WATCH: 3-star Kentucky QB commit Stone Saunders sets new Pennsylvania high school football record

Modified Sep 28, 2024 18:51 GMT

Kentucky commit Stone Saunders made history in Pennsylvania high school football on Friday. In Bishop McDevitt’s 28-21 victory over Altoona, Saunders threw his 177th touchdown, breaking the previous state record set by Steelton-Highspire quarterback Alex Erby (176). Saunders finished the night with two touchdown passes, pushing his new record to 178.

The achievement marks another milestone in Saunders' impressive career, where he’s already accumulated over 11,000 passing yards as a four-year starter.

The Bishop McDevitt star still has his sights set on additional records. He is within striking distance of Erby’s all-time passing yardage record of 13,567 yards and the single-season touchdown record of 61.

Stone Saunders could surpass these milestones with potentially eight more games left in the season, including playoffs.

Saunders threw for 251 yards and six touchdowns in a dominant 56-7 win against Carlisle on Sept. 20.

Kentucky commit Stone Saunders reflects on record-breaking season and McDevitt’s support

Since his freshman year, Stone Saunders has been dominating Pennsylvania high school football, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 46-plus touchdowns across each of his first three seasons. He’s played 14 games every year, leading Bishop McDevitt to a state title in 2022 as a sophomore.

After his record-setting game on Friday, Saunders shared his gratitude with McDevitt fans.

“I love all of them," he said (via Pennsylvania Football News). "McDevitt’s been the biggest thing in my life, ya know? I never could’ve thought what would’ve happened these past couple of years without them. I played in Midgets; coaches didn’t want me, high school coaches didn’t want me, and they took me in. They’re a really great group of people, and they care about everyone.”

Coach Jeff Weachter, while pleased with the victory, expressed mixed emotions about the team’s performance.

"I’m happy for a win, but I’m not real happy. We went up 21-7 and we left the foot off the gas. Give them credit; they fought. Big props to Altoona. We got sloppy; we didn’t have the ball the whole second quarter—penalties, missed assignments.

"Again, I’m not taking anything away from them, but we gotta play better. We were trying to make plays when we just needed to do our jobs.”

Stone Saunders, a three-star recruit ranked 696th nationally by the On3 Industry Ranking, is one of 17 class of 2025 prospects committed to the Kentucky Wildcats. Saunders had plenty of college options but ultimately committed to Kentucky over elite programs like Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska and Miami (FL).