Sallisaw football player ending prep career in All-State Game
Sallisaw Black Diamonds senior football player Cole Stephens will end his prep career in the 2024 Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State Football Game next Friday night at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee.
In his senior year alone, he rushed for 1,040 yards and 16 touchdowns, while catching 12 passes for 115 yards and a TD for the Black Diamonds, who went 7-5 last season and made it to the Class 4A state quarterfinals.
“I’m very excited,” Stephens said. “It is an honor to play with some of the best players in the state. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid.”
What made him want to play in the All-State Game was going to the games with his dad. Watching his dad and players is something he saw, and never forgot as it stuck with him.
It has been a while since the last time a Sallisaw Black Diamond was selected to play in the All-State Game. He feels thankful to be able to play for the team and the town. He hopes to inspire others.
“I am lucky to have been chosen to play, and I hope that me playing in this game shows the underclassmen coming up that they have the chance to play All-State, too.”
With this game, Stephens hopes to make friends with the guys with whom he will be playing next Friday night. He wants to have fun. He says he’s going to take in the moment that this is the last time he will play a game with a bunch of guys.
“Since that is the last group of guys I get to play with, I want to take it all in and have a lot of fun out there,” the Class of 2024 Sallisaw High School graduate said.
Stephens has been hard at work for next week’s All-State Game. He’s working out as much as possible when he is at home. He runs a mile or two every day and works on his sprint running.
“I’m just trying to keep the football player shape that I had from last season,” he said.
This could very well be Stephens’ last football game as he does not plan on continuing his football career in college, and is going to go to college as a full-time student. He says that if a coach or scout offered him something, that might change his mind — with the key word being “might.”
“I would keep it in consideration, especially if it is a school I like and if I like the coaches,” Stephens said.
