Sumner’s McGee, Mount Tahoma’s Durr are TNT’s All-Area co-players of the year
A one-man wrecking crew on offense. A dominant force on defense. Sumner running back Lance McGee and Mount Tahoma corner Elijah Durr took different paths in their high school football careers, but the end result was the same: elite senior seasons and an undeniable, positive impact on their programs.
McGee, a total-package running back, led Sumner to its second straight Class 4A state title this fall. Durr guided the T-Birds to the Class 3A state championship game, the program’s first state football championship game appearance in 45 years.
Durr and McGee are The News Tribune’s 2025 All-Area co-players of the year.
McGee, who put together perhaps the most dominant season at running back in Washington since former NFL player Jonathan Stewart walked the halls of Timberline High School, saved the best for the last.
In a Class 4A state semifinal against No. 1 seed Puyallup, McGee rushed for 313 yards and five touchdowns, avenging a regular season loss in the valley rivalry. Somehow, he was even better a week later in the state championship game win over Lake Stevens, when he rushed for 368 yards and six touchdowns on 46 carries — all three marks now 4A state championship game records.
“He’s the best running back I’ve ever seen in the state,” Sumner coach Keith Ross said after Sumner’s title win over Lake Stevens. “He’s special.”
McGee, an Oregon State signee who transferred to Sumner from Davis (Yakima) for his senior year, finished the season with 2,489 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns on 251 carries. That puts him in the same company as Stewart, who rushed for 2,566 yards with Timberline in 2003, albeit in two fewer games than McGee played.
“Once I got here, the Sumner family welcomed me in as if I was one of theirs,” McGee said after the 4A state championship game.
Maybe the most admirable trait is McGee’s humility and jovial personality, always sporting a wide smile wherever he goes.
“He’s happy go-lucky,” Ross said. “He’s just special.”
To appreciate and put Elijah Durr’s impact on Mount Tahoma’s program into perspective, it helps to take a wider view. Four seasons ago, in 2022, Mount Tahoma went 4-6. In years prior, the T-Birds struggled to win any of the games on their schedule. In addition to the coaching job by fourth-year head coach Keith Terry, Durr is a major reason why the T-Birds have turned things around in south Tacoma.
Over the course of his career, he brought a swagger, energy and confidence to Mount Tahoma. It culminated in a 3A state tournament quarterfinal appearance in 2024 and this fall, a trip all the way to the Class 3A state championship game against O’Dea at Husky Stadium. Mount Tahoma won the 3A PSL title, beating regular contenders Lincoln and Lakes along the way, and beat Metro power and perennial state tournament contender Eastside Catholic in the semifinals.
“A really fiery competitor, a great leader,” Mount Tahoma coach Keith Terry said. “Those things just kind of spilled onto the team. He brought a certain attitude and a willingness to be great. He always wanted to work to be great.
“Just his lasting impression he’s gonna have on this program, that’s what gonna feed down to the next generation. He set a standard of, ‘This is what it looks like to work, this is what it looks like to be elite’ and now they understand what that looks like and they know what that is to work towards that.”
Durr, a University of Washington signee, made an impact in all three phases of the game for the T-Birds this season. Offensively, he totaled 427 receiving yards and eight touchdowns and on special teams, returned three punts for touchdowns and blocked five field goals. He shone brightest on defense — where he’ll play in college — where his talent as a lockdown corner prevented most teams from even trying to throw the ball in his direction. He tallied 35 tackles, three interceptions, broke up four passes and had 35 tackles.
“It was very wonderful to be a part of,” Durr said. “With us, it’s a brotherhood thing. The tighter your bond is, the more you’re gonna win and have chemistry on the field.”
He leaves a legacy of dominating on the field but more importantly, being a key factor in returning Mount Tahoma’s football program to winning.
“I want (people) to remember that I was all in for this team, doing everything for this team,” he said. “I left a mark of, ‘If you put your mind to it, you can do it.’ Hard work pay off.’”
