McQueen’s state journey marked by perseverance
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN — In August, former Wilson High head football coach Brian Marrow was watching a Mooney scrimmage when his old quarterback came running to him with a huge smile on his face.
Lamar McQueen was thrilled to see his varsity coach from his sophomore and junior seasons because he had news to share.
A senior at Ursuline High, McQueen told Marrow that he asked for and received uniform number 15, the number Marrow wore when he played for South High and Wisconsin.
“That almost had me crying,” said Marrow, now the varsity head coach for Youngstown Christian. “He’s an outstanding kid. I just can’t say enough about him.
“He’s just like a son to me,” Marrow said. “My wife [Valencia] says I sound like a proud father when I speak of Lamar.”
Friday, McQueen will play in the biggest football game of his life when Ursuline (12-2) takes on Maria Stein Marion Local for the Division V state title. Game time is 11 a.m. at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
McQueen’s journey to the state title game is marked with perseverance as he endured two 1-9 seasons as Wilson’s quarterback before transferring to Ursuline because Wilson closed last spring.
“After coaching him for three years, I’m just overwhelmed with joy that he has this chance,” Marrow said. “He has worked so hard. At Wilson, he took a beating behind a small line against some good teams.
“I knew if he could withstand that kid of pressure, he’d find ways to make plays if he had some protection,” Marrow said.
After Wilson and Rayen were closed and East High was created, McQueen’s choice to attend Ursuline was not a slam-dunk decision.
McQueen said his initial reaction to changing schools was to go wherever Marrow would end up coaching.
Marrow, who said he weighed invitations to assist at Mooney and Ursuline, wasn’t sure where he was going and didn’t think McQueen should base such a crucial decision on his choice.
Instead, Marrow steered McQueen towards Ursuline because he felt the quarterback had a shot at competing for the starting job.
“Mooney has Dan McCarthy, Sal Battles [Rayen] was going to East and Youngstown Christian has Randy Triplett,” Marrow said.
Ursuline had its returning starter, Dan Turner. And that created a dilemma for Irish coach Dan Reardon when McQueen registered for Ursuline.
He found the solution by staging an open competition for the quarterback position in when practices began in August.
“From day one, he came in and competed hard,” Reardon said. “And we could tell that not only did we have a fine athlete with experience but also a fine young man.
“He was willing to switch positions to wide receiver or defensive back because he wanted to play,” Reardon said. “Through the course of the summer practices and scrimmages, he won the job because he played very, very well.”
It certainly isn’t because of his size (5 feet 9 inches, 165 pounds).
“He’s a small guy with the heart of a lion,” Marrow said.
McQueen’s success continued into the fall as he was voted Div. V’s offensive player of the year as the Irish went 8-2. Their losses were to undefeated Mooney and Div. I’s Massillon Washington (on the same field where they will play Friday).
“Athletically, Lamar has a ton of ability,” Reardon said, “but he’s a better person than he is a football player, and he’s a phenomenal football player. He always has a smile on his face.
“He brings a certain confidence to the team in the huddle,” Reardon said. “When the game is on the line, he wants the ball in his hands because he knows he’s going to make a play.”
McQueen said those 1-9 seasons provided motivation to get to Week 15.
“Going to Ursuline is probably the best decision of my life,” said McQueen, who added that Turner (now a wide receiver) has helped him adjust to a new system.
“When practices began, we were in a battle [for the starting job],” McQueen said of Turner. “Dan is a real good quarterback and he has helped me out. My new teammates have shown they have my back.”
McQueen calls his offensive linemen “dedicated. They stay after practice every day working out. I really enjoying playing with these guys.”
Although it has worked out well for the Irish, Reardon said McQueen was anything but a sure bet to succeed.
“It became apparent very early on that he can handle adversity,” Reardon said. “He has a had maturity about himself that’s very rare for kids his age.
“But at that time, we didn’t know what kind of kid he was,” Reardon said. “When they were 1-9, was he part of the reason or was he someone trying to be a leader in tough situation? We weren’t sure what we were going to get.”
They are sure now as the Irish prepare for their second state title contest in eight seasons. In 2000, the Irish won the Div. IV title by defeating Coldwater, 49-37. Saturday, Mooney plays Coldwater for the Div. IV state crown.
Three times this fall, the Irish escaped losses that would have kept them out of the playoffs. The first two were a 21-14 win over Fitch and a 35-28 win over Chardon.
Then in Week 10, the Irish rallied from a 10-point deficit to force overtime in a 33-30 victory over Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.
In last week’s 28-6 state semifinal win over Columbus Bishop Ready, Reardon said McQueen was the last player to return to the Ursuline locker room.
“Ready had a ceremony for their seniors,” Reardon said. “Lamar stayed out on the field so he could shake hands and offer hugs. That’s above and beyond what you expect from a kid.”
After Ursuline’s 31-7 win over South Range, McQueen said he hasn’t forgotten his football origins.
“Wilson will always have love in my heart,” McQueen said. “At Ursuline, we have a good environment. Our fans and alumni always come back.”
williams@vindy.com
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