The 2015 Tucker Tigers had another successful season under head Coach Bryan Lamar, despite a slow start to the season and a slew of injuries in the weeks leading up to the playoffs. Lamar, along with 26 senior players, helped lead the Tigers to an 8-4 overall record. A regular season 7-3 finish propelled them to the Class AAAAAA State Playoffs, where they won their first contest over Langston Hughes 38-28. In the second round they played South Forsyth, and lost by a score of 42-35, ending the Tigers season.
The team was powered into the playoffs by a strong senior class that featured eight players that will play college football this fall. The vacancies include Terry Beckham (Austin Peay), Kalil Bradley (Hutchinson CC), Rashaan Crawford (Idaho), Akeam Peters (Kent State), Tabarius Peterson (Louisville), Garrett Rigby (Harvard), Cecil Stallings (Louisville) and Chase Tyson (Wingate).
Tucker’s defense has a new cast of rising stars leading the way. Keith Best, Brian Strozier Jr. and Derrick McLendon all return. Best, a 6-foot-2 senior cornerback, will anchor the pass defense and has a D-1 offer from Kentucky. Strozier Jr., a senior, is a returning middle linebacker and has received offers from both Colorado State and Louisville. McLendon, who will only be a sophomore this upcoming season, is a hot commodity in recruiting circles as he has received multiple offers already from schools such as Florida, Central Michigan, Southern Miss and Tulane.
Also returning for the Tucker defense will be the leading tackler from 2015 and rising junior Antonio Showers. Showers finished with an impressive team-leading 71 total tackles while also compiling six sacks and 12 tackles for a loss. The team’s second leading tackler, Gerry Vaughn, will also be back as a rising junior and finished with 58 tackles with 14 tackles for a loss and two interceptions.
Leading the offense this season are running backs Samuel Bryant and Chris Broadwater. Bryant, a smaller back at 5-foot-9 with blazing 4.36 40-speed, has recently committed to play for the Kennesaw State Owls in 2017. He tallied 668 rushing yards last year while punching in 10 rushing TDs with a 8.1 yards per carry average (YPC). Broadwater was able to run for an impressive 1,304 yards and 18 touchdowns on 9.1 YPC as a junior.
Longhorn Legacy
Head Coach Derek Cook and the Longhorns added a 9-4 record last season to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the sixth straight year. Since Cook’s arrival at Kell in 2008, the Longhorns have compiled a 78-20 record.
Cook and company put on a clinic in their season opener at the Corky Kell Classic in 2015. The Longhorns stampeded into the Georgia Dome and dismantled the Carrollton Trojans 35-0. Stone Hatfield and John Lampley split time at the quarterback spot and combined for nine completions for 62 yards, while sophomore Josiah Futral fueled the majority of Kell’s attack rushing for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Current Kennesaw State Owl, Bryson Armstrong was the star of the show. Armstrong caught five passes for thirty-four yards, had four tackles, a sack and two punt returns for touchdowns.
For Kell, offense is the name of the game. John Lampley returns for his senior season coming off an impressive junior year at quarterback. Last season Lampley threw for 845 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 187 yards and five touchdowns. With the graduation of Armstrong, Josh Blancato will now step up as Lampley’s top target. Making plays in the passing game with an increased role will be 6-foot-3 210-pound tight end Evan Carnes. The lethal running back tandem, of Futral and Nathaniel (Dre) Houston also returns. Futral rushed for 912 yards and seven touchdowns last season while Houston recorded 542 rushing yards and seven scores. The Longhorn backfield is the primary source of offense for Kell and contributed 28 of the team’s touchdowns last season.
Defensively, the Longhorns return 3-star outside linebacker and Tennessee commit, Solon Page III. Last season Page posted 110 tackles, 15 tackles for losses, three sacks, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and two interceptions for touchdowns. Stud cornerback, Shamaar Bennett and defensive lineman Kendall Bailey also return and will play major roles in the team’s success.
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