Gravely hits paydirt
Record-setting Lynn Tech RB fulfills coach’s vision
LYNN — Steffan Gravely is not the only star player that James Runner has coached in his eight seasons at the helm of Lynn Tech’s football team. But after the senior running back scored three times in a 41-0 victory over KIPP Academy last week, overtaking former Lynn Tech great and current assistant coach Kennedy Gomes as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 66 career touchdowns, it all came full circle for Runner. That feeling he had four years ago when Gravely burst onto the scene had come to fruition.
“Honestly, during his freshman year in a game against Burke, he was at free safety and running back and you just saw the unbelievable talent in him, the power he had behind him, and his heart — which was probably the biggest thing,” said Runner. “I said to my (assistant) coaches that he was probably going to be a pretty decent gem.”
Gravely proved his coach correct. That season he rushed for 968 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“He asked me after (his freshman) season if that was a good year, and I told him it was a pretty good year,” joked Runner. “It has just gone on from there.”
Four years later Gravely and Lynn Tech have not slowed down. The 5-0 Tigers will head into tomorrow’s Commonwealth Athletic Conference tilt at Northeast (10 a.m.) with an eye toward earning a top seed in the upcoming Division 8 state playoffs.
“I coached college football for seven years at Dean College, and we recruited all over the country,” Runner said. “I told the guy that recruited me that (Steffan) was the best football player I’ve ever watched. Kennedy Gomes, who played here for me, set the record in three years, so for Steffan to surpass him is big for the program, and it’s big for him. It’s pretty amazing.”
The spotlight may be on the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Gravely — do yourself a favor and watch the clip of the 91-yard touchdown run he had against KIPP on hudl.com — but his focus has always been about the team and winning football games, with individual accolades ranking well behind.
“As a team, we are all on the same page, and that is to win a (state) championship. We have a big senior class and we all want to graduate with a ring,” Gravely said. “Of course I was aware that I was close to breaking the school scoring record, and that was a personal goal, but it was never my main focus. My goal is to win a championship.”
Gravely and fellow senior running back Keoni Gaskin are aptly nicknamed G-Force by teammates and fans for their ability to run and accelerate through opposing defenses. That rushing attack has the Tigers looking to make a deep postseason run after being knocked out by Brighton last year in the first round.
That mission began the moment the final whistle blew on Gravely’s junior season.
“I just trained and worked out all offseason,” said Gravely. “I am always moving at 110 miles an hour.”
There may only be a few games left in his storied high school career, but Gravely continues to search for ways to improve as a player and to move the team forward.
“(Lynn Tech) is a program in the making, but we need to execute better as a team, play whistle to whistle and finish off games,” Gravely said. “(Breaking the record) feels like a weight off my shoulders, but I am still ready to keep working to get better.” FAVORITE PERSONAL MOMENT IN SPORTS: Hitting my first home run in Babe Ruth FAVORITE COURSE IN SCHOOL: Carpentry FAVORITE PIGOUT FOOD: Lobster FAVORITE TV SHOW: Criminal Minds FAVORITE MOVIE: Forrest Gump FAVORITE VIDEO GAME: Street Football FAVORITE PRO TEAM: New England Patriots FAVORITE ATHLETE: Ezekiel Elliott HOW I PREPARE FOR A GAME: By watching Hudl and going over plays from practice CAREER AMBITIONS: To be an NFL player, but, if not, follow back on my trade and be a carpenter and hopefully end up opening my own carpentry business