The Hive Sports

by James Tate

The greatness of high school football is watching kids grow, compete, and play as a team. The wins and losses will come and go, but lifelong friendships will always be the joy that stays with a team forever. The bond of the 2023 Box Elder football team is strong and is not something that magically appeared. This team has worked hard to have a fantastic 6-0 start to their season, even though they have yet to play an official home game.

Senior running back Dax Sumko has taken his game to another level on the football field. Sumko is one of the nation’s top rushers and leads the Utah 5A class with 917 yards. In the off-season, Sumko took team leadership with senior teammates Ryan Griffin, Mason Jeppsen, and Brock Bissenger. The 2022 team finished 9-4 and made it into the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. Losing 2022 Standard-Examiner All-Area MVP Cole Mortensen and other seniors was tough, but Sumko and his teammates were ready for the challenge.

Offensive Line

Sumko is on pace to eclipse 4,000 career rushing yards, averaging 7.8 yards per carry. Another significant achievement for Sumko and the Bees would be a 2,000-yard rushing season.

“Being able to say a player ran for 2000 is pretty cool,” Sumko said. “It is more impressive to be on a team that ran for over 3000 yards.”

“My offensive line Derek Nessen, Roman Torrey, Cody Kaleikini, Kyler Horne, Dylan Riggs, Nick Sega, and Brock Bissegger are some of the best, hardest working, and grittiest dudes I know. I don’t think everyone understands what they do week in and week out with our offense. If you watch the film, you’ll notice that opposing teams completely stack the box against us. It can be anywhere from 6 to 10 guys, and every game, our fellas are asked to take on that task and do it efficiently. Every week, they do exactly like that, and our backs have success because of those guys. We owe a lot to them, even though they might not receive the recognition we skill guys do, but they should 100 percent.”

The running back position

The running back position and its value is known at the professional level. Sumko understands the weekly game plan and how the coaching staff wants to attack opponents at the high school level. When he has the ball, Sumko displays patience and explosiveness and can see openings like no other back. Practice and repetitions of plays separate the good and elite backs, and Sumko is elite.

“We work all week on the same things, sometimes 100 times or more, in preparation to run it ten times on Friday, said Sumko. “Come game time, those reps pay off because now it’s second nature, and you can see all the parts working at a fast pace. At that point, everything will slow down because it’s just a regular rep with more speed and execution.”

The Bees look to Sumko when they need the tough yards and big plays to keep drives going, and he responds every time. Having eight touchdowns in the last three games, Sumko delivers when his team needs him most.

Winning attitude

The Bees playoff run last season ended in the quarterfinal round to eventual state champion Lehi Pioneers by a score of 28-21. Playoff wins over the Highland Rams and Provo Bulldogs have given the Bees a taste of winning in the state tournament, and that experience carried into the off-season and summer workouts.

“We want to win,” said Sumko. “We knew that losing key guys was going to be tough, so we knew that we would need to step up early in the off-season and not only work hard individually but work hard as a team. Replacing roughly eight players on both sides is not easy, and we knew that. This allowed Mason, Ryan, Brock, and I to step up early and build that chemistry we would need to be successful.”

photo of quarterback Ryan Griffin

Bees backfield

The televised win over the Roy Royals showed everyone in the state Sumko’s talent, drive, and will to win. With region games in full swing, Sumko and the Bees are at full speed to capture the region championship. The play of Griffin at quarterback has been outstanding, and he joins Sumko in the backfield and gives the Bees a prolific combination.

“Ryan is a very talented player, and his ability to change a game is pretty incredible,” Sumko said. “Last year, the Provo game was strictly won by him and his grit to not give up until the game’s end. What many don’t see about Ryan is his behind-the-scenes leadership. He’s more than just a QB. He is a natural leader who brings great energy in big moments, constantly lifting and holding players accountable. He is an incredible kid off the field. He’s a very good teammate and friend, and that makes him a great leader to me.”

Running backs Jeppsen and Damon Rodiguez’s play has given defenses fits, as they can use their speed on the outside to complement Sumko’s inside runs. The pass-catching ability of these two is an element that has led to big plays in their passing game. A standout on the defensive side, Jeppesen has 542 rushing yards on offense and on his way to a potential 1,000 yard season.

Community and school support

The Bees have yet to play at their home field this season as they await completion of new turf installation. But this has not stopped their incredible start to the season with a 6-0 record. The support shows up for Sumko and the Bees every game, and the team feeds off the students and fans cheering them on.

“I have been blown away by how amazing our fan base has been,” Sumko said. “We have been all over the place the last five weeks. From Salt Lake to Logan, and it’s not even a question who has a bigger fan base when we play somewhere. Our community and school are extremely supportive and show out every week no matter where we are, and we have the best student section in the state.”

Bright future for Sumko

Sumko’s impressive play has caught the attention of many colleges, and he will garner many awards when the season ends. His plans after high school include serving a mission for the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

“This has always been my plan from a young age,” Sumko said. “I would love to play college football if given the opportunity to do so after I get home.”

Before getting to that point, Sumko and the Bees know they need to handle business at hand with region games right now.

“Region champs is a big goal of ours as a squad,’ Sumko said. “We know that such an accomplishment will take much work, though. We always talk about stuff like that but quickly realize that we need to focus on one game at a time. Every week in Region 5 is a region championship game because we have such a large region of talented teams.

Importance of family to the Bees

Sumko has worked extremely hard to improve every part of his game and his part on the team. His success does not come from him alone; he knows the team’s success is the primary goal of every game.

“My teammates all work their butts off to make sure we are successful as a team,” said Sumko. “I am fortunate to experience much of that success because of them. My coaches believe in me and trust me to be a leader, and they know I can get the job done and will always put me in a spot to do so. My trainer, Mike Burgaff, always helps me be healthy and recovered by Friday when it’s time to perform.”

Sumko’s parents have also supported him in this process.

“My parents are extremely supportive, and I would not be where I am without them,” said Sumko. “They constantly push me to be better and love watching me do what I love.”

photos courtesy of James Tate