Player to Watch: A.C. Flora’s Lofton dedicating season to late sister

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Chris Lofton is no stranger to putting in the work. It’s an attitude that stems from the environment he’s in.

“Everybody works hard. There’s nobody who slacks here,” Lofton said. “Everybody wants to be great, be better at everything else.”

This season, he has another motivation. His older sister, Alaysha, passed away last December. She always wanted him to be the best, and in her absence that goal hasn’t changed. Lofton’s teammates have rallied behind him in achieving it.

“Man, they love him. We’re a family here. They’ve got his back and they know what this means to him,” head coach Ken Floyd said. “They’re going to fight for their brother.”

“They supported me a lot ever since it happened and I’m very determined. I always told her when I got older, I was going to buy her a house, stuff like that. Gotta make it happen,” Lofton said. “Just being successful in life would make her proud. She didn’t really care as long as I was successful.”

Last month, Lofton made a big decision in committing to James Madison. It’s the offer he’d been waiting for, so it was easy to accept.

“They just treated me like family the minute I stepped on campus,” Lofton said. “They treated me like I was their son, so I just fell in love with it.”

Friday night marked Lofton’s final first game of the season as a Falcon. It’s bittersweet, but he’s ready to ball with his brothers for one more year.

“I’m just going to miss everybody here,” Lofton said. “Everybody just vibes together. I’m just gonna miss it.”

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