Almost three years ago, I began this job during the week of the south state championships. Petal was hosting Meridian – and won to advance to the 6A State Championship, while Lumberton traveled to Resurrection in Zach Jones’ first season as head coach.
The Panthers lost, but the precedent was set. On the backs of this year’s senior class, the Lumberton Panthers were about to become a force in 1A football. Three region titles and a state championship appearance later, Lumberton’s class of 2019 is ready to begin its final run.
You might have forgotten, but the Jones era at Lumberton didn’t start too well. The Panthers opened the 2015 season with a 0-4 record before winning eight of their last nine games before the south state title game. Since that 8-6 season, Lumberton’s record is a sizzling 31-7.
Lumberton is a small community, so it won’t get the recognition it deserves from the rest of the state. There have been some quality players who have come through the program during the last four years, too, adding to the decades of talent the town has produced.
Daylon Burks, Dre Coleman, Donnell Buckner, Jordan Clinton, Dakota Walters, Ahmad Dalton and a ton of other players have set the stage for the 2018 Panthers, and so far, they haven’t disappointed.
Jared Tribett has been the starting quarterback for three years, and he even played a significant amount as a freshman. While Lumberton is a small town, expectations are high and the pressure is like no other. Every time I’ve seen Tribett on the football field or the baseball diamond, he has the biggest smile on his face so he’s definitely enjoying himself.
“It’s amazing,” Tribett said after Friday’s win over Stringer. “The fans, it’s crazy. They show love everywhere.”
Senior Davion Edwards has been a fixture on the defense since his freshman season. He was second in tackles on the team with 67 tackles as a ninth-grader and 151 tackles his sophomore year. Then he led the way his junior year and so far through this season while contributing at running back on offense.
He’s been a coach’s dream for Lumberton and he’s not done yet. Along with the other members of the senior class, they still have one goal left on the table.
“At the beginning, we told coach we were going to win a state championship,” Edwards said. “We still have to make that come true.
Friday night, Lumberton closes out its regular season with a road game to Salem. Unless something terrible happens, the Panthers should finish the season 10-1 and they won’t have to leave their home field for the entire playoffs.
Led by Edwards, the defense is playing lights out, Tribett is leading the team and Henry is always a threat running the ball, so this Panther team is one of the favorites to represent the 1A South in the State Championship at M.M. Roberts Stadium at the end of this month.
The future is bright, too. Sophomore Robert Henry already has more than 2,500 yards with more two more seasons to go, junior Jayson Buckley has already submitted himself as one of the best defensive backs in 1A and the roster is filled with underclassmen who have proven they can play.
It’s nearly impossible for programs to be in the state championship hunt every single year, but Lumberton has been built to be a consistent football team for a while. I look forward to covering this season’s playoff run and the future.
Follow Camal on Twitter via @PineBeltSPORTS or email him: camal@PineBeltSPORTS.com
