Edmond Santa Fe is fortunate to have several big-time recruits on its football roster this season. Junior Talyn Shettron is one of the most sought after receivers in the country. Senior linebacker Collin Oliver is committed to Oklahoma State. Senior safety/linebacker James Burnett is ranked as the 20th best player in the state. Senior receiver/defensive back Angelo Rankin Junior is committed to Navy.
But the player who might be the breakout star for the Wolves this season is senior Ethane Hyche. The 5-10, 205-pound running back has exploded onto the scene this year, amassing 938 yards and 12 touchdowns through the first five games of the season.
“He’s had an exceptional year,” claimed head coach Kyle White. “He’s grown and matured and worked really hard in the offseason. He’s a fierce competitor. He’s done a lot on his own to be successful and it’s paid off for him.”
Hyche played sparingly as a sophomore and played primarily on defense as a junior until injuries at the running back position forced coaches to move him back to offense. He responded with results and has steadily improved as a starter.
“I had an okay junior season, said Hyche, who had three touchdowns three weeks ago in a lopsided win over Westmoore. “This year, they really let me try out for the position and work for it.”
The Wolves got off to a rough start this season thanks to an extremely tough non-district schedule. They suffered losses to the top team in 6A-I (Owasso) and the #2 team in 6A-II (Stillwater) before reeling off four straight wins.
Rolling is a good way to describe Edmond Santa Fe’s offense this season. The Wolves are averaging more than 40 points per game this season and almost 50 per game during their four-game winning streak.
In last week’s 42-21 win over Yukon two weeks ago, Hyche ran for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Having weapons like Shettron and Rankin at receiver has opened up the running game for Edmond Santa Fe and Hyche has taken advantage.
“It’s opened things up a lot,” stated Hyche. “It helps with the running game. Having our offensive weapons where we can just run the ball and keep running the ball. Then they have to put more linebackers in the box and then we can use our one-on-one matchups. It just keeps going like that. It’s great for the team.”
Hyche credits his improvement to a good offensive line and all of the work he put in during the offseason. He worked with trainers and teammates to improve his size and speed. He clocked a 4.6 forty and 4.24 shuttle time at recent camps.
“My front five, they’ve been great all season,” said Hyche, who’s begun receiving interest from in-state schools Central Oklahoma and Southwestern Oklahoma State. “Those guys will do anything for me and and off of on the field.”
