Yakima standout Lance McGee getting acclimated at new school - 4A champion Sumner

Oregon State Beavers linebacker pledge expected to play more running back for Spartans this fall, at least early on

Lance McGee, an Oregon State University commit, has joined the Sumner football program for his senior season, transferring from Davis of Yakima. / Photo by Todd Milles

PARKLAND, Wash. - In a kept-in-the-dark sense, you could say Lance McGee and Sumner High School football were strong forces meant to meet.

Even though McGee played three seasons at Davis of Yakima in the same classification as Sumner, the three-star 2026 Oregon State University commit admitted he had never heard of the school until a few months ago - even though the Spartans won the WIAA Class 4A championship last December.

And longtime Sumner coach Keith Ross? He said it wasn't until some of his returning players reported that McGee enrolled in the school before he took a look at some of the teenager's Hudl highlights.

"I was like, 'Whoa!'" Ross said. "And he's a lot bigger (in person) than I thought he'd be."

And yet, even though the reigning 4A CBBN's defensive player of the year has received most of his acclaim on that side of the ball (the Beavers are recruiting him as a linebacker as well) ... surprise, surprise - his primary position to begin his Sumner tenure will be on offense.

At running back.

"Once he got here, I told him, 'You are a pretty good running back!'" Ross said. "And we just lost our running back (Steele Isaacs) ... so I asked him, 'How cool would it be to rush for 2,000 yards and then go play linebacker in college?' He thought that was pretty cool."

Added McGee, who had nearly 1,300 rushing and receiving yards and 21 touchdowns a year ago at Davis, and played exclusively at tailback for Sumner during live scrimmages Thursday at the PLU 11-on-11 Passing Tournament: "I've got to prove myself still, so I told him if you guys see me at running back ... I'll play whatever to make the team win."

This spring, McGee joined Bellevue-based "Wipe Me Down Boyz" club football and its top 7-on-7 team where he became teammates with 11 Sumner returners, including quarterback Nate Donavan, and wide receiver Braylon Pope.

McGee and company won five consecutive 7-on-7 tournaments regionally, and the players all started talking about how things around Sumner were different than most programs.

"It's a lot different culture, and I love everything about it," McGee said. "Every day in the morning, everybody's showing up to weights. Everybody's hyped."

And even though he's only been in Sumner with his aunt for a few weeks, McGee already has a favorite hangout spot.

"Lake Tapps," he said. "My friend has a lake house up there on our team, so every day after practice, we hit the lake to have a good time on the jet skis and everything."

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