#HSFT17: Stop No. 25 – Lamar County Bulldogs

VERNON, Ala. (WCBI) — Former Samson head coach Robbie Bradford jumps into a situation as the man in charge in Lamar County most first year coaches dream of.

A defending regional champion, returning most of the talent from that title team, hungrier than ever after an early playoff exit.

“Samson high school got paired up with Lamar County high school in the first round of the playoffs, and was able to come to Vernon and got a firsthand look at the place and left really impressed with their community, with their fans, with their school, with their team,” Bradford explained, “so it was always one of those places in the back of my head that if it ever came open it would be a great opportunity, a great place I’d like to be.”

Bradford said he’s felt a strong response from the players as they transition into a new era in Vernon.

“These kids have bought in to exactly what we’re trying to sell here,” Bradford said, “They are giving maximum effort. They’re showing up every time the door is open. We’re definitely excited about how the program is going, the direction.”

New year, new coach for the Bulldogs, but the expectations are higher.

The returning guys in Vernon will look to take care of unfinished business in 2017.

“Most of the guys last year never experienced a playoff, myself included,” senior middle linebacker and right guard Seth Wheeler said.

“I feel like now that we have the experience and we know the intensity that it brings, we know what it’s going to take to win a playoff game, and I feel like that’s going to help us a lot.”

“It just gives us this extra motivation to do it again, because we know we can do it and we want to build off last year, and go further in the playoffs,” junior quarterback Ric Rogers said.

The Bulldogs get a big boost from the return of junior running back and defensive back Isaac Whittle and the starting quarterback from a year ago in Rogers.

Roger threw for more than 1,000 yards a year ago, contributing 14 total touchdowns while Whittle was a playmaker everywhere for the Bulldogs, scoring six total touchdowns three different ways (rushing, interception return, and fumble return.)

“I put God first before every game, and I feel like if I keep putting him first, He’ll make something special happen for this team,” Whittle said.

In year one as head coach, Bradford hopes to have the Bulldogs believing in bigger and better goals.

“We’ve been really pushing these guys to expand what they believe is possible,” Bradford said, “We want to make sure that, by the time the season starts, during the summer whether it’s an OTA or a 7 on 7, that we put them in front of the best competition in the state. We want them to go out and compete with those guys. We want them really be able to compare themselves to where the other better teams in the state and going into the season really knowing who they are”

Lamar County kicks off it’s regional title defense in 2017 with a county showdown against South Lamar.