There was little doubt who voters would name as the September player of the month after considering Marmaton Valley High School quarterback/defensive back Tyler Lord’s impact for the Wildcats.
Considering MVHS plays eight-man football, magnifying the individual efforts of each participant, few football players eight-man or eleven-man have made such an individual impact on their program.
Lord was supposed to be a stopgap, a one-year fill-in for a rebuilding MVHS program. Replacing 2024’s starter Brayden Lawson, who had 75 touchdowns over three years handling varsity QB duties, seemed inconceivable in August. By October, the Wildcats seem to have not missed a beat.
Lord attributed much of MVHS’ success to a bond the team has on and off the field.
“We’re coming together, I think,” Lord said. “Even off of the football field, we’re all really close and that helps tremendously when we’re on the field.”
In his first year under center, Lord has 17passing touchdowns for 1,027 yards and four interceptions over 109 attempts. With a completion percentage over 50 percent, teams often overlook his abilities as a rushing threat. He averages an astounding 14 yards per carry and could eclipse 1,000 yards rushing by the conclusion of the postseason having already amassed 810 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the ground.
On the other side of the ball, Lord has more than 40 tackles, 13 solo, and three tackles for a loss.
Lord has had six interceptions over eight games, eclipsing his career high of five interceptions in a season while helping the Wildcats win their second consecutive district title and their third consecutive Three Rivers League title with last Friday’s 50-0 victory over St. Paul.
With his team caught up in a postseason run, Lord may be too busy preparing for his next opponent to admire his accomplishments thus far, but he did appreciate Iola Register readers for recognizing his work.
Instead of taking a bow for his success, Lord gave the credit to others.
“It’s always great to get something like this but more importantly, it’s the people around me, my teammates, my coaches and my family who support me that make it happen,” Lord said.
