Sun Valley QB and FSU commit Sam Howell has 1 goal for his senior season

Sam Howell is a quarterback, and a good one at that — a 6-foot-1 senior, the No. 3 player in North Carolina and a Florida State commit. On this Saturday morning, though, he’s playing a different position.

Sun Valley already has a huge lead on its opponent, in its first game of the Cam Newton Foundation 7-on-7 Tournament. Howell has diced up the May River (S.C.) defense on multiple possessions, so he jogs to the sideline and lines up as a wide receiver.

His Spartans teammates love it. “He’s a quarterback, baby!” one of them yells. “Shake and bake!” adds another, as Howell beats his defender for a short catch.

By game’s end, the quarterback catches a touchdown from Sun Valley’s backup, attempts to snag a fade route with one hand and jaws with the cornerback covering him. Then, he laughs it all off and gets ready for the next opponent.

“At the end of the day, I think that’s what this is all about” he says of his position change and the Rock Hill tournament as a whole. “Just having fun.”

This is Howell’s last summer as a high school player. He realizes that, and he’s finding ways to enjoy it. But nothing gets in the way of improving himself. Earlier this month, Howell was in Redondo Beach, Calif., participating the Elite 11 Finals with other top Class of 2019 quarterbacks.

After that three-day event ended, the list of 24 participants was whittled to 12. Howell made the cut and earned a trip to Dallas for The Opening Finals next weekend — a Nike showcase for the top players in the country.

“I’m just looking forward to going out there and competing with the best players in the nation,” Howell said. “I love competing — that’s what I do. So it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Howell has also been playing with the C1N All-Stars, Cam Newton’s 7-on-7 travel team. That’s led to a friendship between Howell and Newton, which was evident on Saturday as the two chatted away.

“He helps me with the recruiting things; he looks out for me all the time,” Howell said of the Panthers’ star quarterback. “It’s awesome to have him as a resource, and he’s a great guy. I’m really thankful for what he’s done for me.”

As he enters his final season at Sun Valley, Howell has accomplished plenty. In three seasons with the Spartans, he’s passed for 10,175 passing yards and 109 touchdowns. Last year, as a junior, he had 4,966 total yards and 60 total touchdowns, carrying an 11-4 Sun Valley team to the NCHSAA 3AA state semifinals.

Howell currently sits eighth in North Carolina history in total yardage and seventh in touchdown passes. He’ll continue to rack up stats and climb the leaderboards as a senior, but don’t expect him to keep up with such things. His goals, he said, are much bigger.

“I don’t have any personal goals,” he said. “It’s all team-wise. I’ve been at Sun Valley my whole entire life, and I just want to bring a championship there.”

Sun Valley coach Tad Baucom lauded his quarterback for carrying that championship mindset, no matter the situation. The Spartans are a young team this year, with few returners on offense. But in Howell, they have a natural leader.

“He’s always, ‘OK, let’s go out and let’s be great,’” Baucom said. “He does talk that way. He doesn’t do it for show. He doesn’t just do it when the lights are on and everyone’s around him. In the locker room, he’ll say things. In practice, sometimes. And they listen.”

Just a few weeks ago, Sun Valley held a middle school football camp. Baucom watched as Howell hopped right in with kids five years younger than him, throwing them passes and letting them tackle him. It’s that attitude, with teammates and kids and everyone in Monroe, that makes Howell stand out.

“He welcomes everybody like they’ve been around him the whole time,” Baucom said. “Everybody supports him. Everybody’s for him — you can’t help but be for him. He’s a great kid who just draws people to him.”

With his commitment to Florida State set in stone, Howell is excited to play his final season without the stress of recruiting. He wants to improve his game mentally and recognize more coverages. Baucom will encourage him to take less hits as a runner, but jokes that it’ll be a challenge. After all, competition is Howell’s best attribute.

By January of next year, the quarterback will be enrolled at Florida State. In the mind of Baucom and many others, he’s already the best athlete in Union County history. But a state championship remains his sole focus. And those familiar with Howell know he won’t slow down on his journey to secure it.

“He’s leaving a legacy,” Baucom said. “We just tell him to keep leaving it.”

This story was originally published June 23, 2018 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Sun Valley QB and FSU commit Sam Howell has 1 goal for his senior season."