Lamb Likes His Squad's Chances This Fall

Great Oak High School has never won a California Interscholastic Federation championship in football, but Jack Lamb is his friends are trying to change that.

“Our goal here is to win a CIF ring,” Lamb said of the Wolfpack, who open the season this Friday against Heritage High School.

“We haven’t won one in the history of the school, so it’d be the first ever and we have a really great team this year, so we’re hoping this will be the year to do it.”

Lamb, a 2018 linebacker who committed to Notre Dame last month, has played with many of his teammates since they were youngsters.

“It’s awesome, but sad at the same time,” he said of entering his senior season. “It’s the last time we’ll all play together, but we’re going to make the most of it for sure.

“I’ve known most of these guys my whole life, so being able to play on the field with them has been an amazing experience. I’m sad it has to come to an end, but we’re going to make the most of it.”

The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder knows what it will take to make the most of it.

“We just have to stay focused throughout the whole season,” he said. “A lot of times, especially in high school football, keeping all of the kids paying attention throughout practices, three-hour practices seem like they go on forever toward the end of the season, a lot of kids lose focus and don’t really want it.

“I think strong leadership on the team, getting everybody to stay focused and focusing on that one goal at the very end of the season is what’s going to help us get there.”

Lamb doesn’t really have any goals for himself this season.

“I feel like this offseason, I’ve been focused on making myself better and putting my name out there,” he said. “Now that the season is here, it’s not about me anymore. It’s about the team. I really just want to be more focused on winning games. I don’t have any statistical goals, I just want to help the team as a whole.”

Through 7-on-7, camps and events like The Opening this summer, Lamb has seen his ability in coverage grow immensely.

“I think I can be really helpful to the team that way, being able to man up on a slot or a running back,” he said. “If the gameplan calls for that, I hope to be able to contribute that way. That’s something I worked on this entire offseason to get better at. Being able to showcase that in the game is going to be really helpful.”

He knows he’ll be the focus of opposing teams and is convinced his teammates will make opponents pay dearly.

“Hopefully they throw everyone they have at me,” Lamb laughed. “It’ll allow other guys on the team to make big plays. I hope they gameplan around me and don’t realize we have other guys too. If they gameplan around me and try to double-team me or something, it’ll open up another opportunity for another guy on the team to showcase what he’s worked for over the offseason too.

“We have a lot of guys who have worked hard, so if they decide to throw a couple blockers my way, go for it because we have plenty of guys.”

Lamb, who took an unofficial visit to South Bend early in the summer, will return the second week of September for his official visit when the Irish host Georgia.

“Obviously, they’re expecting a great crowd, so a great overall experience and hopefully a win to come out of it too,” Lamb said of the upcoming trip. “That’ll be an amazing time being able to go up there again and already being committed, to meet other people will be awesome.”

Meeting the current players on the team and the current commits will be one of the highlights of the trip.

“Just getting to know future teammates will be a great experience to know who I’ll be working with for the next four years. I feel like that’s going to be really important. The people you’re with are going to make your experience, so getting to meet everybody will be awesome.”