TEMPLE, Texas — The stands of Bearcat Gym were filled with energy and pride on Friday morning as the Lamar Middle School Boys Athletic Department hosted its annual End of Season Awards assembly for the 7th grade. The ceremony honored the hard work, dedication, and grit of Bearcat student-athletes across the 2025-26 school year, capping off a remarkable year of competition in football, basketball, track & field, and soccer.

In addition to the traditional team MVP and player of the year accolades, the coaching staff placed a heavy emphasis on classroom excellence and ironclad dedication in the weight room.

Here is a look at the young men who took home the hardware from Friday's celebration.

Football Awards

On the gridiron, the Bearcats showcased a physical brand of football that was anchored by standout individual performances on both sides of the ball. Channing Brown took home the coveted Most Valuable Player award for his leadership and execution on the field.

MVP: Channing Brown
Offensive Player of the Year: Jafari Bennett
Defensive Player of the Year: Joshua Payne
Offensive Linemen of the Year: Ian Torres and Daniel Ruiz
Bearcat Award: Blake Karl and Tracy Baugh
Rising Star: Jimmy Caudillo
Ironman Award: Jervaughn "Tank" Hudson
Breakthrough Athlete: Camden Grant

Basketball Awards

The hoops program celebrated successes from both its squads, highlighting the deep pool of basketball talent developing at Lamar. Jimmy Caudillo led the way for the B Team, while Greyson Ross earned MVP honors for a dynamic A Team performance this winter.

B Team
MVP: Jimmy Caudillo
Offensive Player of the Year: Kingston Davis
Defensive Player of the Year: Jafari Bennett
6th Man: Robert Williams
Bearcat Award: Jervaughn Hudson
Breakthrough Athlete: Michael Nino

A Team
MVP: Greyson Ross
Offensive Player of the Year: Joshua Payne
Defensive Player of the Year: Major Lee Jr.
6th Man: Jordan Wells
Bearcat Award: Aadyn Linear
Breakthrough Athlete: Kaden Clark

Track & Field and Soccer Awards

As the seasons shifted to the spring, the Bearcats didn't slow down. Jafari Bennett added to his impressive yearly haul by taking Track Athlete of the Year, while Dominic Tigard paced the soccer team as the pitch MVP.

Track & Field

Track Athlete of the Year: Jafari Bennett
Thrower of the Year: Jervaughn Hudson
Breakthrough Athlete: Michael Nino
Ironman Award: Jimmy Caudillo
Rising Star: Robert Williams

Soccer

MVP: Dominic Tigard
Breakthrough Athlete: Isaac Rodriguez
Ironman Award: Michael Nino
Rising Star: Joseph Degraaff

Iron Bears: Powering Up in the Weight Room

A major highlight of the morning was the recognition of the rapidly expanding Lamar weightlifting program. Coaches proudly lauded the growth and culture of the weight room, highlighting the top performers in the combined bench and squat maxes, as well as those who put in the work to see the biggest gains since the start of the year.

Channing Brown proved to be the strongest Bearcat in the gym, putting up a staggering combined total of 485 pounds.

Meanwhile, Jafari Bennett showed what pure dedication looks like, dominating the improvement leaderboard by adding an incredible 150 pounds to his combined total over the course of the season.

Other top lifters hitting impressive combined benchmarks included Daniel Ruiz at 400 pounds, Champion Bailey and Kayden Clark both reaching 360 pounds, and Ian Torres moving 350 pounds. Notable iron room gains were also registered by To'Vorian Tucker and Channing Brown, who both increased their maximum totals by 85 pounds, followed closely by Champion Bailey and Alexander Sotelo with 60-pound jumps.

Academic Excellence & Athlete of the Year

True to the definition of a student-athlete, the Bearcats were just as dominant in the classroom as they were on the field. A large contingent of athletes earned a spot on the A/B Honor Roll for their scholastic efforts, including Channing Brown, Jimmy Caudillo, Kingston Davis, Camden Grant, Blake Karl, Aadyn Linear, Joshua Payne, Juliano Salinas, Ian Torres, Dominic Tovar, Zachary Walker, and Jordan Wells.

Special recognition was given to Tracy Baugh, who stood alone in earning a spot on the prestigious straight-A Honor Roll.

The morning concluded with the announcement of the highest individual honor in the department. For his elite multi-sport versatility, dedication to the program, and stellar classroom performance, Jordan Wells was officially named the Lamar Middle School Athlete of the Year.

Congratulations to all the players, coaches, and families on a phenomenal 2025-26 Bearcat athletic year!