Feb. 3, 2010

Signee Bios (in PDF Format)

Sixteen football players, featuring three with Southeast Texas ties, make up Lamar University's 2010 National Signing Day recruiting class.

Central linebacker William Jones, Dayton quarterback Payton Ploch and former West Brook standout Josh Powdrill, a wide receiver, will give additional local flavor to the Cardinal team that will represent Lamar on the football field this fall for the first time since 1989.

"This is another exciting day for us," said Ray Woodard, Lamar's head coach. "It's another major step toward finalizing our team for this fall.

"I like to think of this as a need class. There were certain areas we needed to address, and I'm confident we have done that with some of the guys in this class.

"Coming out of fall ball, we didn't have a lot of scholarship players with experience in the secondary. By signing Stephone Mercer from Navarro College today and by getting Michael Allen, Ryan Clark, Jordan Garrett and Steven Murray-Sesay during the December signing period, we have added quite a bit of experience in the secondary."

Allen is coming to Lamar from the College of Sequoias in California, while the Cardinals picked up Murrray-Sesay from Northeastern, which discontinued its football program after the 2009 season. Garrett is a transfer from Tulane who played his high school football at West Brook, and Clark is a former Ozen star who played for Woodard at Navarro College.

"I also felt we needed to have a little more experience up front in the offensive line," said Woodard. "We addressed that need by signing two junior college linemen, including one who played on a national championship team, and we also got Tyler Tokar, a big 280-pounder from Class 5A Richardson Berkner."

Cameron Epple, a 6-foot-3, 293-pound guard, started 11 games and did not allow a sack in helping to lead Blinn College to the 2009 national junior college championship. Kameron Edwards, a 6-3, 280-pounder, from San Mateo Community College in Sacramento, Calif., is the other junior college lineman.

"We also had to shore up our kicking game," said Woodard. "We had no kickers or punters on scholarship, so there was a big need there.

"We signed a couple of kickers with outstanding credentials in Kollin Kahler and Justin Stout, and we also added a deep snapper in Chris Maikranz from Lamar Consolidated.

"We have also picked up some experienced help with the additions of Josh Powdrill, J.J. Hayes and Marcus Jackson, who played wide receiver for us at Navarro."

Jones was selected to a first-team berth on the The Port Arthur News' 38th Annual Super Team after helping Central post a 9-4 record and second-place finish in the District 20-4A race. Plouch accounted for over 2,000 yards in total offense while rushing for 21 touchdowns and throwing for 12 more as Dayton went 11-3 last fall.

Powdrill hauled in 17 receptions for 335 yards and two touchdowns last season for Navarro College, which won its first 10 games before dropping a 45-34 decision to Blinn College in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference championship game.

Other promising recruits picked up from the high school ranks include quarterbacks Kye Hildreth of Navasota and Caleb Berry of Needville. The Cardinals also got help at running back by picking up Kwabena Asante after Hofstra University discontinued its football program and by signing Michael Venson of Blinn College.

The Cardinals signed five junior college players and picked up two major college transfers in December, so they now have 22 new scholarship players. More players could be added to the class in the near future.