By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Connor Williams’ 236-yard game last Friday night in his first start as varsity quarterback at St. Stephens High is one of the top passing performances of the past 22 years for the Indians.
Williams — a 6-foot-3, 180-pound sophomore — completed 13 of 27 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-28 loss at Bandys. He hit Zach Lee three times for TDs – two for 39 yards and one for 68 – as St. Stephens rallied from a three-score deficit to lead 28-27 at one point.
The only Indians quarterbacks to throw for more yards in a game since 1997 are Tanner Miller (three times) — including a high of 322 in 2010 in a loss to Alexander Central — and Matthew Cook two seasons ago, 257 yards in a loss to Bandys.
St. Stephens has thrown for 200 or more yards in 17 games since 1997, which includes a 207-yard game in 2011 by Connor Williams’ older brother, Matt, against Fred T. Foard.
Matt Williams, who now plays at Lenoir-Rhyne University, played one season at St. Stephens (freshman), one season at Hickory (sophomore) and two seasons at Fred T. Foard (missed almost all of his junior year with broken fibula). Unofficially, threw for 4,700 yards and rushed for another 2,320 in his prep career.
Connor Williams was quarterback last season on the junior varsity at Bandys, where his mom, Angela, is principal.
BIG PASSING GAMES FOR THE INDIANS
A list of the 200-yard passing games by St. Stephens High quarterbacks since the 1997 season, as compiled by HobbsDailyReport.com research and files:
Player Year A-C-I Yds. TDs Result
Tanner Miller 2010 16-28-1 322 3 Alex Central, L 25-55
Matthew Cook 2016 13-23-1 257 2 Bandys, L 29-36
Tanner Miller 2009 15-26-2 255 0 E. Surry, L 13-28
Tanner Miller 2010 15-35-3 243 3 Maiden, L 42-54
Connor Williams 2018 13-27-3 236 3 Bandys, L 28-42
Tanner Miller 2009 19-33-0 235 1 Newton-Con., L 10-29
Dee Miller 2005 11-21-2 233 2 Newton-Con., L 21-34
Chip Watts 1997 15-32-0 232 2 Mooresville, L 12-42
Tanner Miller 2009 13-21-3 221 1 Foard, L 17-24
Tanner Miller 2008 15-22-2 220 0 Maiden, L 30-35
Tanner Miller 2009 17-37-0 216 2 Watauga, W 16-13
Tanner Miller 2009 12-26-1 215 1 Hickory, L 17-21
Justin Bullock 2017 9-26-0 213 3 Alex Central, L 21-59
Matthew Cook 2016 24-36-0 212 0 Maiden, L 10-43
Matthew Cook 2016 10-19-0 211 2 Bunker Hill, W 41-14
Justin Bullock 2017 11-14-0 208 1 Bunker Hill, W 35-7
Matt Williams 2011 16-27-1 207 1 Foard, L 14-27
SOURCE: HobbsDailyReport.com research and files.