McCray and Rankin named NCAA football MVPs: Allstars also announced

By Bernie Puchalski - December 1, 2021

The final for the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association senior football championship was also a matchup of the league’s offensive and defensive MVPs.

In voting by the league’s five coaching staffs, Notre Dame had its quarterback Marshall McCray chosen as offensive MVP while Saint Paul linebacker Tyler Rankin was selected as the defensive MVP.

McCray expressed pleasure with winning the award when asked about it after his team won the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association Bowl last Wednesday with a 33-6 victory over the Westmount Wildcats.

“That sounds good but the OFSAA championship will sound even better next week,” the 17-year-old Welland resident said.

He ended up getting his wish Tuesday when the Irish thumped North Park Collegiate Trojans 50-7 in the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations’ Central Bowl.

The six foot, 180-pound McCray felt he made great strides on the football field this season.

“It is reading the field and our team takes a lot of deep shots and I feel that I am great at that and it has been working out well,” the Grade 12 student said.

McCray has shown he is the most punishing runner in high school football in 2021.

“It feels good to run somebody over,” he said.

That ability came with hard work.

“I worked out in the weight room and I got way stronger and way faster that I was last year. I am feeling great.”

McCray is hoping to take the next step in his football career in 2022 by moving on to the Ontario University Athletics level but will come back for 12B if the right situation doesn’t present itself.

He is planning to keep on working hard to make his OUA dreams a reality.

“I have to keep working on everything, including reading defences and my ability to throw.”

Notre Dame head coach Tim Bisci has been impressed with McCray’s play in 2021.

“He is learning as he goes but he is so athletic and he is big and strong,” he said. “He throws the ball well and there is so much upside to him that it great. Anything you do with him seems to work out and he makes it look like I know what I am talking about.”

Bisci had had a front row seat all season to the violent collisions McCray produces on the football field.

“He drops his shoulder on guys and you can hear the plastic clap,” he said. “You don’t think that from a quarterback but he runs hard. He puts his head down and tries to run guys over. It has to be tough on DBs when he comes around the corner on them.”

Also nominated for offensive MVP were Saint Paul’s Javier Lewis, Blessed Trinity’s Jayden Gurzi-Mcdonald, Denis Morris’ Alex Meffe and Jackson Stewart from Saint Francis.

Heading into the season, Rankin would have laughed if someone told him he would finish the year’s as the league’s defensive MVP. He played one year of house league football when he was young and suited up for Saint Michael in Grade 9 and 10.

“To be honest, I didn’t think that at all, but things worked out for the best,” the 17-year-old Niagara Falls resident said. “I was practising every single day at Saint Paul and it is the dedication that they have. At the end of the day, it is 12 on 12 Canadian football, and I can’t improve by myself. Getting good reps in practice pushed me to get better.”

The. 6-foot-2, 195 pounder feels he improved in a number of areas.

“It was my awareness, IQ and feel for the game,” the Grade 12 student said. “I felt really confident and comfortable towards the end of the season.”

Despite his success on the field the season, Rankin has yet to attract the attention of any OUA scouts. He would love to play at the next level and is going to work hard to make that happen.

“In the off-season, I am going to lift weights and work out to put on more size and also work on my speed and agility,” he said. “I am going to come back for 12B and see what I can do there.”

Saint Paul head coach Rick Oreskovich described Rankin as a very pleasant surprise to the school’s football Program when he transferred in September from Saint Michael.

“He is a big, strong, athletic player who is coachable, skilled and aggressive,” he said. “Tyler played linebacker and had stints at fullback and tight end where he was difficult to bring down when carrying the ball.”

Oreskovich liked everything about Rankin.

“He was one of our leading tacklers and team leaders, always at practice and giving his best. We are looking forward to coaching him in the future if he decides on a fifth year.”

Also nominated for defensive MVP were Notre Dame’s Adrian D’Gyves, Saint Paul’s Luca Mclaren, Denis Morris’ Chris Paugh and Enrique Orozco from Saint Francis.

Named to the all-star team from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were: QB Marshall McCray; CB Brian Mauvais; RB Tal Ibrahim; WR/DB/KR Nick Longo; WR/FS Adrian D’Gyves; WR/DB Dayshawn Johnson; LB Josh Dywan; OL/DL Anthony Battista; and, OL/DL Nick Norio.

Selected to the all-star squad from the Saint Paul Patriots were: RB/DE/FS Javier Lewis; FB/LB Elijah Pappin; LT Donavin Doucette; SB Jacob Jackson; LB Tyler Rankin; LB Eric Leskew; DT Derek Amores; and, LB Thomas McGrath.

Chosen to the all-star team from the Blessed Trinity Thunder were: TB Jayden Gurzi-Mcdonald; OG Hayden Burt; OG Christian Vandenburgh; DT Jacob Morrison; DB Aidan Sartor; and, OLB Luca McLaren.

Picked for the all-star squad from the Denis Morris Reds were: RB Alex Meffe; OL/DL Joe Bufalino- OL/DL: LB Oscar Blazejowski; CB Chris Paugh; DE/TE Michael Ukiomiogbe and, WR Luca Marcone.

Named to the all-star team from the Saint Francis Phoenix were: TE Nixon Provenzano; QB Jackson Stewart; RB Lucas Johnson; RB Jamar Baxter; and, C/K Enrique Orozco.