Rays Fight Gamely in 13-7 Defensive Struggle

What a difference a month makes.

When practice began August 1, the Marco Island Academy football team consisted of a dozen mostly inexperienced prospects, a rookie head coach, and a couple of footballs. But Friday night the Rays were a 31-strong unit that reflected the grit of their head coach - a record-setting defender during his college days. These Rays proved they've already learned something about playing defense.

And for three quarters it looked like a stout Rays defense would be enough to carry them to victory on a muggy evening at Winterberry Park, the Rays home field.

When Rays defensive back Luke McLain stepped in front of an Oasis pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with 2:41 left in the first half, it seemed like seven points might be enough to secure the team’s first win in three years.

But with 9:22 left in the fourth quarter, Oasis struck with a touchdown of their own by Jaxon McArdle-Sykes and tied the game at 7-7. Three minutes later McArdle-Sykes notched the winning score in a hard-fought 13-7 battle.

“I’m proud of these boys,” Rays head coach, Lew Montgomery, said after the game. "I asked them how many of them were out here when we started. Including coaches, there were less than 10 - and there were a lot of coaches.”

Montgomery couldn’t have been more proud of the effort his players put forth.

"I want to look at the scoreboard and be disappointed and crushed, but I’m not,” Montgomery said. "Because we fought till the end. The fact we have the numbers we have, they leaned on each other tonight. Even the ones who came into the program late have bought into the program, We had players who stepped up and had really stellar games. And they were players that we haven’t been able to give the reps that they probably deserve. We found out tonight that Daniel Donaldson deserves more reps.”

Seven of Montgomery’s players are seniors. There are a dozen freshman holding down roster spots.

"My seniors were leaders,” Montgomery said. "And any time mistakes were made by anybody on the team, they were there to pick them up. They were there to let them know, ‘Hey, we’ve got another play.’ This is our first game. We’ve got a lot of games. I’ve got a lot of freshmen. They’ve got a lot of seasons. But today is what mattered today. We’re going to use it. We’re going to learn from it. But we’ve got to appreciate what we did right. We’ll focus on what we need to improve upon. We’ll fix what needs fixing. But the program is sound.”

The Rays were a happy bunch when they went into the locker room at halftime with a lead.

"When we went in at halftime, we didn’t grab any chalk,” Montgomery said. "We didn’t draw anything up on a white board. We fine-tuned our plays, our program. I believe in our program.”

Montgomery was moved by the size of the crowd at Winterberry Park Friday night.

"I believe in our community,” he said. "Our community came out in force. They were with us the whole time. They were showing love for us after the game. I think they appreciate what we did. And that’s the key. We are a community here. Our community wanted to celebrate a win, but more importantly they’re here for us through our struggle right now. And they still want to see us win. And they’re going to support us. I have kids saying, ‘What do I need to do to get better?’ I have parents saying, ‘How can we help.’ I have administration stepping up to say, ‘I’ve got your back.’ This community is Manta Ray Nation, and I’m proud of them. Tonight, showed that. I wish we would have walked away with a W. But it’s just a matter of time. We’re going to find that W. My kids are learning how to win. They didn’t give up at all. I wish we would have three more minutes, but the game is what it is. I respect the game of football. We’re learning so much from it. Not everything’s a happy ending everyday. But it’s not the end of the world, either.”

Although many Rays players had to leave the field due to cramping, no one sustained an injury.

“We’re healthy,” Montgomery said. "We cramped up a lot. But we don’t have any trips to the urgent care in the morning. That’s important. We’ll keep at it.”

The Rays have two weeks off before they travel to Gateway Charter on September 24.