WEST POINT — There was plenty of excitement this past week at West Point High as the school planned a celebration for its 50-year anniversary of having a varsity football squad.

Many players from the 1964 team were on hand for the party. David Hembree, one of those former Warriors, recalled catching the first kickoff on the squad’s home field. Though he couldn’t remember the exact number of yards on the return, it was easy to visualize the excitement as he recalled those days.

Flash forward to 2014, and the excitement that West Point has for its football program is still clear to see. The home side was near capacity to see the Warriors down Pope John Paul II 41-7 in a Class 5A, Region 8 matchup.

West Point (4-0, 3-0) had an early set back when senior Delton Cooke went down with an injury to his left leg on the third play. As Cooke was being loaded up on the cart, he gave a thumbs up and shouted to his team one final command — “Y’all better win.”

The Warriors did exactly as instructed as they took an early first-quarter lead scoring on each of their first three possessions. Kobe Smith carried the ball all four times in the first drive that was capped off with a 5-yard run. The point after run failed with only 44 seconds into regulation.

Quarterback Bryant Farley accounted for the other two touchdowns in the first quarter, the first from 12 yards and the other from 11. Tristin Skinner added the kick, and Farley added a two-point run to end the first quarter with a 21-0 lead.

The Falcons slowed things down a little bit for most of the second quarter but could not keep the Warriors at bay for long. Farley broke loose for a 34-yard touchdown run and later connected with senior tight end Ryder Jones, after a late fumble by the Green and Silver, for a 3-yard grab in the end zone as time expired. Skinner was able to split the uprights on one of the PAT attempts as West Point went to the locker room with a comfortable 34-0 halftime lead.

“I have wanted my team to come out and play the first half the way they have been playing the second half of previous games,” West Point coach Don Farley said. “I felt like they accomplished that tonight.”

The play clock was shortened when play resumed after the break, West Point added to their lead with 27 seconds remaining in the third quarter when Cameron Moore punched it in from the 3-yard line capping off an 11-play drive. Skinner added the kick.

The Falcons avoided the shutout after recovering a West point fumble in the end zone for the touchback. Dan Johnston broke free from the crowd and ran for 80 yards and the touchdown, and Will Bridges added the kick for a 41-7 final.

Coach Farley expressed to his team that he was proud of their first-half effort, glad to get the win and happy to be undefeated at this point of the season. The Warriors will prepare for Hanceville next week.