By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

In Parkston’s season opener, Kramer showed off his big-play capabilities and shined in a 42-14 win over Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy. Kramer rushed for 210 yards, racked up 276 all-purpose yards and scored four total touchdowns. 

But Kramer, who scored all his touchdowns in the first half, instead talked about the team when asked about his individual performance.  

“That’s all my line,” said Kramer, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound running back. “From what I can recall I made one move on a guy. It was just wide open. You could have driven a semi through the hole. It was crazy. Those boys, they work hard and all summer they’ve worked hard.”

Kramer scored on touchdown runs of 39, 64 and 98 yards, while returning a 60-yard punt return for a score. The punt return and 98-yard touchdown run were momentum-changing plays and also showcased Kramer’s ability in the open field. 

“He’s lightning in a bottle,” Parkston coach Matt Grave said. “The punt return was huge. He had a 90-some yard run where we were kind of dead in the water. Honestly, it was a big play and that took the wind from them and it gave us some hope and some confidence.”

Grave also echoed Kramer’s sentiments and said the Parkston offensive linemen paved the way for Kramer’s big night. 

“He trusted his blocks,” Grave said. “Sometimes when you’ve got track speed you want to just run, and he set up his blocks well. He trusted his linemen and they gave him opportunities to be successful.” 

Last season, Kramer rushed for 531 yards and seven touchdowns, despite missing a number of games due to injuries. While Kramer will see an increase in carries this season, Grave said he’ll also help open up opportunities for his teammates. 

“Everybody is going to have eyes on him,” Grave said. “So it opens up other opportunities for other people. So as much as he carries the ball, he’s going to be able to fake and carry those out and he’s going to have to be able to block. I am just glad he is taking this with some humbleness and some grace.”

Kramer is also stepping into more of a leadership role. But he’s up for the task and ready to continue building on the Trojan tradition.  

“We try to set a great example,” Kramer said. “A few of us returning starters we’ve got a little more knowledge of the game than everybody else. But you just have to be a good role model for the underclassmen.”

“Being a multi-sport athlete, it just helps translate into everything else,” Kramer said. “Every sport helps you with something in another sport.”

As for his favorite sport, that’s an easy one. 

“Football, man,” Kramer said when asked what his favorite sport is. “There’s nothing like them Friday night lights and the atmosphere. It’s awesome.”