Sumner vs. Puyallup football rivalry underscores new transfer era in Washington
Lance McGee was fidgety on the sideline last Friday night. He wondered if he should stand, take a seat on the bench or just cheer on his teammates. It was an unfamiliar position — he told Sumner football coach Keith Ross that he’d never been on the winning side of a blowout high school football game before.
“It felt a little awkward,” McGee said, laughing.
Sumner was already beating South Kitsap, 56-0, when McGee was pulled from the game in the second quarter. By that point, the bruising running back had already amassed 119 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
It’s a far cry from last season, when McGee played for Davis High School in Yakima. The Pirates had a losing record and were on the losing end of a few lopsided results.
When McGee’s mom, Sherri Williams, landed a new job as a dentist in the Sumner area, McGee knew something different was in store. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound running back and linebacker would be moving from a struggling team to a spot with the Class 4A reigning state champion Spartans.
Entering Sumner’s top-five valley rivalry showdown with Puyallup High School on Saturday night, McGee is one of several notable transfers who will feature prominently in the game, for both teams.
THE TRANSFER WORLD WE LIVE IN
On the Puyallup side, former Lakes linebacker Michael Pulalasi has been a key player on the Vikings defense and former Central Kitsap quarterback Noah Smith is set to make his debut on Saturday, to name a couple. Smith had to sit the first four games of the season, per the WIAA’s new one-time transfer rule, which was passed last spring.
A quick refresher: the WIAA now allows a one-time transfer for high school student-athletes during their high school careers after they’ve established their initial eligibility at a high school. Students who transfer are ineligible for 40% of the season, which works out to four games for high school football. Students who transfer with a corresponding residence move are still immediately eligible for athletics.
Smith, the Puyallup quarterback, still lives in Bremerton, so he had to sit out the first four games of the season. That’s a consideration he took into account before making his decision, along with the hour-long daily commute to and from school. He decided it was still worth it.
“Just a better opportunity over here,” he said before practice at Sparks Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. “Better competition for sure. … Teams on that side of the water, they don’t want to be in college, don’t want to go further. They treat it just like a game and not like a career.”
With the WIAA’s loosening of transfer rules last spring, transferring is likely to become more common and frequent in the coming years. In football, it is largely driven by private offseason 7on7 teams. Smith, for example, plays for a popular program called “FSP” (Ford Sports Performance). McGee, the Sumner running back, plays for a team called “Wipe Me Down Boyz” and already knew some of the Sumner players before he transferred.
Players from different schools all over the state compete on the 7on7 teams together. They talk and informally recruit each other. With transfer rules loosened, the dream of teaming up on high school teams is now doable.
McGee has to pinch himself thinking about some of the big games he’s already played in this season with the Spartans. There was a top-five road showdown against Lake Stevens and a home game against Oregon reigning 6A state champion West Linn, to name a couple. He hadn’t experienced those types of high-stakes games with packed crowds and raucous atmospheres at Davis.
“This is what I was 100 percent looking for,” he said. “Just the better competition, a stepping stone for college, the coaching.”
McGee is in favor of student-athletes having the freedom to transfer to other schools.
“I think it’s a good thing,” he said. “I can’t hate on it. It gives people a chance, a better opportunity, maybe.”
A SHOWDOWN AT SPARKS STADIUM ON SATURDAY
The rivalry has produced memorable games over the years. Saturday’s game — set for 7 p.m. at Puyallup’s Sparks Stadium — could be one to remember. Both teams enter the game as top five teams in 4A (Sumner No. 3, Puyallup No. 4 in the TNT’s Top 10 rankings this week).
Puyallup will need to slow down McGee, who has been piling up yards early on. He has rushed 73 times for 653 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 8.9 yards per carry. He rushed for a season-high 292 yards in the game against West Linn, a 31-24 loss.
“He’s been a dominant running back for us,” Sumner coach Keith Ross said. “ He slides well, he bursts well, he’s got that suddenness that everyone’s looking for. I love how he runs north and south and holds onto the ball. … He’s a bigger, stronger, faster Peyton Wing.”
And that’s not a bad comp. Wing, one of many great Sumner running backs who have starred for Ross’ teams over the years, now plays for the University of Montana. While McGee has mainly played on offense for Sumner early this season, Oregon State is recruiting him as a linebacker. Which side does he prefer?
“I love to hit people,” he said, smiling. “I love running the ball, I love scoring touchdowns, but it’s just a different type of thing when you get that stop on third down.”
Expect McGee to feature on both sides this week against Puyallup. He’ll be tasked with trying to slow down an explosive Puyallup offense. Smith makes his first start at quarterback, replacing Luke Parker, who will move to receiver after filling in capably at QB.
He should know the Sumner defense like the back of his hand. Knowing he’d have to sit out until Week 5, Smith has been watching Sumner film since August.
“It’s gonna be great,” Smith said. “Saturday night, it’s gonna be loud, for sure. I’ve got a lot of guys counting on me. First game with the new kid on the block, they’re gonna be like, ‘This guy better be good.’ They’re hearing a lot of good stuff about me, but I’ve just gotta show them.”
