Kennedy Catholic’s Sam Huard throws 7 TD passes in season-opening win over Tahoma
It had been over 400 days since Kennedy Catholic High School had last played a football game when the Lancers opened at Tahoma on Friday night, but the long layoff didn’t seem to have any impact on their high-powered offense, led by senior quarterback and University of Washington signee Sam Huard.
Huard threw for 341 yards and five touchdowns in the first half alone, finishing 26-for-35 for 495 yards and seven touchdowns in a 49-14 rout of the Bears.
The tone was set on the game’s first offensive play. The Lancers ran a trick play they call “Baseball” which is a double reverse with a throw back to Huard, who found senior Reed Shumpert for a 46-yard reception. Four plays later, the Lancers were in the end zone as Huard found Shumpert again for a 6-yard score.
“I’m really proud of my teammates,” Huard said. “We just put in the hard work the entire time and just took the opportunity to get better. Even though it was a long wait and we had to wait a long time watching other states play, we finally got the opportunity, and we were really prepared. I think that’s just a reflection on all the hard work and staying committed as a team and just staying together through these hard times.”
Huard’s statistics were impressive as usual, but he acknowledged that Friday’s game had a different feel. With no fans in the stands and no band playing, the atmosphere was different. Huard seemed to appreciate just being back on the field.
“I just wanted to take a moment and see all my teammates and my coaches and just be out here together,” Huard said. “Just being able to play with these guys, it means the world to me. Every time I have the opportunity to step on the field with my teammates and my brothers and play for Coach (Sheldon) Cross and these coaches, it’s just so awesome. That’s the only thing that matters to me at the end of the day is just being out here playing the game that I love with my teammates.”
Huard’s teammates were rather good on Friday as well. He spread the ball to six different receivers, led by seniors Jabez Tinae, Junior Alexander, Shumpert and Leland Ward. Ward led the team in receptions with eight, and finished with 106 yards. Shumpert had seven catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Tinae had four catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns and Alexander had four catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
“It felt so good (to be back on the field),” Ward said. “We’ve just been working since like June and coming together as a group and working hard. It just felt great to just unleash it all and put on a show.”
The star of the show was Huard, but he was quick to give the credit to his receiving corps.
“My receivers, they make it so easy for me to just get them the ball and they do the rest,” Huard said. “There were so many times that we had one-play drives. You know, give them a little screen and (it’s) an 80-yard touchdown. Really, they’re the ones putting in the work.”
Ward is the team’s running back but was a focal point of the passing game all night. Many of catches were short flip passes from Huard in the backfield. Ward did the rest of the work.
“In true Air-Raid fashion, you find creative ways to get the ball to the tailback as well,” Cross said. “I think that was a game that Coach Hal Mumme and Mike Leach would be proud of.”
At halftime, it looked like Huard might have a chance to break the single-game passing yardage record of 613 set by Shadle Park’s Brett Rypien in 2013, but Tahoma had a few time-consuming drives in the second half and Huard didn’t play for most of the fourth quarter.
It’s not the first time Huard has flirted with such history, but he still has a few more games left in his stellar career to see if he can get the mark.
“I know Coach Cross really wants that record really bad,” Huard said. “But at the end of the day, the minute I start worrying about that stuff, it’s not what I want to be focusing on. If I just come out here and control what I can control and have fun with my guys, I know the rest will take care of itself. That’s really not my mindset.
“Of course, I’d be lying to you if I said it wasn’t in the back of my mind. I’ve seen the numbers and I know what I have to get to. But at the same time, just coming out here tonight I was like I’m not going to think about that once. I’m just going to play the game that I love with my teammates and have a lot of fun.”