Blue-collar work ethic helps Faulkner lead St. James to memorable season
At least one of the St. James football uniform combinations just looked right on Jamarius Faulkner.
The Sharks senior linebacker turned into the embodiment of the blue-collar work ethic second-year coach Robby Brown demanded. And Faulkner’s approach helped give St. James its best season ever.
“He’s not flashy. He’s just a solid, consistent player,” Brown said. “He caught on. He does what he’s coached to do. He bought into our system. He’s a solid, die-hard Shark. That’s the way you want all your players to be.”
While Faulkner, the Toast of the Coast Defensive Player of the Year, made strides from his spot at linebacker, it was a carry from the running back position he split with Jay-Mion Pressley during the season opener against Loris that let Brown know there might be even more fire than he had shown during a strong junior year.
With the Sharks needing first downs late in the game, Faulkner ran for one, the last few yards coming without a helmet that had been dislodged early in the run. That same intensity was a constant on defense.
Faulkner finished the year with 103 total tackles, four tackles for loss and four forced fumbles, a sack and a fumble recovery. And even though a number of area linebackers recorded bigger stat lines, it would be hard to say another had as much influence as the St. James senior.
By the final few weeks of the regular season, it was clear the Sharks were playing better football than ever before.
“Mid-season when we were even, coaches just talked to us and told us that we were the best team in St. James history,” Faulkner said. “We came together and started winning as a team. We made history, made a lot of history – first homecoming win, first winning season, second round of the playoffs.”
En route to that 7-5 record, St. James knocked off Marlboro County in the first round of the Class AAA playoffs. It ran into eventual Lower State champ Midland Valley in the second round, but even the Mustangs’ lopsided win couldn’t erase everything the Sharks had already accomplished.
Plenty of that had to do with Faulkner, who despite his production never really surprised Brown.
“I’ve been with him in the weight room and 15 days of spring practice. We knew what we were getting with him,” Brown said. “He was just consistent. We knew he was going to start on defense and nobody was going to beat him out.”
More often than not, opposing offenses also couldn’t get the best of him. In the rare games where he was held to less than seven tackles, he’d find other ways to impact the game. The 5-foot-9, 185 pounder could disrupt plays and helped the Sharks hold seven of their 12 opponents below their scoring average for the season.
It all added up to success never before witnessed at St. James, and Faulkner believes it is something he’ll cherish for years to come.
“Just looking back,” he said, “I’m going to look back and tell my kids I was a big part of history.”
Ian Guerin: ian@ianguerin.com, @iguerin
Editor’s note
This is the eighth installment of a nine-day series honoring the top fall high school athletes along the Grand Strand. Tomorrow: offensive standouts on the gridiron.
The team
Jamarius Faulkner
School: St. James
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Highlights: Propelled Sharks defense to four games in which opposing teams scored a touchdown or less by piling up 69 solo tackles, 34 assisted tackles, four tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, a sack and a fumble recovery.
Jeff Mario Brown
School: Carolina Forest
Position: Defensive lineman
Class: Senior
Highlights: Disruptive rush end had 15 tackles for loss, five sacks and two fumble recoveries to go along with 48 total tackles for Panthers defense that made major strides from past seasons.
Jabbrel Drayton
School: Waccamaw
Position: Defensive lineman
Class: Senior
Highlights: North-South All-Star game selection had 71 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, five pass break-ups and an interception for playoff-bound Warriors.
Cole Gallagher
School: St. James
Position: Defensive lineman
Class: Senior
Highlights: While also earning All-Region VII-AAA honors on offense, put up 31 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery on defense.
Chase Brill
School: Myrtle Beach
Position: Linebacker
Class: Junior
Highlights: Three-year starter had 84 solo tackles and 65 assisted tackles for Lower State runner-up Seahawks. Added 10 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
JaQuan Ludley
School: Myrtle Beach
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Highlights: Led Grand Strand with 156 total tackles while also contributing 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception.
Austin Manchester
School: Conway
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Highlights: Tigers’ top tackler finished with 62 individual stops and 19 assists. Added nine tackles for loss for a team that allowed 11 fewer points per game than previous season.
Zach Shear
School: Socastee
Position: Linebacker
Class: Junior
Highlights: Braves’ most dependable defensive player had a breakout season with 138 tackles, including the area’s best per-game average, four sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.
Desmond Dozier
School: Loris
Position: Defensive back
Class: Senior
Highlights: Two-way standout had 51 tackles, an interception and fumble recovery from his spot at safety while also putting up 954 total yards and eight touchdowns on offense.
Cavonte Gamble
School: Georgetown
Position: Defensive back
Class: Senior
Highlights: Led the area with six interceptions and added 35 total tackles and five additional pass break-ups. Also finished third in the area with 950 receiving yards.
Sage Pascoe
School: St. James
Position: Defensive back
Class: Junior
Highlights: Safety recorded 99 total tackles while also putting up four tackles for loss, three pass break-ups, two interceptions and a sack. Also caught 39 passes on offense.
Mark McCloskey
School: North Myrtle Beach
Position: Punter
Class: Junior
Highlights: All-Region VII-AAA selection had 31 punts averaging 36 yards. He had a season long of 49 yards and pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line 11 times.
This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Blue-collar work ethic helps Faulkner lead St. James to memorable season."