His biggest fan is gone, but Indian Land’s Jamol Horton keeps on running

Jamol Horton hopes to celebrate his mother’s birthday by running for several touchdowns Friday night.

After all, his mother cheered him on during his days of Pop Warner football and then as a freshman at Charlotte’s Harding University High.

And she got to see her son switch from quarterback to running back and become a standout at Indian Land High.

But any celebration will be a bit empty Friday night.

“Life goes on,” said Horton, a junior running back. “There are times when I get sad. But I don’t let the negative get to me.”

Lorraine Horton, Jamol’s mother, died in July of cancer — a little more than six months after Jamol’s sister, Salita, was killed in a car wreck.

“So much has gone against this guy,” said Indian Land head coach Adam Hastings. “A lot of other kids would’ve gone off the rail. Not him.”

Indian Land, off to a 3-0 start, entertains cross-border neighbor Marvin Ridge (2-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Hastings said the Warrior community is planning to observe what would have been Lorraine Horton’s 56th birthday as a way of supporting her son.

“The community has become his family,” Hastings said.

Supported by teammates

Before last November, “family” meant Lorraine, Salita and Jamol. Mother and son only had a few months to cope with Salita’s death before Lorraine was diagnosed in March with cancer. Four months later, she was gone.

“I tried to balance helping her as much as possible, and working out with the team,” Horton said. “My relatives helped, so I could get some time in with the team.”

Hastings said he told Horton to take time off when his mother died but acknowledged that being around teammates helped the young running back cope with the grief.

“I think his teammates helped him get through it,” the coach said.

Hastings said Horton could become one of the best running backs in South Carolina.

“He’s exceptionally talented,” the coach said. “He had a 200-yard game two weeks ago.”

Horton is averaging nearly 130 rushing yards a contest and is willing to help in any way.

“The other day in practice, we were missing a tackle on the punt team,” Hasting said. “Jamol was trying to let me send him in to play tackle.”

Community support

Horton, who now lives with family members, said the northern Lancaster County community has rallied around him.

“I feel their support all the time,” he said. “They’re always offering to help me. People will stop and talk to me, and I like that. It makes me feel supported.”

“It’s the same way with my teammates,” he added. “They energize me. They pick me up.”

And, he added, Hastings and the rest of the Warriors’ coaching staff has been a big support.

“Now, don’t get me wrong — Coach Hastings will get on you, if he feels you need it,” Horton said with a chuckle. “But he’s always there for you. I know that he and the other coaches have my back.”

Horton said there are times when the grief can become a burden.

“I look at pictures of my mother and remember the good times,” he said. “But when I start feeling sad, I seem to get the energy to go on.”

“He’s an optimistic guy,” Hastings said. “Imagine everything he’s gone through! And yet he’s one of the most positive-thinking people you’ll meet.”

Horton said his ability to bounce back and see the positive is a gift from his mother.

“That’s the way she was,” he said. “I picked it up.”

Horton, who has hopes of playing college football, said that Indian Land’s unbeaten start is just the beginning of what the team can do this fall.

While acknowledging the Warriors will have to contend with larger 5A powers like Clover, Catawba Ridge and Northwestern in their region, he thinks Indian Land “is a playoff team.”

“We’re just getting started,” he said. “I think we can make this a special season.”