Football: Lake Taylor's McCray making grade on and off the field

NORFOLK

Antonio Bacon beams with pride at the mention of his son’s name.

Antonio “Boogie” McCray has been a major force in Lake Taylor High School’s success this football season.

McCray, 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, finished the regular season as the second-leading rusher in South Hampton Roads, with 1,231 yards. He also was second in scoring, with 21 touchdowns. On defense, he’s an enforcer at linebacker and defensive back. Last week, McCray helped the Titans to a 24-17 victory over Warwick in the Eastern Region Division 5 quarterfinals. The victory ended a Titans playoff drought dating to 1982. Lake Taylor (11-0) hosts perennial power Hampton (10-1) Friday in a region semifinal.

But all of that isn’t why Bacon is so excited about his son. It’s what McCray has done off the field that brings him joy.

McCray struggled early in his academic career.

“He ended up a couple of grades behind everyone else, but it took football to keep him in school,” Bacon said of his son, who turns 19 in March.

“Most kids who fall behind like that just quit and forget about school, especially young black kids. But he didn’t. He kept taking extra classes to make up his grades. I’m proud of him for what he’s accomplished on the football field, but I’m more impressed by what he’s accomplished in the classroom.”

Bacon said there’s no telling where his son would be without football.

“They’re happy for me,” McCray said of his parents, “because they know that me playing football is better than me being in the streets.”

McCray’s only regret about this season is that his mom, Marian, hasn’t seen much of it. She’s out to sea as a U.S. Merchant Marine. She’s due back Dec. 1, which means the only way she’ll see her son play is if the Titans advance to the Group AAA Division 5 state final.

“I know she’s not there, but I still play for her,” he said. “She always calls me to see how I did. And I try to get a touchdown for her every game. Her not being able to be there gives me a little more push to play better.”

McCray’s support system includes Lake Taylor coach Hank Sawyer and his wife, Saundra.

“They have really kept him steered in the right way,” Bacon said. “They really pushed him and stayed on him. They told him as long as he stayed in the classroom and got his grades right, then he can make a life for himself.”

McCray has emerged as one of the top running backs in Lake Taylor history. That’s saying a lot because the Titans have had the likes of Amos Lawrence, George McInnis and Jay Jay Simmons.

Sawyer knew he had a “great one” the first time he saw McCray in a scrimmage.

“He took the ball, and they couldn’t bring him down,” Sawyer said. “Right then I knew I had something special. I realized that he can do anything he puts his mind to.”

Norcom coach Larry Archie and longtime Titans coach Billy Morrow also rank McCray among Lake Taylor’s best.

Archie, an assistant coach under Sawyer for three seasons at Lake Taylor, remembers Sawyer praising McCray but wanted to see for himself.

“I called Hank after watching him and told him, 'I think (he) will make you forget all about George and Jay Jay,’ ” Archie said. “The thing about Boogie is he’s methodical in the way he runs, he’s durable, and he’s got great hands. I thought Jay Jay was the most complete back I had seen, but that changed when I saw McCray.”

Morrow, who has spent 34 years at Lake Taylor as a head coach or assistant, said what sets McCray apart from the other backs is his size.

“He’s definitely the biggest one we’ve had,” Morrow said. “He’s also quick for his size and probably the meanest running back I’ve ever seen in the 40 years I’ve been coaching football.”

The list of schools recruiting him includes N.C. State, East Carolina, Marshall and Old Dominion. But McCray isn’t thinking about college now. His main focus is taking care of business Friday against Hampton.

“I remember asking him before a game if he was ready,” Sawyer said. “He looked at me and said, 'Why ask the question if you already know the answer?’ He comes ready to play every game, and he lives for football.”

Larry Rubama, 757-446-2273 or larry.rubama@pilotonline.com