Feb. 1, 2012
LamarCardinals.com is your home for Lamar football signing day on Wednesday. Get the best coverage of Lamar football signing day, leading up to head coach Ray Woodard's 2 p.m. press conference.
2012 Lamar Football Signees
Jayce Nelson
Wide Receiver * 6-2 * 170 * Port Neches, Texas (Port Neches-Groves HS)
Led team to a 7-3 overall record in 2011 … District 20-4A Offensive MVP as a senior … Honorable mention all-state selection as a junior and senior … Beaumont Enterprise Super Gold First Team as a junior and senior … Named to Port Arthur News Super Team as a junior and senior … Caught 62 passes for 1,033 yards and 10 touchdowns, setting school records for receiving yards, touchdowns and receptions in a single season … All-State Academic selection … Also stars on the Port Neches-Groves basketball team.
Desmond Richards
Running Back * 5-10 * 180 * Montgomery, Texas (Magnolia West HS)
Named District 17-4A Offensive MVP as a senior after leading Magnolia West High School to a 9-3 record ... Carried 256 times as a senior for 2,437 yards (9.5 per carry) and 31 touchdowns ... Also earned first-team all-district and All-Montgomery County honors and was a second-team Class 4A all-state selection ... Ran for 1,878 yards and 25 touchdowns as a junior, earning honorable mention all-state honors ... Named First-Team All-District 17-4A and All-Montgomery Country ... Finished high school career with 4,316 rushing yards and 57 touchdowns ... Earned all-district honors in baseball as a junior.
Michael Handy
Athlete * 5-11 * 190 * Conroe, Texas (Oak Ridge HS)
Was a three-year letterwinner at Oak Ridge High School ... Earned First-Team All-District 14-5A honors as a junior at running back and as a senior at quarterback, and earned second-team honors as a sophomore at wide receiver ... Was named Oak Ridge Offesnive MVP as a senior ... Passed for 1,522 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior ... Also rushed for 532 yards and five touchdowns ... Ran for 635 yards and six touchdowns as a junior ... Added 32 catches for 390 yards and five touchdowns.
Joe Persohn
Offensive Lineman * 6-3 * 220 * Sour Lake, Texas (Hardin-Jefferson HS)
Was twice named First-Team All-District 21-3A at offensive line ... Was also a second-team all-district selection in basketball as a junior ... The Hawks are currently ranked fifth in the state in boys basketball with a 31-1 record ... Father, Joe Persohn, Sr., played football at Lamar in 1983.
Garrett Drake
Wide Receiver * 6-2 * 185 * Silsbee, Texas (Silsbee HS)
Named First-Team All-District 21-3A at safety and was a second-team selection at kicker in 2011 after helping Silsbee High School to an 8-3 overall record and 3-2 district mark ... Earned second-team all-district honors as a junior free safety ... Played quarterback, receiver and defensive back for the Tigers ... Finished with five catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns as senior ... Recorded eight interceptions ... Helped Silsbee to three playoff appearances and a district championship as a sophomore.
David Hollyfield
Defensive Lineman * 6-2 * 230 * Silsbee, Texas (Silsbee HS)
Helped Silsbee High School to an 8-3 record as a senior, earning District 21-3A first-team honors ... Also named to the Beaumont Enterprise Super Gold second-team ... Finished year with 70 tackles, two sacks and an interception ... Advanced to regionals in power lifting as a junior and is state ranked this year.
Bret Treadway
Offensive Lineman * 6-2 * 245 * Silsbee, Texas (Silsbee HS)
Named to Beaumont Enterprise Super Gold second team … First-Team All-District 21-3A offensive lineman as a senior and second-team selection as a junior … Helped Silsbee to three straight playoff appearances ... Ranked ninth in the state in powerlifting in 275-pound weight class … Had a combined lift of 1,475 pounds at the Silsbee Powerlifting Meet ... Was a regional qualifier in powerlifting as a sophomore and junior
Jacory Augustine
Defensive Back * 6-2 * 190 * Lake Charles, La. (LaGrange HS)
Named First-Team All-District 4-4A as a senior defenisve back at LaGrange High School ... Also earned First-Team All-Southwest Region honors and honorable mention Class 4A all-state honors ... Recorded 74 tackles, 15 pass breakups, eight fumble recoveries and two interceptions as a senior ... Was also chosen All-District 3-5A at wide receiver as a junior.
Corbin Carr
Defensive Lineman * 6-3 * 245 * Nederland, Texas (Nederland HS)
Earned AP Class 4A all-state honorable mention honors after helping Nederland High School to a perfect 7-0 District 20-4A finish ... Was also named First-Team All-District 20-4A for the 12-2 Bulldogs at defensive end ... Was a finalist for the Willie Ray Smith Award ... Finished his senior season with 35 solo tackles, 12 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
Cam Washington
Running Back * 5-11 * 190 * Corsicana, Texas (Corsicana HS)
Earned AP First-Team Class 4A All-State honors after rushing for a school record 3,208 yards on 358 carries with 46 touchdowns ... Led Corsicana High School to a 13-2 record and the Class 4A state semifinals ... Finished 7-1 in district for a co-district championship ... Named ESPN Dallas 4A Offensive Player of the Year and District 15-4A MVP ... Ran for 307 yards and five touchdowns against Manor and 320 yards and four scores against Sulphur Springs ... Selected to play in the FCA Super Centex Victory Bowl this summer.
