![\"Madison](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TMD-L-LamphereLakeShoreFB-2-091826-1.jpg\")
Madison Heights Lamphere\u2019s Peyton Archer (13) maneuvers through traffic Friday during this 59-8 Macomb Area Conference Gold Division win over St. Clair Shores Lake Shore on Sept. 18, 2026. (GEORGE SPITERI \u2014 For MediaNews Group)<\/p>\nMADISON HEIGHTS \u2013 St. Clair Shores Lake Shore would like to add some Ram-like seasoning to boost its football fortunes.<\/p>\n
Braylon Cox passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Devin Gardner Jr. returned a fumble and a punt for touchdowns Friday night as Madison Heights Lamphere defeated the visiting Shorians 59-8 in a Macomb Area Conference Gold Division game.<\/p>\n
Five seniors scored the Rams\u2019 eight touchdowns, all in the first half, as Lamphere overwhelmed a Shorians team that has only four seniors on their roster.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m starting four freshmen,\u201d first-year Shorians coach Tony Savage said. \u201cIt\u2019s tough. We\u2019re going up against teams with a lot of seniors. This (Lamphere) team has 17 seniors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Savage took over a team that finished the 2025 season with 14 players on its roster. He said the current Shorians average 14 \u00bd years of age.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an uphill battle,\u201d Savage said. \u201cMy biggest thing with these kids is teaching them to overcome adversity. In this program, they were never taught that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lake Shore hasn\u2019t had a winning season since 2018.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe culture is turning around, but it\u2019s not going to happen overnight,\u201d Savage said. \u201cThe culture has to change before the wins come. We\u2019re learning about sticking together, building the program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Madison Heights Lamphere\u2019s Peyton Archer (13) maneuvers through traffic Friday during this 59-8 Macomb Area Conference Gold Division win over St. Clair Shores Lake Shore on Sept. 18, 2026. (GEORGE SPITERI \u2014 For MediaNews Group)<\/p>\n
Lake Shore scored the final points of the game. Freshman Denver Nance ran three yards for a touchdown and added a conversion run in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
Lamphere, which is trying to qualify for the state playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, improved to 2-0 in the Gold Division and 3-1 overall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a good situation for our kids to have some success this year,\u201d first-year Rams coach Hannibal Roda said, pointing to Lamphere\u2019s strong senior class. \u201cWe don\u2019t get too high or too low.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roda was an assistant to coach Ray Ostrowski in 2025 and was named the head coach after Ostrowski took a position on St. Clair Shores Lakeview\u2019s staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really lucky to be trusted with taking over the program,\u201d Roda said. \u201cAnd then, after becoming the head coach, you see an administrative team that really wants to be involved, to see the program succeed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s more than just football and it\u2019s more than just athletics that they want to succeed. There is the complete picture here at Lamphere.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"St.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TMD-L-LamphereLakeShoreFB-3-091826-1.jpg\")
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore freshman Denver Nance (3) escapes the tackle of Madison Heights Lamphere\u2019s Chase Dort (19) Friday during this Macomb Area Conference Gold Division contest at Lamphere on Sept. 18, 2026. (GEORGE SPITERI \u2014 For MediaNews Group)<\/p>\n
Peyton Archer scored on runs of two and one yards, and Georgio Kourtesis kicked two of his six PATs to give Lamphere a 14-0 lead in the first seven minutes of the game.<\/p>\n
Cox lofted a 25-yard touchdown pass to 6-foot-5 Keegan Burton in the corner of the end zone and Gardner, a four-year varsity player, returned a fumble 29 yards as Lamphere built a 27-0 lead before the first quarter ended.<\/p>\n
Austin Dort scored on a one-yard run; Cox ran six yards for a TD before Jack Heumann\u2019s conversion run; Gardner returned a punt 58 yards for a score and Burton caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Cox in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had to dedicate ourselves to running the ball this week,\u201d said Cox.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve been making too many penalties \u2013 stupid penalties.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe watched a lot of film. We were ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cox did all of his passing in the first half when he completed seven of 12 attempts for 106 yards.<\/p>\n
Kourtesis kicked a 19-yard field goal for Lamphere\u2019s only points of the second half, which was played with a running clock.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe told the kids that there\u2019s a lot of ways that we need to get right,\u201d Roda said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t felt like we\u2019ve strung together a full game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to peak at the right time. Our goal is to continue to stay in the playoffs and try to make a run. We\u2019re going to have to deal with adversity and roll with the punches and play a complete game \u2013 that\u2019s what we preached this week in practice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lake Shore is 1-1 and 1-3.<\/p>\n