Teams that win championships always have great players leading the way. In the case of the Lafayette Commodores, there were a handful of players that stood out above the rest on a team that was filled from top to bottom with solid high school athletes.It’s been tough for opponents to stop, or even slow down, the Lafayette spread-option attack on offense over the last two seasons and the main reasons for that have been the outstanding play of quarterback Jeremy Liggins and running back Demarkus Dennis. Last year Liggins rose to the top of the list as the player in the area who always seemed to shine at the biggest moments. This year, that title went to Dennis, who not only had to carry the rushing load by himself as a junior, but also kept the Commodores running game rolling en route to a 16-0 record when Liggins was on the mend during the region schedule.
The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Dennis was beyond reliable for LHS coach Anthony Hart and offensive coordinator Dennis Robbins this year. Not only did he eclipse the 1,000-yard season he recorded in 2009, Dennis broke both the LHS and area rushing records by totaling an amazing 2,264 yards and 26 touchdowns for the Class 4A state champion Commodores. It was his effort, from the start of the season through the title game win over North Pike, that earned him the recognition of 2010 EAGLE Player of the Year. (December 16, 2010, Page 1B)
