Greencastle’s Stephens invited to National Combine

As he continues preparations for the 2025 football season, Greencastle High School junior quarterback Cole Stephens can’t help but think about the future.

The reason?

The signal caller was recently invited to the Military Appreciation Bowl National Combine in Frisco, Texas in December.

“It feels amazing and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I know that there have been and is a lot of other great players in Putnam County who don’t get the recognition they deserve because we don’t have the same exposure that some other schools are fortunate to have. I’m very grateful to be able to go compete with the best and show what I’m capable of,” Stephens told The Putnam County Post.

Perhaps, the biggest surprise is the fact that he admits he wasn’t expecting to be invited.

“I wasn’t really expecting it which made it even more meaningful to me. I’ve seen some very big names play in the Army bowl and I’m honored to be another part of it,” Stephens said.

A season ago, Stephens completed just over 62 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,812 yards and 29 touchdowns and adding another score on the ground as Greencastle overcame a 1-3 start to finish 5-7, falling 42-39 to Linton-Stockton in the sectional championship.

That loss and those experiences a year ago have fueled Stephens this off-season, as he is ready to showcase what Greencastle has on Aug. 22 against Eastern Hancock in the 2025 opener.

“I’m very excited for the upcoming season, I think we’ve got a special group here in Greencastle that consists of a great mix of guys. We’ve got guys that are used to the high pressure situations that a Friday night can bring and some new faces that have been waiting patiently to play for a few years and are now upper class-man and getting their shot. I get more and more comfortable each year as a result of watching film and just experiencing game situations. I feel very well prepared and hope to continue progressing my skills the way I have been able to the past few years,” Stephens said.