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By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
At this point, starting quarterback at Lamar might be the Missouri equivalent to starting shortstop for the New York Yankees.
So, no one would’ve blamed sophomore Donte Stahl for being a little nervous on Saturday, quarterbacking the Tigers against Class 1 No. 1 and perennial power Valle Catholic.
He wasn’t…
In a program that seems immune to rebuilding, Lamar continued its next man up approach. Stahl rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown in place of Stuart McKarus and the Tigers blasted Valle Catholic 55-7.
“I wasn’t surprised; he’s not a kid that absorbs pressure,” said Bailey. “Last spring our starting catcher went out and was gone for the season. Donte stepped in as the starting catcher and did an outstanding job all season long. He mentioned that during the week that it’s not his first time to do something like this and kind of smiled. At that point, I figured the pressure wouldn’t be something that weighs him down.
Stahl hardly had to do much of the heavy lifting thanks to seniors Mike Danner and Cooper Lucas.
Danner – who made a name for himself in last year’s state championship by filling in admirably for the injured Luke Hardman – was the most impressive player on the field, rushing for 147 yards and three touchdowns, on just 10 carries, to go along with two interceptions.
Lucas added 153 yards and a pair of scores.
“Mike and I talked during the week and in the third quarter of last year’s state championship no one knew who he was but by the end of the game everyone knew who Mike Danner was,” said Bailey. “I told him this could be that kind of game again.
“He was manned up on their best receiver so we knew he would have lots of opportunities on defense and he was going to get his carries on offense so we knew he’d have a chance to make plays and he did just that on both sides of the ball. I’m just glad he’s on our team.
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Lamar led 14-0 after the first and 28-7 entering the half thanks to an impressive effort by its defense. Valle Catholic entered Saturday averaging 49.3 PPG. The Warriors hadn’t been held to single-digits since 2008.
In six games this year, Lamar has allowed 21 points.
The Tigers have shutout half of their opponents and no one has scored more than once in a single game. The last Lamar defense to allow fewer points was the 2014 state championship group that gave up just 87 points all season and pitched seven shutouts.
Scott Bailey isn’t willing to call this his best defensive unit quite yet, but they are clearly an elite group.
“It’s hard to say that they’re the best; if you look at some of the kids that have played here, they’re playing D-1 football,” said Bailey. “It’s hard to just say they’re the best defense we’ve ever had, but I would say that they’re probably the best at getting themselves mentally prepared to play a game. They’re not relying solely on athletic ability. They’re taking care of the mental side too, which helps them make plays on game day.
Lamar is now just two wins away from its third straight undefeated regular season and Big 8 title, this after years of being the conference’s doormat.
With all the winning and success that has been done over the last half decade, Bailey is now focused on getting his program and community to let go of what has been and worry about what could be.
“I believe it’s harder to stay on top than it is to get to the top,” said Bailey. “When you’re trying to get to the top everything is new and it creates an excited and source of motivation. Once you’re there, everything is expected and that creates pressure. Our kids know it’s not going away. Nobody wants to be the team that doesn’t finish with a championship. Nobody wants to be the team that feels like they let the community down. It’s definitely harder to stay on top than to get there because of that expectation.
“What I was talking to our players and community about was stop remembering what we’ve accomplished and start thinking about what we can accomplish. I think that will probably benefit us most if we just think about what’s ahead. I know it’ll benefit me.”
Lamar will host previously state-ranked Mount Vernon on Friday night, the last regular season home game for seniors.
Lamar 55, Valle Catholic 7
Valle 0-7-0-0 – 7
Lamar 14-14-12-15 – 55
