Lamar – The Lamar High School football team went 9-4 this season, won the Region 6-Class A championship and reached the third round of the state playoffs. That’s a great season for most teams, but it’s an expected one for Lamar, one of the premier Class A programs in the state.
First-year Silver Foxes head coach Stephen Burris will take it though, especially considering he was the program’s third head coach in three seasons. Burris was replacing Josh Pierce, who left after one season to become the head coach at AAAAA Conway. Pierce had replaced Chad Wilkes, who left after the 2021 season to become head coach at Oceanside Collegiate Academy, which he led to the AA state title this year.
“Overall, I’m happy with the results,” said Burris, who just completed his first season as a varsity head coach. “We came up short of our desired goal, but considering we were dealing with some of the things we had to deal with, it was good. We had to deal with some adversity with injuries and other things.
“I was their third head coach in three years, so it was a matter of me having to go on and building trust with them, getting them to understand the expectations. Once they bought in, they really hit their stride.”
After beating Hemingway 43-0 to start the season, LHS lost to AAA Dillon 38-6 and lost starting quarterback Zori Pierce for the next two games as well. Those turned out to be a 10-2 loss to AAAA Airport and a 31-18 loss to AA Andrew Jackson.
Pierce returned to the lineup and led Lamar to seven straight victories. In the second round of the playoffs, Pierce tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Junior Zoom Jackson came in and led the Foxes to a 23-20 comeback win over Carvers Bay. Lamar lost to eventual lower state champion Johnsonville 14-12 in the third round.
Pierce was selected as the Region 6 Offensive Player of the Year. He completed 77 of 126 passes for 1,447 yards and 19 touchdowns against just one interception. He also rushed for 355 yards and six TDs on 48 carries.
Lamar also had the Region Defensive Player of the Year in senior linebacker Freddy Cruz. He led Lamar in tackles with 118 to go with 11 tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks, seven QB pressures, one interception and two fumble recoveries.
Joining them on the All-Region first team were junior offensive linemen Kendall Walton and TJ Johnson, junior tight end Nyshaun Quillen, senior wide receiver Tavis Dolford, senior linebacker Keaton Braddock, senior defensive lineman Otis Samuel and junior free safety Kamon Miller.
Braddock was selected as the Palmetto Champions Class A Lower State Defensive Player of the Year. He played just seven games because of injuries but had 41 tackles, seven TFLs, two sacks, nine QBPs, one forced fumble and one FR.
Samuel had 40 tackles, nine TFLs, two sacks and four QBPs. Miller had 48 tackles, two interceptions and three PBUs.
Dolford had 36 catches for 668 yards and five touchdowns, while Quillen had eight catches for 126 yards and two TDs. Defensively, Dolford had 50 tackles and an INT, while Quillen had a team high five sacks.
Named to the second team were senior running back Travion McPhail, Jackson as a wide receiver, junior linebackers Vern Ervin and Avion Ward and senior DL Nazir Stevenson.
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