Schools

Lambert Going to All-American Game

Timber Creek star linebacker Quanzell Lambert will head to Phoenix for the inaugural Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl.

Timber Creek star linebacker Quanzell Lambert was surrounded by his teammates Tuesday afternoon as it was announced he had been selected for the inaugural JuniorRank Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl.

It was appropriate his team was there for the big announcement, too.

The 6-foot-2, 240-pound senior had something he wanted to tell the Chargers before they headed out of the Erial school's library to the practice field to get ready for Kingsway Friday night.

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"Before I head down to Phoenix to play in this game ... I want to win a championship here at Timber Creek with all you guys because I love each and every one of you," Lambert said.

In addition to the All-American game, Lambert has a Division I career on the horizon—big-time football schools like Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma are in the mix for his four-star talent.

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But, based on that statement, it's obvious he has some unfinished business to tend to here in South Jersey.

It's the desire to win and leadership, not just the sheer athletic ability Lambert possesses, that has Timber Creek head coach Rob Hinson singing the praises of his star senior, who has emerged as South Jersey's most heavily recruited player.

"We've had some phenomenal athletes and they've all possessed certain skills and certain skill sets, but Quanzell, he is in a class all by himself," he said.

"I won't compare him to (University of South Carolina freshman wideout) Damiere (Byrd) or anything like that, because Damiere is a once-in-a-lifetime kid that you'll coach, but in terms of being an overall football player—Quanzell, he is the total package," Hinson added. "He's 240 pounds, still runs in the low 4.6s, high IQ on the football field. Interceptions, forced fumbles, blocked kicks—I mean, he totally dominates a football game."

Lambert also gets it done in the classroom, which is as important a component of being selected to the Semper Fi All-American game as performance on the gridiron, according to Chris Dombrowski, JuniorRank's director of national events.

"Our core values are C, D, A—character, discipline and academic excellence," he said. "We look for these three core values when we choose players to this game itself." 

The Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl will be played at 6 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 3. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

The All-American game is a joint partnership between the Marine Corps and JuniorRank Sports.


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