When I walked into the fieldhouse at the Coffee High baseball stadium to interview teammates and friends Max Hughes and Wade Sumner, the two were standing on opposite ends of the locker room, putting a baseball to each other with a bat. That’s how they spoke to me – they stayed on their feet, answering questions, rolling the ball back and forth, never sitting still. I’ve never had that happen before. Usually, my interview subjects will at least sit down for a few minutes and talk. Sumner eventually did, but Hughes never quit moving.
And that’s how it is with these two. Their lives have been almost one continuous ball game. They seldom have time for themselves. They’re always working out, practicing, hitting, throwing, or running. They want to be the best athletes they can be – even if that means competing against each other for the same roster spot.
Hughes, a junior, is one year older than Sumner, a sophomore. They’ve grown up together and been teammates since they were 7 and 6 years old, respectively. And they’ve almost always battled for the same positions. In football, both are quarterbacks. In baseball, both pitch and play middle infield.
Things are a little easier during baseball season. There’s always somewhere one of them can play. That’s a huge benefit to the rest of the team; the two are natural leaders who have tremendous baseball instincts. “I’ve never worried about their heads being in the game,” said Stan Hughes, Max’s father, a teacher and coach in the Coffee County School System, and one of the coaches who worked with both from the time they started playing organized athletics. “They’re strong mentally, and they make sure everyone else is in check. Even when they were little, they were usually the best players on the field.”
As the two came up through the ranks, it would have been easy for them to have had a rivalry with each other. Hughes had a year on Sumner, but that’s about it. Otherwise, they were neck and neck in everything they did. Instead of fighting with each other, they decided to work together. Their plan worked well as youngsters, and it’s still working today. “We’ve never gotten aggravated with each other,” Hughes said. “We always try to help each other out.” Sumner agrees: “We want to make each other better.”
Hughes is Coffee’s number-one starter, while Sumner occupies the two-spot. When Hughes isn’t pitching, he’s at short, and Sumner plays second or third. When Hughes is on the mound, Sumner often plays short. The two move seamlessly from spot to spot, always doing their best to help their team win. “We both push each other,” Sumner said. “We want to get the best out of ourselves and each other.”
Football is a little trickier. Hughes and Sumner are both quarterbacks, and they’re both pretty good. Each can lead the Coffee offense, and they’ve both had success under center. However, Hughes has a year on Sumner, and that year has been the difference maker. Even though Sumner would like to be on the field, he understands that it’s not his time yet. He patiently awaits his turn, and in the process, he does what he can to help Hughes from the sidelines. “I watch closely from the sidelines,” Sumner said. “When he comes over, we always talk. I try to help him with what I’m seeing.” Hughes said: “He’s watching, observing. He tells me what he sees and helps me make any adjustments I need to.”
Next year, Hughes will be back under center. Sumner is willing to play other positions, including wide receiver and defensive back, in order to get on the field. But he wants to play quarterback, and he’s waiting until the job opens up. And when that happens, he plans to make it his. “I’ll do what I can to help our team, but yeah, I want to be the quarterback when I’m a senior,” Sumner said.
As much as the duo loves football, their futures will likely be in baseball. “They’ve always coached themselves. They’re the kind of players who make their coaches look good. I know both can play college baseball. They’re too athletic, and they work too hard not to play,” Stan Hughes said.
Special Feature/South Georgia/May 2016
Max Hughes and Wade Sumner
Coffee High School
Douglas, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
Teammates compete on the field, friends away from sport
