Coach Mike Bates looks on as Michael Lambert, flanked by his parents Tony and Jennifer Lambert, signs a letter of intent to play football for Huntingdon College.
HOLLY POND – Through four years, Michael Lambert and coach Mike Bates built a unique bond, seeing Holly Pond football go from defeat after defeat after defeat, to success in the 2016 season.
Lambert was Bates' starting quarterback since his freshman year at Holly Pond in 2013. The first three years were frustrating, a time spent building experience into something positive.
It all paid off last fall, when Lambert led the Broncos to their first winning record in nine years and a berth to the AHSAA 3A state playoffs.
Lambert's performance last year has been rewarded. The left-handed senior signed a national letter of intent Friday with Huntingdon College in Montgomery. Huntingdon is in Division III of the NCAA and a member of the USA South Athletic Conference.
With his family, teammates, coaching staff and administration gathered inside the Holly Pond library, Lambert expressed his feelings on this moment.
"I am thankful for my mom and dad (Jennifer and Tony Lambert), my coaches and my teammates for this opportunity. I knew I wanted to play college football. I just didn't know at first, where I was going to play."
The Broncos went from losing 29 consecutive games to ending the 2015 season in a 49-40 upset of playoff-bound Cold Springs on Oct. 30. Lambert and the Broncos could not be slowed down, as they consistently marched the ball well into the Cold Springs end zone all evening. This was a game in which neither side punted; the two teams combined for 13 touchdowns on 20 possessions.
Ending 2015 the way Lambert and the Broncos did was a bright spot heading to the 2016 season.
Holly Pond jumped off to a 2-0 record before a tough 34-32 loss in 3A, Region 6 to J.B. Pennington Sept. 2. The Broncos were 3-1 after Sept. 9 with all three victories coming on the road at Coosa Christian in Gadsden, Brindlee Mountain and Susan Moore.
It was the Broncos' first time to knock off their rival (Susan Moore) from Blount County in 20 years.
Holly Pond was 4-1 at the halfway mark after a 54-0 romp of Asbury on homecoming Sept. 23. The Broncos fought through a sequence of two losses in a span of four games between Sept. 30 to Oct. 21.
Fultondale never saw a performance from an opponent like the one on the night of Oct. 13. Playing in Jefferson County, the Broncos battled the eventual Region 6 champions hard for three quarters before Fultondale pulled away in the fourth with three touchdowns and a 56-27 victory.
Lambert completed 24 of 35 passes on the night for 420 yards and four touchdowns. The Broncos were down 35-27 at the end of the third, but unable to slow down a potent Fultondale running attack in the final 12 minutes.
Lambert was selected as the quarterback for the Cullman County coaches' all-county team. The lefty anchored a squad that set a school record with 378 points, never scoring less than 25 points in one game all season.
"Michael had a lot in doing where we ended the season," Bates said. “He is a great young man and a great person. He had good ability to recover from making a mistake. He's got natural talent and leadership. It's quite an honor to get a chance to play on the next level for any school."
Lambert is the third athlete at Holly Pond in the Class of 2017 to sign a national letter of intent. He joins Drew Jones who accepted an offer to play basketball at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee and Matt Cahoon, who is heading to Samford University on a track and field scholarship.
In addition to leading the Broncos to their first successful football season in a decade, Lambert is a member of the varsity basketball team that enjoyed a memorable season of 32 wins against two losses, took the Cullman County title, area title, Northwest Regional championship and a berth to the AHSAA Final Four.
Lambert and his hoop teammates will be part of a celebration planned by the school on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Felton Easterwood Gymnasium.
Getting ready to go to Huntingdon, Lambert will look to get an opportunity to take snaps at quarterback, with the position vacated by the graduation of former Fairview standout Luke Bailey.
Bailey threw for 32 touchdowns and scored on the run 11 times in 2016 as Huntingdon posted a 9-2 record and was 6-1 in conference play.
Lambert joins another former Cullman County standout who will be a sophomore at Huntingdon in the fall. Former West Point running back Kobe Smith signed with the Hawks after his senior season in 2015, when he set a county rushing record for more than 2,200 yards and scored 36 touchdowns, 28 by rushing.
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