The name Bob Shore is synonymous with Camdenton football and for fans of the Lakers he is the “Godfather” of its winning tradition.
“It’s a great place to coach because of the people,” said Shore, who led the Lakers to five state championships (86, 87, 95, 99, 05) before retiring in 2010. “It’s really all about the players. They deserve all the credit.”
Among the all-time greats is Shore’s son Jeff, now the Lakers’ head coach, who played quarterback for the 1987 class 4 state championship team.
“It’s what every fall is about for me,” said Jeff Shore. “It’s everything from the smell of it to the purple helmet to the sounds of the game. It’s ultimately very special to me.”
Carrying on the tradition even more is four of Shore’s assistants who each earned all-state honors once playing at Camdenton.
“When you bleed, sweat, cry, laugh, win and lose it forms bonds that surpass time,” said assistant coach Rodney Brownell, who played running back behind Shore in ’87.
Coming off three straight class 5 quarterfinal appearances the Lakers open the season with a relatively new crop of players this fall. Shore and the Lakers have gotten off to slow starts of late, but are looking to change that Friday night when they host 2-time defending Ozark Conference champ Hillcrest in an 8:00 pm kickoff (moved back an hour because of heat) at Shore Stadium.
“We’ll have our hands full,” said Shore. Hillcrest will have the two fastest guys on the field (Juwan Johnson and Matt Rush) and we’ll have to try and limit the big plays.”
Decked out in purple gear under the shadow of their famous “Pappy’s Hogs” purple inflatable tunnel Shore, his assistants, father and other die hard Laker fans gathered at the City Grill in Osage Tuesday to gear up for another memorable year of Camdenton football.
“They all kind of bleed that purple blood,” said Shore. “You know they’re Laker through and through.”
And the next generation isn’t far off. Jeff’s son is an 8th grader and several other former players and coaches have boys chomping at the bit to strap on that purple helmet.
Read more about the Camdenton Lakers and Hillcrest Hornets in our O-Zone Kickoff Week previews. The game will be featured as the KSPR and O-Zone Game of the Week Friday night. Look for a game recap, photos and highlights at OzarksSportsZone.com.
