#HSFT21 Stop #25 — Lamar County Bulldogs

VERNON, Al. (WCBI) — There’s another year of growth brewing in Lamar County.

Following a 4-7 season in 2020, the Vernon Bulldogs look to continue building on what last season’s team accomplished.

“We lost a lot of seniors last year and we played a lot of young kids last year as well, ” Lamar County head coach Robbie Bradford said. “It’s still a building process for sure.”

There probably isn’t a better team to build with than the one Bradford has this season. This senior class has been with Bradford since his arrival back in 2017.

It’s a full-circle moment for the Vernon head coach’s career in Lamar County.

“We have a good group of seniors that’s been with me. These guys were seventh graders when I got here. So, this is the first group that I’ve had all the way through middle school and high school. We’ve got a good group of guys coming back. A lot of receivers, skill kid-types, some defensive lineman too,” Bradford said.

“Together we can excel pretty far,” senior RB Dakota Conaway said. “I want us to be great.”

While the Bulldogs have spent the last couple of years rebuilding the program to championship standard, Lamar County finally feels like the team is back where it needs to be ready to make a push for a state title.

“We always talk about being a state championship-caliber program. We had a couple of years where we had to rebuild that backup. Now we believe that that is a possibility for us. So we’re looking every week to compete. Wins and losses are gonna happen but we’re going to try and put the best product on the field every week to really show what Vernon football’s all about.”

“I want to get wins but if we get better together and improve on teamwork that would be good,” senior WR Masen Colbern said.

“Competing every day,” senior CB Javan Sykes said. “Come out here and give it all you got.”

Not only does Vernon have the talent to make a run at a state championship. Bradford says the Bulldogs also have the competitive edge to do so too.

“I really love that about them. Sometimes you have teams that in the summertime they struggle to show up. These kids are showing up every time the doors are open. They’re showing up with smiles on their faces. They’re ready to compete. It’s been a breath of fresh air for sure,” Bradford said.

The Bulldogs will look to bring that same energy as the 2021 season begins on August 20th.

“I want to see character. I want to see discipline. I want to see work ethic, ” Bradford said.