The week off did Oxford a lot of good.

A fast start by a potent offense and an opportunistic defense led the Chargers past West Point in both teams’ Region 1-5A opener. Oxford dominated the Green Wave, 50-28, at Bobby Holcomb Field Friday night.

The Chargers (3-2, 1-0 Region 1-5A) received the ball to open the game, and they did not waste their time on the field. All it took was three plays for Oxford to find the end zone. Senior quarterback Jack Abraham hit senior wide receiver D.K. Metcalf for a 66-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead less than a minute and a half into the contest.

It was all Oxford from there.

The Chargers scored on their first three possessions of the game. Sophomore running back Drew Bianco capped Oxford’s second drive with a 2-yard run, and Abraham hit a wide-open Ken Presley for a 78-yard touchdown on their next drive. Jimmy Greaser caught a pass to convert the two-point attempt, and Oxford led West Point (3-2, 0-1) 22-0 late in the first quarter.

“We come out and kind of smoked them,” Oxford coach Johnny Hill said. “We got at least three extra days if not four to get prepared for your rival, so to speak, in region play. I think it was huge for us.”

West Point did not go down with a whimper but untimely penalties and miscues stalled any comeback attempts the Green Wave made.

Running back Chris Calvert looked to have had an answer and get West Point back in the game when he scampered 28 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. It would have cut Oxford’s lead to 14-7 at the time, but a holding call negated the score and West Point eventually punted.

Calvert was not finished as he scored on each of West Point’s next two possessions. The running back found the end zone, using just 54 seconds of clock after the Green Wave recovered a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff.

The Chargers’ defense played a huge role, scoring 14 points of two West Point turnovers. A scoop and score by Devin Rockette off a Green Wave fumble and an interception by C.J. Terrell led to the scores.

See Sunday’s edition of the EAGLE for more from Friday’s game.