Malakoff's Doc Renberg Lewis does a media interview at the Lamar Football Camp Tuesday at Lindale High School.

LINDALE — Lamar has a new football coach who has spent most of his coaching career in the northeastern part of the United States.

But that isn’t going to stop the Cardinals from coming to East Texas for talent.

Pete Rossomando and his staff made a trip to Lindale on Tuesday — and was also in Tatum on Thursday — for one of their multiple football camps.

“It’s incredible,” Rossomando said. “I said to the staff that we’re getting guys that are walking on that we would’ve given scholarships to in a heartbeat at Central Connecticut. You can get some of the best high school football players in the country. There are a bunch. We’ve got 20 guys from East Texas on our team right now.”

Rossomando came to Lamar after serving as the offensive line coach — and interim head coach for the final four games — at Charlotte. He’s also coached at Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Central Connecticut State, New Haven, Albany, Cortland State and Northeastern, and he played at Boston University.

He takes over a Lamar program that went 1-10 this past season with a 1-5 mark in the Southland Conference.

The Cardinals’ roster features returning East Texans Khalan Griffin (Chapel Hill), Jaymond Jackson (Lindale), Donavan Jordan (Tyler Legacy), Eithan Wallace (Tyler Legacy), Vencent Rockwell (Gilmer), Dozie Ifeadi (Bishop Gorman), Kendric Malone (Tatum), Javonta Thomas (Van), Braden Courtney (Timpson), Jace Burns (Sabine), John Hester (Hawkins), Kade Verden (Bullard), Preston Yarber (Canton), Brayden Clinton (Gilmer), Devon King (Gilmer), Devyn Gibbs (Mabank) and Jayden Boyd (Tatum), and they signed some more East Texans in their Class of 2023 recruiting class.

Lamar was back in East Texas this week looking for more future Cardinals. Assistant coach Coby Gipson, who coaches wide receivers and is the recruiting coordinator for Lamar, knows the importance of recruiting East Texas.

“It’s always exciting,” Gipson said. “I’m thrilled to be back in East Texas. They call it Beast Texas for a reason. You’ve got great players and great coaches. There’s passion about football. Football is important to these young men. It’s a big part of their life, and it’s a big part of their character development, and we want to continue that at the college level.”

Gipson was the head coach at Bishop T.K. Gorman for five seasons, including leading the Crusaders to the TAPPS state semifinals in 2014. He also spent time as an assistant coach at East Texas Baptist University and Howard Payne University, where he coached former Tyler High standout Duntayvion Gross, who led the American Southwest Conference in receptions.

Harmony, which went to the state semifinals in 2022, had multiple players at the camp, including defensive lineman Braxton Baker and quarterback Boston Seahorn, who was competing as a wide receiver.

“I’m excited,” Baker said. “I’ve been talking to a lot of schools. I’m really excited to be here with them today. They’ve been excited to recruit me, and I’ve been excited to be recruited by them, just hoping to get closer to them today. I look forward to getting to know the coaches and build a relationship with them. I think that’s one of the biggest parts.”

“I’m really excited, just ready to get better and show the coaches what all I can do,” Seahorn said. “I’m just ready to get some knowledge and get a little bit better every time I step on the field.”

Lindale wide receiver Marcus Field, who went to Louisiana Tech camp on Monday and already had a Lamar offer, was at the camp on Tuesday.

“I’m just here to work hard, get extra work in and have fun,” Field said. “I feel like my size is the main difference out of everything, but I do want to work to get faster.”

Field was joined by incoming freshman quarterback David Lindig, rising sophomore defensive end Kaleb Walker and offensive lineman Christian Pettway.

Whitehouse quarterback Josh Green, who threw for 2,500 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for 837 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior, was at the camp after previously going to camps for Stephen F. Austin and McNeese State.

“I just like to show my competitiveness,” Green said. “I want to show how competitive I am and how I’m going to compete in every drill that I do and how I’m going to consistently be the same guy at every camp and every time they see me. I’m just trying to stay on everybody’s radar and try to leave a good impression on them.”

Green played linebacker in seven games as a sophomore before moving to quarterback full time and had 79 tackles and five tackles for loss. He said he competed as a linebacker at the McNeese State camp but was competing as a quarterback on Tuesday for the Lamar camp. Braylen Jackson and Gabe Stroud were also among the Whitehouse Wildcats at the camp.

Athlete Chauncey Hogg and defensive end Doc Renberg Lewis were at the camp from Malakoff.

“The coaches invited me, so I came to do my stuff,” Lewis said. “I want to show them that I want it, and I hope they want me.”

Lewis had 70 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, 11 quarterback hurries and two tipped balls this past season.

Brook Hill quarterback Jonah McCown, son of former NFL quarterback Luke McCown, was at the camp. He’s also recently attended camps for Texas State, TCU, UTSA, SMU and Stephen F. Austin.

Bullard’s Ayden Barrett and Grace Community’s Zach Davis were also among the quarterbacks in attendance.

Tyler Legacy tight end/wide receiver Jadin Hambrick received an offer from Lamar at the camp.