Lamirande took Howell football to greater heights
Quarterback led Rebels to first state title
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer

When Tim Lamirande needed his Howell High School teammates the most, they were there for him.

It was only the second game of the high school football season, a home game with Freehold District rival Manalapan. Following an impressive debut win over Colts Neck the week before, Lamirande had squelched any thoughts that the Howell spread offense wouldn't be as productive.

Then, late in the first half against Manalapan, he hurt his left wrist falling to the turf after a tackle.

At halftime he was told he'd have to go to the hospital for X-rays. He apologized to his teammates for not being there for them for the second half.

The Rebels, dedicating the second half to Lamirande, would rally to beat Manalapan, 21-15, with Brian Battaglia quarterbacking.

Lamirande would find out that the injury wasn't a bruise or a sprain, but actually a break.

"It was frustrating," recalled Lamirande. "I didn't know how long I'd be out. I was thinking about the worst possible scenario [out for the season].

"It was bad, I had waited patiently for my turn to play," he added.

After backing up Sean O'Reilly for two years, Lamirande was more than ready to take his turn at the helm of one of the most exciting offenses in the state. It just took one game to prove that he and the Rebels were capable of making another run at the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championship (they had lost the final in 2006 to Hunterdon Central). Then this.

Lamirande's teammates did not desert him.

"Everyone was so supportive," he said. "My teammates, our coaches. When I got home there were 20 e-mails for me. That was big."

Lamirande would learn that the break wasn't serious and that he could be back on the gridiron in two weeks with a cast on his wrist.

Howell would get by Middletown North in its next game with Battaglia behind center. Lamirande would return for the team's fourth game and Howell's quest for the school's first state championship began in earnest. As the season would unfold, when his Rebel teammates needed him the most, Lamirande would be there for them.

The first big step was winning the Shore Conference Constitution Division title. Howell hadn't finished first since 1985 when it shared the B South crown with Manasquan.

Lamirande engineered a come-frombehind 21-16 win over defending champion Lacey, which put the Rebels in the driver's seat. An impressive 37-14 win over Brick Township clinched the title outright.

"That was big," Lamirande pointed out. "We'd never won one outright before. That was one of our goals."

The other, of course, was a return to Rutgers University to play in the state sectional final, and this time to "complete the mission."

It would be Lamirande's command of the offense that would take the Rebels to heights never experienced before by the program.

No one could play any better at his position than Lamirande did in the semifinal and final. He tossed five touchdown passes and accumulated 355 yards via the air in the 49-20 romp of Montgomery in the semifinal.

Back in Piscataway at Rutgers University for the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV title game, Lamirande was sharp as a knife dissecting the West Windsor-Plainsboro South defense like a surgeon.

He completed 16 of his 19 passes for 247 yards and four more touchdowns. He even scored on a 1-yard keeper.

His signature moment was the first play from scrimmage in the second half. After reading the Pirate defense, he made an audible at the line of scrimmage. He hooked up with Chance Carrick on a 56-yard scoring strike that stretched the 20-0 halftime lead to 26-0. Howell would go on to win its first football state title 46-13, and that pass ended the competitive phase of the title game.

"There was so much satisfaction," Lamirande said of bringing home the school's first state title.

The spread offense has been Howell's trademark the last three years since Cory Davies did away with the option. The Rebels have certainly been quite productive with it, but it is not an easy offense to run for the quarterback.

"It's a complicated offense," Lamirande said. "It something I didn't pick up right away.

"It took two [jayvee] games to get into it," he added. "I didn't know much about different coverages and timing patterns."

Lamirande remarked that a lot of film work was involved as well. He spent a lot of timesharing ideas with O'Reilly and Coach Davies. The relationship with O'Reilly (now playing at Wagner University) was important. He learned much from watching and talking to him. The two still talked a couple times a week during the season, he pointed out.

Eventually, the offense became second nature to him. He was ready when his turn came and the state would see one of the true offensive juggernauts in the playoffs.

"Coach Davies has always told us that if we execute and don't make mistakes, our offense is tough for anyone to stop," he said.

He'll get no argument from Montgomery or West Windsor-Plainsboro South.

What Lamirande brought to the spread this fall was his accuracy and the deep ball, as exemplified by his strike to Carrick against the Pirates. It made defenses have to defend the entire field.

"Tim seldom has a bad pass, he's extremely accurate" said Davies. "He's not afraid to throw it up. That's his style."

Lamirande passed for 2,356 yards and 25 touchdowns, both school records, in the 10-and-a-half games he played. He was 179- 281. His 64 percent accuracy is even more impressive when you take into account that he wasn't just tossing short passes around the field, but going deep often.

Those impressive stats and the school records are nice, but what made the difference was the confidence he instilled in the team.

"He's the leader," said Davies. "The kids look up to him and respect him."

The Howell seniors, Lamirande remarked, had been playing together at Pop Warner for years. As Junior Midgets, they won a Jersey Shore championship. After going undefeated as freshmen at Howell, big things were expected, and they delivered.

"Everything just clicked," said Lamirande. "Our chemistry was amazing."

So was the team leader.