By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Lamar head coach Jared Beshore immediately put his fingerprints on his alma mater and the results have been staggering.
Four years (2020-2023)
50-5 record
4 state championship appearances
2 state championships
The crazier part is Lamar is two possessions away from a four-peat following last year’s 35-28 Class 2 state championship win over Valle Catholic.
“For me personally, it was one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve ever had involved in athletics,” said Beshore. “We overcame so much adversity as a team (some known, some not known by the public), seeing our seniors develop as leaders and football players, and beating some of the best coached teams we have faced in years, it was an amazing ride to be on.”
Lamar will have to replace a loaded senior class that includes four college signees and several All-Big 8 players. The Tigers do return five starters on offense and four on defense, with 31 total letterwinners back in the mix for Beshore.
The biggest name of the bunch is senior athlete Alex Wilkerson (6-0, 185) who was an all-state defensive back and all-area quarterback.
In the Class 2 state championship, Wilkerson threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 135 yards and two scores on the ground. Defensively, he blocked a kick and added an interception.
He’s one of the best two-way players in Missouri.
“We bring back Alex Wilkerson at quarterback, who has been our best all-around football player for over a year now,” said Beshore. “He has the best arm talent that I have coached and has worked hard to develop his straight-line speed this off-season. I look for Alex to have a big year for us production wise.”
Wilkerson will be joined in the backfield by fellow seniors Cooper Haun (6-0, 180) and Carson Sturgell (5-10, 165), both of whom were All-Big 8 running backs last year.
“We bring back multiple kids that have varsity experience running the football in Carson and Cooper,” said Beshore. “Cooper is more of a downhill back that also excels in his blocking ability. Carson has the natural speed to run the football but also has effective vision and finishes runs.”
The passing game will look a little different with Wilkerson having several different targets this season. Beshore has been impressed by Trey Pittsenbarger and Trent Torbeck, but also mentioned Aiden Sheat and Toby Ansley seeing time at Lamar’s unique athlete spot.
They’ll be running behind an offensive line anchored by seniors Eli Hull (6-0, 200) and Wylee Duncan (5-11, 210). Hull was an All-Big 8 pick as a junior. Both will likely see two-way action, joining All-Stater Mario Delapena (5-7, 220) and All-Big 8 defensive end Xavier Pagacz (6-0, 215) upfront.
Tate Bennett, Jesse Moore and Brandon Martin will also compete for reps on either the offensive or defensive line.
“Every year we have kids that want to step up and be a part of the unit,” said Beshore. “We target kids that physically have what it takes, but also have the mental capacity to diagnose defensive fronts and blocking checks. For us, it is the most important unit on our offense. We demand excellence from them on a daily basis in practice and challenge them against our D-Line every day.”
Defensively, senior linebacker TJ Ansley – an all-area selection in 2023 – will lead the defense with Haun and junior Eli Ngugi joining him in the linebacking corps. Ngugi started six games in 2023.
Wilkerson returns to the secondary, as well as Sturgell and seniors Orry Jones and Sheat. Jones started four games at safety last year.
The defense will have a bit of a different feel, but this is still a unit that under Beshore has never allowed more than 13 PPG for a season. That includes 12 shutouts in 55 games.
“We will have a lot of new faces in the second and third level of our defense, but we are confident that we have kids that have the ability to make plays for us in stopping the run game and pass game,” said Beshore.
What the program started under Scott Bailey has been continued and built upon by Beshore.
Those Bailey teams became excellent and plugging and playing and Beshore has proven the ability to do the same early in his tenure.
Bailey is now back on a staff full of former Lamar greats such as Luke and Landon Hardman.
If Lamar is to play its 10th state championship, it’ll take a talented but inexperienced group adjusting to the stage of Friday nights.
“We have to be consistent,” said Beshore. “We will need to get better on a weekly/daily basis to have a chance to play for championships. If we can keep taking steps forward and not backwards (and obviously stay healthy), I believe we have a chance.”
Lamar will jamboree at Webb City with the Cardinals, Joplin and Seneca. The Tigers will open the 2024 season on Aug. 30 at McDonald County.
