Braylon “Beast” Lawson sets new Sparkman football record
HARVEST – “Sometimes you just gotta feed a beast.” That was the reaction of Sparkman football head coach Ronnie Watson after watching a record breaking performance in the Senators home victory over the visiting Crimson Panthers of Huntsville, 36-28.
The beast is junior running back Braylon Lawson who set a new team record by over 120 yards as Lawson, who has the nickname “Mr. Touchdown,” rambled for an enormous 356 yards and two touchdowns on just 18 carries which is 19.8 yards per effort. His longest run was 70 yards and his second score came from another long run with seven minutes remaining giving the Senators the lead they never relinquished.
“I didn’t know I set a record until the next day when Coach Watson told me of the old record of 235 yards and my 356 total that gave me the new record,” said Lawson. “I was actually surprised to find out as I didn’t know I had that many yards. For me, I just wanted to get the win as this was a big region win and was a total team effort.”
“Lawson was on fire all night. I could see it in his eyes before the game and at halftime,” said Watson. “The evening was a great atmosphere with two determined teams that battled throughout. The offense wanted to build on the success from the week before. The offensive line stepped up and blocked well.”
For Lawson, this was his second consecutive game of a superman performance as the week before against Albertville, the 6-foot, 185-pound beast scampered for 195 yards. On the season, he now has seven touchdowns.
“I love running north and south, but I do know how to make cuts once I get into the second level of the defense,” said Lawson, who could not take full credit for his efforts. “The offensive line set the way for me on every play and, when I got to the second level of Huntsville’s defense, the wide receivers had some great blocks downfield.”
After the game, Lawson met with some friends and ate a late night dinner, he then went by his girlfriend’s home before he, himself, chose to go home after a record breaking Friday night. Throughout the post-game celebration and the next day’s record-breaking news on his performance, Lawson still cherished what he considered his most memorable moment before a packed crowd at Sparkman Field.
“That play was my first touchdown as I broke three tackles on about a 60-yard run and when I got to the goal line, all four of our wide receivers were with me as we celebrated together as they had a big part in my scoring run with great blocks downfield,” said Lawson, who began playing football at age three and who was a part-time running back a season ago where he carried the ball 118 times for 642 yards and four touchdowns.
Sparkman is now 2-3 and midway through its 2025 season, and with five games remaining, including four Region games among that schedule, opposing teams will certainly have to face “The Beast” who dresses in the Senators’ colors of cardinal, black and white and awaits all would-be Beast tamers.
