West Boca Raton's Jamar Thompson dominates in state final once again
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West Boca Raton football won the Class 6A state championship doing what it’s done all year: slowly choking teams to sleep on defense.
The Bulls shutout West Broward to claim their second-straight state title, notching their sixth shutout of the year. All told, West Boca finished their back-to-back run outscoring opponents 544-97 through 15 games.
The foundation for the standup Bull defense is big tackle Jamar Thompson. The 6-foot-3 315 pound junior has spent most of the year ranked as one of the top defensive players in his class. But that was not always the case.
Thompson was not a highly-regarded national recruit for the Bulls last season until a dominant run through the postseason and a breakout game on the big stage at Pitbull Stadium against Osceola.
Thompson, a sophomore at the time, went for 11 tackles with 2.0 TFL and a sack as West Boca capped an undefeated season with a 26-7 win over the Kowboys. This year in a 31-0 win over the Bobcats, Thompson was credited for three tackles, a TFL, and a sack. He says that coming in prepared for each state title game is what set him up for success.
“We came in to practice locked in, ready for the week,” Thompson said. “Any game we had we came as a whole just locked in. Then when the playoffs start, we’re even more locked in. So when this game came, it was a crazy practice.”
Thompson finished his junior season with 40 tackles, 16.0 TFL, 5.0 sacks, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble. All for a Bull defense that hadn’t let up more than 14 points since Oct. 17.
“When the offense isn’t doing their things, we always get them on our back,” he said. “We know we’re going to come out and dominate and execute. So we do our job, then the offense comes out and does their part.”
Thompson’s ascension has resulted in serious attention from high-major programs, a reoccurring theme for players at Dylan Potts’ program.
Thompson has a host of offers, and announced a top ten in October that included the likes of Texas, Michigan, LSU, and Ohio State.
Miami, Nebraska, Ole Miss leading race for coveted defensive tackle
Thompson had a few schools to mention when asked which staffs he feels like he has the closet relationship to.
“Right now I’d say Nebraska, Miami, then you got Ole Miss,” he said. “All three programs are really wonderful, I like all three programs. It all comes down to who is treating me the best, who is protecting me the most when I’m not home, and really just making a family over there.”
The Hurricanes are very high on Thompson, and are pushing hard for him. Thompson said the ‘Canes staff make him feel like a priority.
While those three programs are building relationships with Thompson, others are in the race and working to get him on to campus. Thompson confirmed to USA TODAY that spring visits with Georgia and Florida are in the works, as well as return visits to Ole Miss and Nebraska.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jamar Thompson recruiting update after back-to-back state championships
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