How this NC prep football player prepared for the season amid the coronavirus pandemic
North Raleigh Christian Academy is open and students there are using a mix of in-classroom and remote learning. Students have their temperatures taken upon arrival. Football players practice with helmet shields and follow hygiene and contact protocols.
With so much to overcome as the coronavirus pandemic continues in the state, some teams and players are more prepared for Friday night’s season openers than others.
Count the Knights’ running back and linebacker Rogerick Ray among those who are ready. Beyond ready.
“I didn’t let the quarantine stop me,” Ray said. “I worked on my explosion, speed and upper body strength. I also did a lot of flexibility and mobility work. That will help me play longer and faster. I want to have endurance in the fourth quarter.
“I figured out a way to work out and get better. I knew I couldn’t use the quarantine as an excuse to keep me from going where I want to go.”
Private schools in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association start football games Friday. The schedule includes North Raleigh Christian Academy vs. Cabarrus at 6 p.m. in Concorde.
“It feels so good to finally be getting out on the field for a game,” Ray said. “This is a fun team. There is so much support for each other. We’re excited to finally go up against somebody else.”
College sports for Rogerick Ray?
Ray, who also plays baseball and basketball for NRCA, wants to follow his brother and become a college athlete.
Roger Ray played basketball for North Raleigh Christian his junior season and finished his college career in March at Livingstone College. He was named the 2019-20 CIAA Player of the Year, averaging 23.3 points and 5.0 assists for the HBCU in Salisbury. He was invited to attend the NBA workout bubble in Orlando prior to the NBA draft.
Rogerick Ray is turning to this football season to help get him to the next level. With this past summer’s combine-like college camps canceled, the 5-9, 190-senior is counting on producing strong highlight film.
“He has not able to get exposure at camps,” said Chris Rivera, NRCA’s coach. He has a lot of interest from DII and DIII schools. He can be a very productive linebacker or safety and could even be a running back. He has high 4.5 or low 4.6 speed. He’s a good player that has a lot of strength and makes a lot of plays.”
Knights have a strong senior class
The Knights have a strong senior class, particularly on defense. Ray finished with 86 tackles last year and will play a larger role as a running back this season.
He’ll team up with senior running back and linebacker Jackson May, who finished last season with 126 tackles, and senior defensive end Jack Varnum, who had 10 sacks in 2019 and six in a 2018 season shortened by injury.
Enthusiasm on campus has fed NRCA’s largest turnout. The roster has grown from 23 players in Rivera’s first season five years ago to 41 this fall.
The Knights have seven games scheduled, with the final regular-season contest Nov. l6 at Ravenscroft. Ray wants to make them his lucky seven.
“Without the camps, I had to zone in on getting better on my own over the summer,” Ray said. “I’m lucky I have a chance to play at North Raleigh. This season is my opportunity.”
North Raleigh Christian Academy at Cabarrus
When: 6 p.m., Friday
Where: Concord