2019 ABE GOLDBLATT ALL-TIDEWATER FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
KEANDRE LAMBERT, MAURY MALIK NEWTON, LAKE TAYLOR
It was a historic season for Norfolk as the city produced two state high school football titles.
The season will be remembered for another reason because, for the first time, two players will share the Abe Goldblatt AllTidewater Player of the Year honors.
Maury senior KeAndre Lambert and Lake Taylor junior Malik Newton had seasons that will be remembered for years to come.
Lambert, a recent Penn State signee, scored two touchdowns and finished with 135 total yards to help the Commodores beat Stone Bridge 28-21 to win the program’s first state championship in 80 years.
“When you want to close a game out, you put it in his hands,” Maury coach Dyrri McCain said. “He’s definitely our guy. He showed up in every big game. People left the game saying, ‘That KeAndre Lambert, he’s a legend.’ ”
Newton, a junior, finished with 141 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lead the Titans over Tuscarora 34-14. He scored on a one-handed touchdown reception and a touchdown run. He also had a pivotal one-handed interception in the end zone to steal the momentum from Tuscarora on the first drive of the game.
“When he got that interception, that set the tone for the game,” Lake Taylor coach Hank Sawyer said. “No matter what people say, he stopped them from scoring and gave us an opportunity to score. Then when the score was 14-0, he made that phenomenal catch to help us take all the steam out of Tuscorara. Every game, that kid amazes me by the things that he does to help his team win.”
Lambert, a three-time All-Tidewater selection, was named the Class 5 State Offensive Player of the Year. He finished with 1,635 allpurpose yards and 28 touchdowns. On defense, he had 13 tackles, three fumble recoveries, two pass breakups and a touchdown. He also had three punt returns for touchdowns and threw two touchdown passes.
“He was always ready to show up and show out in the big games,” McCain said. “You could tell he was the best player on the field in all of those games. And he’ll be remembered as a guy who could do it all. You don’t come across guys like that.”
His most memorable game might be the Class 5 Region A title game against Salem, when he caught, threw and rushed for a touchdown, including the game-winning run in the fourth quarter.
“The playmaker said put it in his hands,” McCain said about Lambert. “And that’s what you got to do . ... When a playmaker asks for the ball, I’ve learned to put it in his hands.”
Newton, the 2018 Abe Goldblatt All-Tidewater Player of the Year, was named the Class 4 Offensive Player of the Year.
He rushed for 32 touchdowns, which tied South Hampton Roads’ singleseason rushing touchdown record. He also rushed for 2,060 yards, which ranks eighth on South Hampton Roads’ single-season rushing list.
His most memorable game — outside of the state championship — was when he rushed for 413 yards and seven touchdowns in a win over Norview. Only nine other players have scored more touchdowns in a game in Virginia High
School League history.
Newton, who has nearly 20 offers, including from Clemson, Penn State, South Carolina and Texas A&M, finished the season with 37 total touchdowns. On defense, he finished with 57 tackles, seven pass breakups and six interceptions and was named second team all-state at linebacker.
“He wills himself to make plays for the team,” Sawyer said. “He’s playing and making plays on both sides of the ball. Malik Newton is the reason why we’re state champions.”
Opposing coaches also have admiration for both players.
“Great athlete with size, speed and the ability make defender miss,” said one coach about Lambert.
One coach described Newton as “a throwback player, Jim Brown-like. Big, fast, tough and durable.”
In the fall, Lambert will head to Penn State, where McCain is confident he’ll be a major contributor.
Newton will return for his senior season with a chance to become the alltime leading rusher in South Hampton Roads history. He has 4,053 career yards and trails Salem’s Kevin Whaley by 1,367. He’s also got a chance to be first player to be the Abe Goldblatt All-Tidewater Player of the Year three times.
“He’s going to leave a legacy here,” Sawyer said. “I can’t wait to get him a little bit stronger so that he can have an unbelievable college career.”
And it’s fitting that both players will be in San Antonio next month.
Lambert will be there to play in the All-American Bowl on Jan. 4 on NBC.
Newton will be there for the National Combine, which is held annually in association with the AllAmerican Bowl. The combine gives the nation’s top underclassmen a chance to demonstrate their physical talent and compete against one another before high school and college football’s top scouting organizations.
This will go down as a season to remember for both.
ALL-TIDEWATER