Stone Saunders has Historic Passing Records on the Line in State Championship

Stone Saunders is throwing for history Friday night. The future Kentucky quarterback is 15 completions and 131 yards away from becoming the most prolific passer in the history of Pennsylvania High School Football.

Saunders will get a chance to break records while competing for his second state championship. He led Bishop-McDevitt to a 4A State Title during his sophomore season. This time he’ll be seeking out a Class 5A Title against Philadelphia’s Roman Catholic High School.

For Saunders, the passing records are just a footnote. He’s singularly focused on bringing home a championship.

“I want to end my high school career with a state championship,” Saunders told the Patriot-News. “I’ve been blessed with all the coaches and teammates that have surrounded me over the past four years. To me, there’s no other way to honor those who have helped me so much than to go out with a state championship.”

The state of Pennsylvania has produced legendary quarterbacks, from Kentucky’s own Babe Parilli to Joe Namath, Dan Marino, and Joe Montana. Even though it’s a different era, he could be the most prolific passer ever to grace the gridiron in a state where football matters.

The future Kentucky Wildcat already holds the state’s passing touchdowns record with 202. According to MaxPreps, only two other high school players have ever thrown for more touchdowns, Jake Browning (California) and Maty Mauk (Ohio).

Saunders is the first player from Pennsylvania to throw for 3,000 yards in four seasons. His consistency made it an easy sell for Kentucky’s Mark Stoops.

“He’s got so much good film out there, just a ball player, and so he’s just a guy who just doesn’t take long to put on the film and like the way he plays ball,” Stoops said Wednesday. “Obviously throwing for that many yards and touchdowns, you see he can distribute the football.”

You can stream Saunders’ record-attempt Friday night at 7 pm EST on the NFHS Network. Following the game, he’ll only have another month at home before he moves to Lexington to enroll at the University of Kentucky for the spring semester.

Not the only QB in the UK Signing Class

Stone Saunders will have some company in the Kentucky quarterback room this spring. The Cats also signed Brennen Ward on Wednesday. Unlike Saunders, he did not play for a proficient high school program, but he won a Regional Championship for Lincoln Gahanna.

“Brennen is from where I’m from, up in that area. Gahanna ain’t been to the (state) finals in D-I football, and when he was freshman, he took him to the first round, then he took him to the second round, and they lost the third round,” said Vince Marrow.

“This year was probably his worst team, but when you watch him, I say this all the time, he reminds me of Dak Prescott a little bit his release how he is. He’s a very smart kid. He’s a coach’s son… Both OCs (Liam Coen and Bush Hamdan) watched him at camp and they said, ‘Wow, this kid is pretty good.’ So I think we got two really good young arms, young guys.”

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