New Wings for Rays?

To a man, every football coach at Marco Island Academy is practically giddy about the promise of their team’s 35 player roster with fall practice in full swing at Manta Ray Field. While head coach Lew Montgomery is the chief optimist, his entire staff is effusive in its praise of the very young Rays team with 14 freshmen and only one senior. 

"I think this is the year where we definitely turn the corner,” said Montgomery, who is yet to taste victory in two years as Rays head coach. “All the work that we've been putting in has solidified. I think all the changes we've been making, all the things that we've been trying to bring to the program, have finally started to bear fruit. And it's beautiful to look out here and see the team that is coming together this year. They're young, but it’s special. And they're definitely getting ripe. They're ready. They're ripe for the picking. This is going to be our year, I'm sure.”

The Rays haven’t won since 2017 when they finished 3-6. They lost the final two games that season to start the current losing streak. Since defeating Gateway Charter 32-6 on October 20, 2017, the Rays have lost 34 straight games. But Montgomery is only on the hook for 12 of those losses.

Much of the reason for the Rays' struggle has to do with Marco Island Charter Middle School abandoning their football program, leaving the Rays without a feeder program. But Montgomery and his staff are optimistic that things are trending in the right direction.

Brand new facilities are helping. Manta Ray Field is certainly a boon to the team, even though it’s not quite big enough for the team to play regulation games on. The fact that they can practice on the state-of-the-art turf field is a big step forward for the program.

Marco Island Academy is termed an urban campus because of its compactness. Try as they might - and they did try - the architects could not squeeze a regulation football field onto the campus. There was barely enough room for a regulation soccer field. MIA is able to play lacrosse on Manta Ray Field. Football games will continue to be played at Winterberry Field.

Montgomery is thankful for MIA's improved facilities. A quality weight room and modern locker room facilities are key elements of the Manta Ray Field complex. The on-campus gymnasium is also at the team’s disposal in case of inclement weather.

"The weight room is the difference maker,” Montgomery said. "Not only did they physically get stronger, but it gave us that opportunity to stay connected. For them to become connected with some of the new kids. I think in life, everything comes down to that niche. And they found that this is their niche, this is their place to be. And that's the key. I want them to realize this is who they're supposed to be. This is where they're supposed to be.”

Manta Ray Field is a huge addition to the MIA campus. In previous seasons the team was practicing in the outfield of Tyler Beck Memorial Ballpark on the campus of Tommie Barfield Elementary.

"The fact that we're going in a straight line instead of a curved outfield has been awesome,” Montgomery laughs. "Don't get me wrong, I love the facility over there, but really having this right here has been a blessing. That being said, I told the kids, 'Don't worry. This year we won't have to miss a day because of weather.' We're going to either hit the weight room or we'll get in the classroom when it rains. It did not rain one day this whole week during practice. We haven't had to use it, but just having the ability to go in there has been a blessing.”

The past two seasons the Rays had to forfeit games at the end of the season because they didn’t have enough healthy bodies left on the roster.

"The numbers speak for themselves,” Montgomery said, "but when I look out here, I see the talent and I see size. We've had both, but maybe not an abundance in the last few years. And to look out here and to see the team that we have, we have one senior, which is Leo de Martino, and he's great. He got injured last year. But the rest of this unit is going to be together for two years. So we're really just allowing them to grow and to find their rhythm. But I just had a talk with them a little bit ago about how proud of them I am because they are becoming a team. You know, I see them out at the local restaurants together. My family let me know that they saw them all hanging out at the park together. My son (Sam Montgomery) is on the team now, so I'm really aware of having a house full of team members. You know, the kids are all hanging out together, and it’s just special. We had a whole group of guys that really worked out all summer. I think that weight room helped. I really feel like the kids are embracing the weight room. They're embracing the system that we've put in. I think they're excited about the new offense. And the defense is going to come together."

Montgomery looks to run the ball this season, which begins August 25 for the Rays.

"It's basically going to be a two back with a tight end,” Montgomery said. "We're going to be able to split out the tight end. But we have some kids that are bigger and athletic. Now that we have more numbers, I think we're not going to have as many iron men, so we're not going to have to have too many guys going two ways. I was very proud of Blake and Jack and Noah and some of those guys last year that literally did not come off the field. But that wasn't fair to them. It wasn't fair to their games. And it obviously did not lead to success. So I think with the new numbers, we're going to be able to have an offense that can really ground and pound. We don't have to rely on just speed. We can hit them forward. I believe in three yards and a cloud of dust. I love the dive. It's going to be coming and we'll tell you it's coming. Power. Yes. And we have the guys to do it. That's the key. So I'm very pleased.”

Despite the program’s losing streak, Montgomery has set optimistic team goals.  

"My goal is to definitely win more games than we lose,” he said. “You know, .500 would be an honest, successful season. But the reality is I want to win them all. And I don't think that's unattainable. I think that definitely we could. But at the same time, I also know we haven't won a game in two years. I just spoke to them about post-game behavior. We definitely have figured out how to lose with grace. But I think we're prepared now to win with grace."