The senior two-way player for the Yellow Jackets is hoping to land on a college roster
Watch Top Football Plays 2015, Episode 11, featuring Andre Gray’s two long touchdown catches as the No. 7 play. (Video by Nick Plum for Synthesis/Koubaroulis LLC / The Washington Post)
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November 11, 2015, 7:00 p.m. — When Andre Gray stepped on the turf Friday night against Friendly, he knew it was potentially his final high school game. Facing a lose-and-go-home situation in the last contest of the regular season, he was determined to keep his prep career alive.
Taking advantage of that heightened wave of intensity, Gray had the best game of his life.
“If I didn’t give it my all, I knew I was going to come home and be mad,” Gray said.
Riding their star play-maker and captain, the Yellow Jackets (7-3) out of Brandywine, Md. cruised to a 34-24 road victory over the Patriots (6-4) for their sixth straight win. Entering the matchup, both teams had identical 6-3 records and were fighting for one playoff berth.
Gray can be seen all over the field for his squad, as Head coach Danny Hayes uses him at cornerback and safety on defense, as well running back and wide receiver on offense. In this game, Gray’s biggest contributions came as a receiver.
Twice he took short passes and turned them into huge plays, as he scored from 78 and 82 yards. Both big plays came in the third quarter of a tight game. He would finish the contest with a career high 193 receiving yards on just four catches, and had well over 200 yards of total offense with some work on the ground as well.
“I’ve never had a game like that, it was probably the best game I ever played,” Gray said. “I didn’t want it to be my last game, so I had to step up.”
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In spite of his monster game, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound prospect considers himself even better defensively, and expects to play defensive back at the next level.
“I’m a good ball-hawk, I have good man-coverage, and I can tackle really well,” Gray said.
As a sophomore on the varsity team, Gray saw minimal action and started just one game for the Yellow Jackets, as he was still raw as a football player. Now, a versatile star and major contributor for his squad, he has taken a giant step forward.
“I got better and better as the game went on,” Gray said, “when I got on varsity in my 10th grade year, the game was kind of fast, but now it’s starting to slow down.”
Although he expects to play defense going forward, he believes his offensive assets will serve him well no matter what side of the ball he is playing on, as many of the receiving skills translate well to a career as a defensive back.
“I have really good hands, I have some good speed, and my route-running is good,” Gray said.
So far he has received interest from a handful of schools, including East Stroudsburg, Montana, Savannah State and West Virginia State. Like many undersized prospects, the recruiting journey is not an easy ride, but even the underrated players land on rosters when the talent is there.
He does not have a favorite school at this point, but hopes to take recruiting trips following the season, and he believes he can add a great deal to college team.
“I think I can bring lots of potential to a roster,” Gray said, “I think I can be a play-maker and a superstar on the team, and be a leader.”
In order to continue drawing the interest of college coaches and to ultimately be successful at the next level, Gray says he needs to work on his 40-yard dash time and his overall quickness, and to keep building confidence in his abilities. He plans to run indoor track in the winter to stay in shape and improve his speed.
Gray and the Yellow Jackets return to action this Friday in a post-season matchup against Thomas Stone (8-2), making it their second straight must-win scenario in a road game.
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