STEVIE VAFEAS
FORT GIBSON HIGH SCHOOL
The 2024 football season has been a frustrating one for Fort Gibson junior lineman Stevie Vafeas until recently after having a breakout season last year for the Tigers recording 51 tackles including nine for loss.
“Stevie suffered an ankle injury early in the first game of the season and has been out until this week,” said head coach Ryan Nolan. “He’s been out there coaching up our young players and doing what he can to help. You could tell it really fired up the kids when he was able to return this week, and we had one of the best weeks of practice we’ve had all year. Our motto this year has been “GOOD”-no matter what is thrown your way it’s good because it helps you get better, and Stevie has certainly lived up to that through his injury.”
In addition to football, Vafeas also powerlifts and wrestles where he finished fifth in the state last year. He started football in the third grade when his friends were playing and his parents told him to go for it. But his entrance into wrestling was a little different.
“Early on I played basketball and my mom was the coach. But I was always trying to pick the players up instead of guarding them and so she thought wrestling might be a better choice for me,” he laughed. “My favorite sport is the one I’m not currently in because you just remember the good parts of that sport and not all the hard work it took to get there.”
After just playing defense his freshman year, Vafeas became a two-way starter last year which he enjoyed “because it showed everyone I could do both.”
Among the games that Vafeas missed this season was the annual showdown with Hilldale which the Tigers won for the first time in a while.
“I think it was God’s plan that I had to miss those first few games, but it was frustrating, and I so wanted to play against Hilldale because I really felt like we could win this year.”
Stevie cites his little league coach along with coach Nolan and defensive line coach and wrestling coach Sammy Johnson as having had a big hand in his success.
