Lamar wins MPSA title

By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
November 22, 2003
CLINTON The Lamar School Raiders completed their transformation from a state afterthought to a state champion Friday afternoon with a 48-7 decimation of Madison-Ridgeland Academy for the MPSA Class AAA Division 2 championship.
The Raiders finished 11-2, setting a school record for wins in a season. Their 48 points are the most in an MPSA championship game since Winston Academy outscored Magnolia Heights School 63-42 in 1998 and are the second-highest total in the 34 years of MPSA championship games.
The game at Mississippi College's Robinson-Hale Stadium was decided early as the Raiders scored 21 points in the first 11 minutes and carried a 34-0 lead into halftime. Lamar had 228 rushing yards in the first half.
Creating running room were offensive linemen Kemp Mosley, Roland Terry, Lowry Rush, Vaughn Waters, Jeff Tate, and Justin Smith.
Lamar had 21 plays of eight or more yards and racked up 22 first downs to only eight for MRA, which finished 10-3 with two losses to Lamar.
Lamar took a 7-0 lead on its first possession, covering 66 yards in six plays with Rush getting 57 yards on four carries. Rush got the touchdown on an 11-yard run with 9:17 left in the opening period. Tommy Edgerton added the first of his six successful extra points.
The Raiders put together a six-play, 54-yard scoring drive on their second possession with Blake Olmsted splitting two Patriot defenders in the end zone to haul in a 24-yard scoring pass from Moffett with 5:03 left in the first quarter.
Zeb Swain picked off a Chad Crosswhite pass and returned it nine yards to the MRA 18 to put the Raiders back in business. Moffett scored on a 16-yard keeper as the Raiders led 21-0 with 4:11 still left in the opening period.
An interception by Will Carter set up Lamar once more at the MRA 34 late in the first half. Four plays later, Rush scored from a yard out for a 28-0 lead with 2:56 to go in the half.
Prosperity struck again before intermission when MRA was unable to pick up a first down on a fake punt from its 26-yard line. Starting at the MRA 31, it took only three plays for Rush to find the end zone once more, this time from three yards out. The PAT was blocked, leaving the Raiders up 34-0 28 seconds before halftime.
Rush had 187 yards on 17 carries in the first half. Nine of his rushes went for at least 10 yards.
MRA got its only score when Crosswhite teamed with Jim Owen for a 35-yard scoring toss with 4:01 to go in the third period. Austin Owen's PAT pulled MRA to within 34-7.
Swain picked off another of Crosswhite's three interceptions and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown with 10:20 left in the game.
The Raiders got their final points with 2:37 remaining when Paul Mayfield picked up a partially blocked punt and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown.
Lamar finished with 379 total yards with 331 coming on 47 rushes.
MRA had 169 total yards. Lamar held the Patriots to just one rushing yard on six tries in the second half.