Breaking through: Lavonte Cole fends off a defender. (William Huff)

THOMASVILLE– A rising senior decided to take his talents to the University of South Alabama as Thomasville High School’s Lavonte Cole announced his decision on Sunday.

The running back fielded offers from Marshall, Liberty, Charlotte, Grambling, Arkansas State, Purdue, Coastal Carolina, Middle Tennessee State, Georgia State and nearby Florida A&M before settling on the Jaguars and head coach Major Applewhite. 

“This opportunity is just a testament to how hard he works. He does a really good job of working on his craft, he works just as hard in the weight room and doing speed training on the field.” THS Head Coach Jonathan DeLay said, “It’s amazing that it’s paying off for him and that he gets the opportunity to continue his football career and academic career at the next level.

When choosing where to go, Cole said “I narrowed down my options by visiting schools and when I got to South Alabama, they made me feel like I was at home at Thomasville High.”

Cole showed out in the backfield among a three-headed rushing attack from the Bulldogs as he led the team in rushing touchdowns with a career-high of 14 along with a career-high 559 yards on the ground averaging 46.6 a game on his way to cross the 1,000 yard mark on the ground for his career. “I felt good when schools started to notice how much I work on and off the field not only as a player, but as a leader around my community,” said Cole. 

You can catch Cole and the Bulldogs in the fall as they open their season on Friday, August 15 against Brooks County at 8:00pm