Basketball on hold for Millbrook QB as Wildcats chase high school football title

Bryson Gray loves playing at Millbrook High. The 6-foot-3 combo guard has springs for legs and relishes putting down a flashy dunk.

So, imagine his frustration last winter while sidelined following knee surgery to stitch a donor ligament to his kneecap to prevent it from dislocating.

“I missed the season, but I was part of the team,” said Gray, whose coaches emphasize his team leadership intangibles. “I went to all the games.”

Now fast forward to Gray’s junior basketball season that began Nov. 20. He has yet to play in the Wildcats’ first five games, but this time he watches with eagerness to return to the court.

The delay is a lengthy football postseason, with Gray fulfilling his other point guard-like role — playing quarterback. The unbeaten Wildcats are pursuing the 8A Division state title of the N.C. High School Athletic Association.

East Region champion Millbrook (13-0) faces West champ Hough (12-1) in the final at 8 p.m. Thursday in North Carolina’s Kenan Stadium.

“His quarterback play mirrors his point guard play,” Millbrook football coach Laymarr Marshall said. “He’s a catalyst. He’s the glue that keeps all the elements together. He’s enjoying being a kid and playing both sports that he loves.”

Gray has completed 168 of 265 passes (63% ) this season for 2,458 yards and 24 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He possesses the athleticism to break off run-option plays, but unlike his urge to dunk basketballs, he’s not tempted to make electric open-field plays running with the football.

“He’s an accurate drop-back passer,” Marshall said. “He’s athletic, but he wants to beat you in the pocket. He’s a student of the game. He spends a lot of time studying film.”

Choosing the right path

Gray also has proven wise at measuring football and basketball ceilings. Some kids who love basketball fail to understand — or admit to themselves — they have a higher ceiling on the gridiron.

Not Gray.

He recognized his football future while playing basketball in the summer of 2024, even though as a freshman in the 2023-24 school on the Millbrook JV basketball team he dominated, averaging 20 points and five assists per game. He also followed the prolific production earning a spot playing in the Garner Road AAU Basketball program.

Over the course of the AAU season, though, came his football/basketball reckoning.

“I saw there were levels to this,” said Gray with a fatalistic grin as he sat in a Millbrook office. “There were 6-8 point guards! I was only 6-1 as a freshman. I was giving away seven inches! That’s when I realized I needed to focus on football. I know that’s where my money is.”

So far, football recruiting websites haven’t rated Gray, but Marshall says the scholarship offers will arrive once he goes through the off-season camp circuit. North Carolina is his only offer to date, but he’s talking with coaches from Rutgers and Group of Five Conference schools.

The North Carolina offer was extended at a Tar Heels spring practice last year. He was invited to attend along with two teammates, 4-star linebacker Quinton Cypher and 4-star defensive end Rashad Streets. They met with coach Bill Belichick and general manager Mike Lombardi.

“They said they want to keep us all together,” Gray said.

Gray’s athleticism in basketball weighed in. North Carolina favored multi-sport athletes in its 2026 recruiting class signed last week that was ranked No. 18 in the nation by On3.com.

“They saw my vertical leap dunking in some basketball videos,” Gray said.

Pack mentality

Another twist to Gray’s athletic journey is high school coaches usually put their best athlete at quarterback. Gray has plenty of qualifications, but the “best athlete” identity is up for grabs at Millbrook.

In addition to Streets playing on the defensive line and Cypher at linebacker, junior safety Cario Williams, a 3-star prospect, provides a third level of college Division I defensive talent. Other talented players include senior running back Brilison McCuller and junior tight end Hayes Brawner.

But despite the potential for an “alpha dog” conflict, Gray says they remain a tight group.

“There’s no jealousy on this team,” he said. “Everybody knows their role and what they’ve got to do. I know my job as the quarterback, and I know I’ve got the best defense on my side.”

Gray and Cypher, who have been friends since they were 5 years old, also were among a core group of talented juniors from West Millbrook Middle School, a feeder school. They blended into the Wildcats’ program while also riding confidence their collective West Millbrook success would help the Millbrook chase a state title.

“We were 8-0,” said Gray of the eighth-grade West Millbrook season. “We won conference. We beat everybody by 20 and 30 points. We heard from high schools recruiting us, but we knew we wanted to play together at Millbrook. We knew what we wanted to do as juniors and seniors. We’re not really surprised.”