Matt Bergeron
Quarterback * 5-11 * 175 * Mandeville, La. (Mandeville HS)
Was named Class 5A honorable mention all-state after leading Mandeville High School to an 11-3 record ... Guided the Skippers to the Class 5A semifinals ... Earned First-Team All-District 6-5A honors as a senior and was the New Orleans Quarterback Club Metro Player of the Year ... Completed 258-of-429 passes for 3,444 yards and 32 passing touchdowns in his career.
Luke Campbell
Offensive Lineman * 6-5 * 285 * Rusk, Texas (Rusk HS)
Named First-Team All-District 17-3A at offensive lineman … Ranked in top 10 percent of his class academically … Competed in the shot put for Rusk High School’s track and field team.
Alex Ball
Kicker * 6-3 * 210 * Westlake, Calif. (Westlake Village HS)
Named the top high school kicker in the nation as the recipient of the Herbalife 24 Chris Sailer Award ... Was named to the ESPN High School All-America team and to the Maxpreps Division I All-State squad ... Was 19-of-24 on field goal attempts as a senior with three makes from 50 yards or more ... Was a perfect 73-of-73 on extra point attempts as a senior ... Helped Westlake to a 14-1 record as a senior and a 12-2 record as a junior ... The Warriors were ranked fourth in the state of California in 2011 and went a perfect 9-0 in league games ... Also named All-Ventura County and All-Los Angeles Dairly News ... Set California state records for most career kicking points with 329 and most career made PATs with 224.
Xavier Bethany
Defensive Back * 6-1 * 185 * Burton, Texas (Burton HS)
Played four varsity seasons at Burton High School, including three as a two-way starter ... Named second-team Class A all-state at safety and honorable mention at quarterback ... Played quarterback and defensive back as a senior when Burton advanced to the Texas Class A state semifinals with a 12-3 record ... Rushed for 1,324 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior, while also completing 84-of-149 passes for 1,252 yards and 19 touchdowns ... Also registered 119 total tackles (41 solo), 12 tackles for loss and one interception in 11 games ... Was named District 13-A MVP as a junior as the Panthers finished with a 12-1 record ... Finished sixth at the state meet in the triple jump (43-9), seventh in the high jump (6-2) and seventh in the 400 meters (50.95) as a junior ... Also lettered in basketball and baseball.
Ronnie Jones, Jr.
Linebacker * 5-11 * 220 * Hempstead, Texas (Hempstead HS)
Helped Hempstead to the 2011 Class 2A state title game as Bobcats finished with a 14-1 record ... Named District 14-2A Defensive MVP as a junior and senior ... Hempsted won District 14-2A title with a 6-0 record in 2011 ... Posted 145 tackles, two blocked field goals, a blocked punt and an interception as a senior ... Finished his varsity career with 431 tackles, 12 sacks and five interceptions.
Mike Hargis
Defensive Lineman * 6-3 * 230 * Austin, Texas (Manor HS)
Three-year varsity starter at Manor High School ... Named All-District 16-4A as a senior at defensive end ... Finished senior season with 97 tackles ... Earned second-team all-district honors as a junior after registering 132 tackles and two interceptions at safety ... Helped Mustangs to a 4-2 district mark as a senior and a spot in the playoffs ... Ranked among the top 20 linebackers in the state by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football ... Also earned four letters in basketball ... Ranked in the top 10 percent of his class academically.
Garrett Baxley
Offensive Lineman * 6-5 * 245 * Kingwood, Texas (Kingwood Park HS)
Helped Kingwood Park High School to an 8-3 record as a senior, including a 6-1 mark in District 18-4A play ... Helped Panthers to a 9-4 mark as a junior as team advanced to the playoffs both years ... Named Second-Team All-District 18-4A as a junior and senior at offensive tackle ... Graded out at 75% for high school career, including 23 starts.
Jermaine Bowman
Offensive Lineman * 6-1 * 300 * Beaumont, Texas (West Brook HS)
Three-year letterman at West Brook High School ... Helped the Bruins to a 6-5 mark as a senior ... Named District 21-5A second-team as a junior and was honorable mention as a senior.
Courtlin Thompson
Defensive Back * 6-1 * 225 * Lancaster, Calif. (Antelope Valley Christian HS/Saddleback CC)
Played in seven games as a sophomore at Saddleback Community College after spending freshman season at San Jose State ... Helped the Gauchos to an 8-3 record and a spot in the Golden State Bowl ... Finished his season with 21 total tackles and one interception ... Appeared in seven games as a redshirt freshman at San Jose State in 2010 ... Named Most Valuable Player of the Agape League his junior and senior seasons at Antelope Valley Christian HS ... Rushed for 2,600 yards and scored 25 touchdowns as senior ... Also lettered in basketball and baseball.
