PATRIOT AUTO ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Pawhuska QB delivers in massive rally
Pawhuska High’s football team trailed by 26 points, 32-6, last week in the first half against Woodland High School.
For many teams, that would have been too big a mountain to climb against team as good as Woodland.
But, most teams don’t have Todd Drummond at quarterback.
The senior ball-slinger directed a massive comeback that ranked somewhere between the incredible and shocking zones on the accomplishment-o’meter.
For Drummond, it was pretty close to another day at the office.
He shredded the sky with 486 yards passing — including four touchdowns — and ran for two more scores.
For his dynamic performance in this game — and for the season — Drummond is this week’s Patriot Auto Athlete of the Week.
As last week’s game wound down, Drummond burst into the end zone to break a 36-36 tie. The subsequent two-pointer made it a 44-36 lead for Pawhuska. Woodland would score in the final minute, but Pawhuska stopped the two-point try to clinch the 44-42 win.
Drummond has guided the Huskies to a 3-1 record through the first four games.
Pawhuska owns a 14-4 mark since he became the starter to open the 2021 campaign.
That followed a productive tutelage Drummond experienced as a freshman and sophomore with his brother Bryce as the starting quarterback.
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Pawhuska head coach Matt Hennesy has said at most other schools Todd would have started as a sophomore.
The Drummond boys’ cumulative record to far as Pawhuska’s starting quarterbacks is 43-12.
Todd has already committed to play college football for South Dakota — which came about in a circular manner.
It began when Iowa State football assistant director of player personnel Josh Rosenthal had recruited Bryce (Bryce eventually chose North Texas) and also began recruiting Todd.
When Rosenthal moved on earlier this year to South Dakota, “I shot him a text,” Todd told the E-E in an interview earlier this season. “He kind of passed my film along to guys on the staff. They offered me in May. I went on an official visit and loved everything about it.”
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Instead of focusing on the question of why go to South Dakota, the question became “Why wouldn’t I go to South Dakota,” Drummond said.
But, Drummond’s primary mindset this fall is on helping Pawhuska be successful.
He recognizes that with the graduation last year of so many Huskie superstars, there’s a much bigger spotlight on him.
“I feel all these guys I play with are awesome,” he said. “I love these guys like they are my brothers.”
He’s deeply grateful for the support of his family.
“That always know how much the game of football means to me,” he said, and referred to a recent experience when he had a tooth pulled early in the day and the first thing a parent asked the dentist was ‘Is he going to be able to practice today?’ My dad watches a lot of film and helps me out with stuff he sees. … I love my family. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive family.”
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Athlete of the Week: Pawhuska QB Todd Drummond delivers bigtime
