Sumner rides McGee’s historic performance to second straight 4A title
Once Sumner got a defensive stop in overtime against Lake Stevens, everyone in attendance at Husky Stadium knew who was getting the ball. Everyone on the Lake Stevens defense knew, too.
It didn’t matter. Lance McGee took two runs and ran the second one yard into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown, capping off one of the single greatest state championship performances in Washington state history.
His final line: six touchdowns and 300+ yards on 40+ carries (official WIAA stats were not yet finalized on Saturday evening). Sumner won, 41-35, its second straight Class 4A state title.
“It was a blessing, for sure,” McGee said in his signature understated manner. “Shoutout to my o-line, shoutout to the play calling. Everything I did was the coaches and my line.”
Longtime Sumner coach Keith Ross heaped praise onto the star running back.
“He’s the best running back I’ve ever seen in the state,” Ross said. “He’s special. … He’s amazing. He had 11 touchdowns in the two biggest games of Sumner’s history. Our o-line is filthy. Lance found a home here, he found an o-line. … He’s the best player I’ve ever seen in my 28 years, he’s the best player I’ve ever coached and he’s a great kid.”
McGee, an Oregon State signee, transferred from Davis (Yakima) during the offseason and was an instant sensation at Sumner. Last week, he ran for 313 yards and five touchdowns against the top-seeded Puyallup Vikings in the semifinals.
Somehow, he managed to top that performance a week later in a scintillating showing that Lake Stevens had no answers for.
A 23-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter gave Sumner a 35-21 lead, but Lake Stevens clawed its way back into the game. Vikings’ quarterback Blake Moser also had an electric showing, passing for 206 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 129 yards and four more touchdowns on 15 carries. He got loose for a 64-yard touchdown run to pull Lake Stevens within a score, then scored one a 1-yard keeper to tie the game.
Sumner attempted a 45-yard field goal in the final seconds of regulation to win the game, but it was blocked. On Lake Stevens’ first drive in overtime, facing a fourth down, Moser scrambled and was tracked down in the backfield by safety Elias Tulifua, who dove at Moser and appeared to disrupt his balance and cause him to fall short on fourth down. It gave the ball back to Sumner and McGee took care of the rest.
The win avenged Sumner’s loss to Lake Stevens in Week 1 of the regular season, one of three Sumner losses on the year. But the Spartans won the ones that mattered.
“We took a couple losses earlier in the season,” McGee said. “Everybody counted us out. What can they say now though?”
McGee’s six touchdowns were a 4A state championship game record. It surpassed the previous record of four, held by two players, most recently Lake Stevens’ Kolton Matson, in the 2023 championship game against Graham-Kapowsin. McGee’s six rushing touchdowns broke the previous record of four, held by Newport’s Chris Dixon, set in the 1992 championship game.
While official rushing yard stats have yet to be finalized from Saturday’s game, McGee’s mark almost certainly surpasses the previous 4A state championship game record of 254 set by Central Valley’s Tyree Clowe in the 1997 championship game against South Kitsap.
“He runs amazing,” said Sumner offensive tackle Elijah Thomas. “He’s the best running back in the state, easy.”
Back-to-back titles? That has a good ring.
“It just feels unreal,” Thomas said. “We have great energy at Sumner, great community. We do it for the community.”
This story was originally published December 6, 2025 at 10:40 PM.
