Chartiers Valley CB commits to Penn State
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Chartiers Valley cornerback Lamont Payne has committed to play at Penn State.
Lamont Payne will continue his football career at Penn State University.
Abraham Ibrahim (7) makes a reception that helped set up a touchdown for Chartiers Valley in the Colts' 28-14 loss to South Fayette. Ibrahim ranks third among receivers in the WPIAL with 20 catches for 343 yards after three weeks of action.
Lamont Payne quit football once. He said he got hit too hard.
“That was in the first grade,” he said. “In eighth grade, I decided to give it another try. I didn’t seriously consider cornerback until after ninth grade.”
Today, Payne delivers the hard hits at Chartiers Valley High School. In two years, he plans on doing the same at Penn State University.
Payne made his verbal commitment Sept. 18 before the Nittany Lions defeated Auburn at a packed Beaver Stadium.
“Amazing,” said Payne of the estimated crowd of 110,000 people. “The fans up there are crazy. It’s a wild, good time.
“I loved everything up there but what really decided it for me was how Penn State did everything right,” he added. “The little things.”
Payne said he felt Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff cared about him.
“They called me every day,” he said. “They asked how my family was doing. They didn’t always just talk all about sports. They acted like I was part of the family and I felt like I was at home.”
Payne selected Penn State over several other offers, including bids from Pitt, West Virginia and Rutgers.
A 6-1, 175-pound junior, Payne is ranked 32nd in the country by Rivals.com at his position. Last season, he had 31 tackles and two interceptions. This fall, he has been slowed by an ankle injury.
“I’m super happy for Lamont,” said CV head coach Dan Knause. “It’s a lot of pressure on a 16-year-old. He had a lot of offers and he found his way through the process and made a decision that was supported by his family.
“This will help him focus and enjoy his high school experience. I just want him to get a great education and enjoy his last two years of high school football and the brotherhood that presents.”
During that time span, Knause assures Payne will get better.
“He has a raw athletic skill set and he’s long,” the coach said. “We have a lot of plans for him and he’s willing to take the extra time and work on the little things.”
Payne worked hard during the offseason. He showcased his talents at several summer 7-on-7 passing camps against standout competition from across the state.
Payne trains under Dewayne Brown. He also works out with Southwestern Pennsylvania natives Mike Logan and Aaron Donald.
A McKeesport graduate, Logan played at WVU before enjoying a career in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers. A Penn Hills product, Donald played at Pitt before racking up three AP Defensive Player of the Year awards as defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams.
“My goals at Penn State are to start as a true freshman, play a couple of good seasons and enter the NFL draft my junior year,” Payne said. “To achieve that I have to work hard and be consistent.
“These next two years, I need to do the little things right. Take care of my body, stay healthy, follow the right diet and work with my trainers,” he added. “I do all that then I will be prepared to make the jump to college.”
Payne has some unfinished business at the high school level he hopes to address before moving on to Penn State. He is anxious to lead the Colts to heights they hae never achieved on the gridiron.
“As a team, we want to make the playoffs, win a conference championship and get a WPIAL ring,” he said. “As for me, I just want to do my part. I want to be a team leader and help the team win.”
Age: 16
Birthday: April 4
Parents: Lamont and Shatara
Sports: Football, track
High School: Chartiers Valley
Year: Junior
College: Penn State
Major: Psychology
Food: Chicken Alfredo
Color: Orange
Restaurant: Red Lobster
Music: Rap music. Drake
Book: Malcolm X
Movie: Scarface
Favorite athlete: Jalen Ramsey
Who would play you in a movie: Kevin Hart
Dream Destination: Japan
People might be surprised to know this about you: “I enjoy classic art. Van Gogh is definitely up there among my favorites.”
Do you paint? No. “I do digital work.”
Person you would like to have dinner with: Malcolm X
Lesson sports has taught you: Time management.
In 15 years, I will be: Playing in the NFL. “The Saints are my favorite team. I’d like to be drafted by them.”
After a string of non-conference clashes, including a 28-14 loss to rival South Fayette, the Colts open Parkway Conference action at Blackhawk on Oct. 1. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
“They appear to be a team capable of putting up a lot of points. They also lost a heartbreaker to North Catholic, a ranked team,” added Dan Knause. “They are well-coached. We anticipate an intense battle.”
Despite the defeat to the Lions, Knause was pleased with the progress of Tony Vanzin, Jake Thompson, Tavon Sherrell, Mason Copeland, Ben Oehm and Robert Cibrone as well as the play of passing tandem Anthony Mackey and Abe Ibrahim.
“Our youth is starting to get experience up front and they are improving,” Knause said. “Anthony and Abraham have done special things early this season.”
Ibrahim ranked No. 3 in the WPIAL after three weeks of action with 20 receptions for 343 yards and a 17.2-yard average per catch.
Mackey had 37 completions for 464 yards and five scores. He’s also CV’s leading rusher with 370 yards and five touchdowns on 49 attempts.
In the loss to the Lions, Mackey completed nine passes for 142 yards. He scored both CV touchdowns on 1-yard plunges into the end zone.
“They made big plays and we made critical mistakes. We did not finish drives and had too many turnovers,” said Knause of the SF loss.