Saturdays are for football — and Stevenson

If Cy Stevenson was an unknown quantity outside Lincoln County in 2020, it wasn’t really his fault.

“Dawson Young was a senior,” remembered Stevenson, a sophomore at the time. “And I wanted to get on the field.”

So Stevenson, athletic and fast, moved to tight end for the Libby Loggers that season. In a wishbone offense. He caught nine passes, mostly blocked, and Young pushed his career rushing total over 3,000 yards.

“Kind of the dirty work, those younger years,” Stevenson said, laughing.

But by his junior year he was the focal point in Libby’s run-first approach, a unique style in the quarterback-rich Western A.

“I played running back in middle school and freshman year I got time on JV,” he said. “It was a mutually known thing; it kind of just flowed together.”

After rumbling for 792 yards as a junior, Stevenson, 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, picked up 1,264 this season. That was the most in Class A through last week.

Obviously Stevenson would like to have played at least one more week, but his squad fell at Laurel in the playoffs.

“It was tough,” he said. “We came out that first drive and I felt like we were able to run the ball. Then I don’t know what happened.”

Neil Fuller, Libby’s veteran coach, noted that his best two-way lineman missed the game, and that they were short one Cy: Williams, a junior tight end who capably did what Stevenson did in 2020. The first drive went well, but Libby managed just one TD, by Stevenson.

Which brings us back to what he’s brought to the Loggers.

“He was such a good blocker, we needed him up front (in 2020),” Fuller said. Then he added: “Of all the kids I’ve coached, he’s one of the very best.”

Stevenson hasn’t played on his last Saturday. Earlier this fall he committed to the Montana Grizzlies, joining a short list of Libby products who have matriculated to Missoula.

For the product of two UM grads, and whose brother-in-law Payton Stoner played offensive line for the Griz, this was a lifelong dream. Or least as far back as age 7, when he was at Washington-Grizzly Stadium for a game.

“I looked up and I saw myself on the Jumbotron,” he said. “I was in second or third grade.”

Fast forward a decade and Stevenson is at the South Dakota game on Sept. 10. He’s traveled with Libby teammates Jace DeShazer and Trevor Collins.

“I went to the first game, Northwestern State,” he noted. “They wanted me to come back and so I went back to the South Dakota game. I’m on the field, and one of the coaches had me go talk to Bobby Hauck.”

Hauck, the Griz head coach, offered Stevenson a partial scholarship right there.

“It was the coolest environment,” he said. “Kind of like a movie. It was awesome. It was right in the center of the field, pre-game.”

Fuller, who has marshaled the Loggers to three straight 4-6 seasons, loves it.

“We’ve gone through some tough days the last couple of years and he always kept a positive attitude and played his fanny off,” Fuller said. “All the honors he’s received, and the opportunity to play for the Griz? He’s earned every bit of it.”

Stevenson thinks he might wind up a linebacker, but he’s unsure. He feels he’ll be listed as the catch-all “Athlete” when signing day comes. Who knows? One of his Libby predecessors, Jody Farmer, was a fine Griz running back.

“He’s so gifted,” Fuller said. “I don’t know what the Grizzlies’ plans are, but he’s so athletic, he could play on either side of the ball.”

Not every scholarship athlete comes from a 10-0 team, and the best have to do some (checks notes) the dirty work. All we know is that Saturdays are for college football, and Stevenson still has some Saturdays left.

Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 758-4463 or fneighbor@dailyinterlake.com.