Lufkin Sophomore Key’vantanie Coutee Enjoys Breakout Game in Season Opener

Coming into this season Lufkin head coach Todd Quick and staff knew the strength of this year’s team would be their wide receiving corps, and most if not all opposing defenses would agree.

After last week’s 35-21 loss to John Tyler, those defenses have another Panther weapon to worry about.

Sophomore WR/RB Key’vantanie Coutee, known as "KeKe" by his teammates, accounted for 213 yards of total offense in his varsity debut, filling in for junior Division I recruit Jamal Jeffery.

“The other night (against John Tyler) they double covered our outside receiver WR JaBryce Taylor (SMU commit) and that left him one on one with a linebacker and that’s part of the reason why we went to him so much," Quick said.

“He’s young, he’s a sophomore but there is a reason why he’s on the field. He’s done what he’s supposed to do all the way through and will be a real good player for us,” Quick said. “You take what they give you and those kids are asked to make plays and sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t and he made the plays last week.”

When Coutee wasn’t on the receiving end of a Tyler Stubblefield pass, he was either lined up in the backfield at running back or taking a handoff on a jet sweep. Either way, Lufkin wanted the ball in his hands.

“He’s one of our playmakers and we’re going to get the ball in his hands as much as we can,” Quick said.