High School Football Tour: Lafayette

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LAFAYETTE, Miss. (WCBI Sports) – Eric Robertson is taking the head coaching job at Lafayette last season after the Commodores had won back-to-back state championships. Those are big shoes to fill, to say the least, and Lafayette lost in the second round.

“You expect, as you should, to win it again. We all did,” Robertson said. “We ran into a tough Noxubee County team down there and played very well but came up short. It was disappointing but we’re proud of those seniors they won a lot of football games, had a good season, won ten games last year.”

Only a few starters from that 10-3 team return on both sides of the ball, and the Commodores lose 18 seniors. A new quarterback will step in. Junior Devin Thomas transfers from a school in Houston, Tennessee.

“A lot of times, in highs school you’re only as good as your quarterback is. So, those games early, getting that game time experience, is very important,” Robertson said.

The guy getting all the attention is D.K. Buford. He gained almost 1500 yards last season as a junior. He’s a running back. Well, he plays wide receiver and kick returner too. Oh, and safety, and he’ll also play quarterback. He’ll have the chance to play them all.

“I’m very excited for that opportunity but we really need more guys to step up,” Buford said. “From the looks of things, they will step up.”

Buford says he’s dealing with a hamstring injury but he expects to be 100% in mid-August. He runs a 4.22 40. He fits in well with Lafayette’s 90-percent-run offense.

“There’s been a bunch of success here, since Jeremy Liggins and their class, and the class before that,” Buford said.

He’ll will play in the SEC, like LSU signee and former Commodore Jeremy Liggns before him. Buford verbally committed to Ole Miss, staying close to home.

“It’s really exciting to know that I’m playing right here at home having my family five, ten miles from campus and being able to come watch me play football up there at Ole Miss,” Buford said.