St. Stephens hasn’t won a varsity football league title, something second-year head coach Kyle Lowman is hard at work trying to change. The Indians (1-1) play Friday night (7:30 p.m.) at Maiden before a bye week to prepare for a Western Foothills 3A opener against West Iredell in Hickory./FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF OBSERVER NEWS ENTERPRISE
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
SCHEDULE
(all games at 7:30 p.m.)
Aug. 19 – Bandys, W 26-13
Aug. 26 – at Bunker Hill, l 12-33
Sept. 2 – at Maiden
Sept. 16 –W. IREDELL
Sept. 23 – at N. IREDELL
Sept. 30 – at HICKORY
Oct. 7 – N. LINCOLN (HC)
Oct. 14 – E. LINCOLN
Oct. 21 – at STATESVILLE
Oct. 28 – FRED T. FOARD
ST. STEPHENS INDIANS
LOWMAN
Conference: Western Foothills 3A
Head coach: Kyle Lowman (2-7-0, 1 year)
Assistant coaches: Eric Mendel, DC; Matt Jones, LB; Stephen Carpenter DB; Rafael Orozco, DL; James Mayfield, OL; David Childers, WR
Last season’s records: 2-7 overall; 2-5 Western Foothills 3A, sixth place
SCHOOL FOOTBALL HISTORY
Last season in state playoffs: 2015, 3A
Last state playoff victory: 2015, d. Canton Pisgah 14-13, first round
All-time state playoff bids (since 1972): 9
Conference titles (or shares of) since 1980, last: None
BY THE NUMBERS
OVERALL
Returning starters: 15
Returning lettermen: 18
OFFENSE
Set: Multiple I
Returning starters: 9
Leading returning rushers: Brycen Gaither, 5-8, 160, Soph. (149-563, 5 TDs)
Leading returning passer: Peyton Young, 6-0, 170, Sr. (63-128-na, 710, 2 TDs)
Leading returning receivers: Ethan Atwood, 5-8, 150, Sr. (10-102, no TDs)
Other key returnees: Ty McLauchlin, 5-10, 200, Jr., RB; Noah Gscheidmeier, 6-1, 180, Sr. TE; Nicholas Treadway, 6-2, 250, Sr., OL; Josh Waters, 5-9, 190, Sr., OL; Isaac Burgin, 5-11, 295, Sr., OL; Kristian Williams, 6-0, 340, Jr., OL; Michael Watkins, 5-8, 150, Sr., WR; Kasen Turner, 6-2, 250, OL
Top newcomers: Dayton Anderson, 6-2, 190, Sr., WR; Nahshon Martin, 5-10, 185, Jr., RB
DEFENSE
Set: 4-3
Returning starters: 6
Players to watch: Waters, 5-9, 190, Sr., DL; Chip Hendren, 6-0, 180, Sr., LB; Chance Wilson, 5-10, 145, Sr., DB; Atwood, 5-8, 150, Sr., DB; Luke Apollonio, 5-10, 195, Sr., DL; McLauchlin, 5-10, 200, Jr., LB; Turner, 6-2, 250, Sr., DL
