On Friday, Sept. 8, Summit senior Sam Stephens shattered Summit football’s cumulative rushing yards record. On the same night, the Storm defeated the revenge-seeking Thurston Colts. Just last November, the Storm came out on top in a battle against the Colts in the 5A state semi-final.
On Friday night, Thurston came out strong as they found the endzone first for an early touchdown. Summit senior Jimmy Hughes responded by leading the Storm down the field to take the lead. The Storm got rolling and never looked back. Summit ended up winning by a margin of 21 points with a final score of 46-25. Running back Sam Stephens had a huge game with eight carries for 143 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Stephens also added 93 yards on four receptions to his record breaking night. This is Sephens’ third year playing for Summit, and just after his second game as a senior he has surpassed Dawson Ruhl’s record of 2,280 career rushing yards. Following Friday night in Thurston, Stephens had recorded 2,425 career yards on the ground.
“It’s definitely a cool accomplishment, but at the end of the day the goal is the State Championship” said Stephens. Stephens also dedicates his success to the offensive lineman he has shared the field with throughout his years with the Storm.
Corben Hyatt has been Stephens’ head coach since he’s been with the program, and has high praise for what Sam has accomplished and what he believes he can accomplish in his last season. “I expect him to be, you know, a 3,000 yard career rusher, so it’s pretty cool, pretty amazing,” said Hyatt. Not only does Stephens have an impact on the offensive end, but the defensive side of the ball too. “You know, I think Sam is probably one of the top five best football players in the state of Oregon, both offensively and defensively,” Hyatt added.
As for the remainder of the season, the Storm have plenty of potential. “Moving forward, we look to just improve every week, you know, each week we’ve been getting better and better, so by November, by playoffs, we are firing on all cylinders” said Stephens. Stephens will continue to play a key role for the Storm as they look to defend their title.
Coach Hyatt too expressed the potential that the Storm carries, “I think, you know, we’re inexperienced coming into this season, but we’re growing each and every week.” Hyatt went on to state that the Storm have been faced with one of the most difficult preseason schedules in the state of Oregon. When asked where he sees this team at the end of the season, he responded confidently with, “competing for a state championship.”
