HSFT19 Stop #23 — South Lamar Stallions

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MILLPORT, AL. (WCBI) — 2018 sits in the memory of the South Lamar Stallions as an unforgettable season.

The Stallions experienced their first undefeated regular season since 1994 but for a second year in a row came up just short of a state title appearance.

South Lamar head coach Clay Gilliam and his squad remembers the feeling to fall short and are determined in 2019 to bring home some rings.

“They know what it takes now,” Gilliam said. “They went through three years, this will be their fourth year with me. They know what it takes to get there and they’ve done a really good job with that and know what’s going to get them there.”

“Our expectation is to have another undefeated season, make a good run through the playoffs and hopefully get a ring in the state championship,” senior WR/CB Malachai Oglen said.

“We lost a few players but we have some coming in that work hard and I hope they play even harder,” senior RB/OLB Chase Sides said.

South Lamar won’t be quite as loaded as it was last year after losing a chunk of experienced seniors. The Stallions know the growing pains of filling in gaps on the team and work to do so while relying on the team’s quick feet to help get the job done.

“We have a lot of speed this year. We’ll rely a lot on that, but Jared Bryant, Malachai Oglen, and Chase Sides are great guys with a lot of speed and we rely a lot on those guys,” Gilliam said.

“We get to the outside and it’s probably a touchdown, no doubt,” Malachai Oglen said.

“Nobody has been able to catch us and in open space we just make plays and score,” junior WR/S Hunter Oglen said.

“We lost some on the line but we have some coming in and they’re pretty big,” Sides said.

Coach Gilliam has raised this team as he prepares to begin his fourth season in charge. As a team that’s grown up together, the team’s closeness translates into chemistry on the field.

“These seniors were my ninth graders when I was coming in. I couldn’t be more proud of them. They’ve done a really good job and are really good kids,” Gilliam said.

“I can rely on everybody but I can really rely on my brother, Malachai Oglen, and my cousins Jared and Chase. Working with my team and my family is pretty much the same. My bond with my team is pretty much the same with my family. We’re really close,” Hunter Oglen said.

The Stallions enter into a new season with confidence and the mentality that each Friday comes down to hard work, preparation and simply getting the job done.

South Lamar begins it’s quest for a state championship win against Lamar County on August 23rd.