Crescent High School quarterback Tucker Stover is embracing a leadership role as he heads into his senior season, driven by the relationships and examples that have shaped his time with the Tigers football program.
Stover said the foundation of the team starts with the group around him on the field each day. “What I love most about my teammates is that there is a lot of leadership. All of them push me to my limits every day, and always compete to make each other better.” That competitive environment has helped him grow into the starting quarterback, a position he sees as both a responsibility and an opportunity.
“I play quarterback. I think I enjoy being quarterback because I get to be the leader of the team. Having elite players around you makes this position more fun and enjoyable,” Stover said. He describes his running ability as the strength of his game and said he has focused on improving the finer points of his mechanics as he prepares for the fall. “The strength of my game is my running ability. I am hard to tackle when I get out into the open field. I have been working on my throwing form and my feet work. This year I plan to have a tighter spiral and better accuracy.”
That work continues through the offseason, where Crescent’s summer program has highlighted the group’s commitment and potential. “Summer workouts are going great. Majority of the guys show up every day and push themselves to be better every day. Going through spring ball showed me how much potential this team has. Getting a new coach and learning a whole new system by spring ball is difficult,” Stover said.
His development is influenced by people close to him, starting with his brother. “I think my brother Braylin inspires me the most out of anyone. He always finds a way to make me better before himself.” Stover also points to former teammate Smith Gordon as a model for how to lead. “Smith Gordon left a great impression for me. His leadership for our team last year is what brought us success. Smith is the type of guy to always be positive and put others before him and that really inspired me to be the leader that I am today.”
In addition to football, Stover stays busy with basketball, track and field and FFA as he looks ahead to life after Crescent. “I am going into my senior year. I look forward in playing at the next level and getting a degree that will make my future successful,” he said. Reflecting on last season, he added, “The lesson I learned from last is to be more confident in myself. There were plays that I second guessed myself or made the wrong decision by being too slow and hesitant.”
