're going to state. This is what we've been planning to do all season long. I ain't got no words to explain how it feel."

Laurel won state two years ago, and are looking to do it again this year.

Head coach, Todd Breland wants nothing more than to see his players hold up the trophy.

"These kids just compete. And if they compete in life like they do in football, they're going to be very successful. They don't quit. They keep coming. And we talk about that all the time. We're going to play until they tell us to stop," said Breland.

Laurel is loaded with weapons on offense.

The Golden Tornadoes average 421 yards per game and can destroy any defense with their passing or rushing attack.

"It starts off with the offensive line. Those guys have done a great job. We have capitalized all year. Coaches been telling me we have to run the ball to win the game. And throughout the playoffs, I felt like I've done a great job doing that," said running back, Michael Terrell.

A lot of the seniors have been playing together since the 7th grade, enabling them to have great chemistry and success.

Wide receiver, Dontario Drummond said, "It just be easy to me. I get up there, tell my quarterback what to do with it. I catch the ball in the air, and I just go get it."

"It'll be really important to shut their defense down, because we ain't going to shut down. We're like a machine. We won't stop," said quarterback, Tyquan Ulmer.

Winning state this year is very important for the Golden Tornadoes.

"Winning a state championship and our city being behind us, it'll make our city proud," said Ulmer.

"We had Tamerick Drummond pass away. And everybody, we come together as a football team, and everybody feels like we just do it for Tamerick," said Terrell.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.