“He’s doing everything he can to become his best football player and that has us excited to see his capabilities going into his senior year…” ~ Head Coach Jeris McIntyre, Tampa Catholic Crusaders.
Tampa, February 5, 2019- The Crusaders tied the season knot at 8-4 after battling it out to a second-round playoff appearance and there’s one significant piece to the big picture to praise in particular. Let’s break down a key figure that led to the green and white’s 2018 feats and ponder what’s ahead for the rising senior leader this upcoming season.
“I’m really just looking forward to putting the pieces of the puzzle back together; it was a little shaky with new faces and some undeveloped chemistry, but hopefully we get into a deep playoff run again and get a chance to go to states. I’m striving to put more points on the board, throw for more yards, and get my receivers the ball and so they can do what they do best,” QB Dylan McCain states affirmatively.
“He had a really good 2018 season- he came out and showed flashes of being one of the better quarterbacks in the area. It was a different situation with him coming in during camp; he transferred from Wharton High and didn’t have much time in our system, but he picked it up pretty quick and he helped a lot in running the offense. Once he was named our starter, he never looked back- Dylan’s a true dual-threat guy, and I’m looking forward to watching him perform this fall as leader of this offense,” explains Head Coach Jeris McIntyre.
On film (8 minutes of wide-eyed entertainment), it’s clear the 6’2” 175-pound ATHLETE possesses a fluent, zippy over-head release in his flexible itinerary that does MAJOR damage down-field; not neglecting his equally matched, agile rushing skill-set that keep defenders guessing on skates. Dylan’s undeniable ability to scramble (courtesy of his alert awareness and elusiveness, of course) and drop tight bombs stepping through the pocket aided Tampa Catholic immensely in their wide-margin victories and it’s only up from here.
“Making playoffs this year was my best moment; never had a winning season, so being apart something like that was special- it was a great experience overall with TC,” said the stout signal caller.
McCain was 16th of 58 among passing leaders (leaders with at least 4 games under their belt) in all of Class 3A as a junior and ranked 4th of 17 among passing leaders in Class 3A region 3. He also aided in coming in second for the program’s single-season record under Coach McIntyre in Yards Per Completion, totaling 18.8 YPC.
“Working as a team to win games has been my favorite thing- if we’re all doing our part we can get the job done. I want to be more vocal with my teammates around me and become a more impactful leader on the field. I’d say my best attributes are my ability to escape pressure and make plays with my arm and legs; I like the Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson kind of QB play-style.”
No question Dylan made an impressive first-year impression, covering some notable real estate in the process. In 12 games played for the Crusaders in his junior showcase, McCain threw for 1,142 yards, totaling 63 completions on 114 attempts, had 95.2 YPG, rushed the rock 38 times for 282 yards, averaging 7.4 YPC, tallied 12 TDs in the air and 3 with his feet, accumulating a .553 completion percentage and 103.0 QBR!
His best in-game presentations arose against Cypress Creek in a 77-0 shutout W, where he went 4 for 4 on 155 passing yards, posting a pair of scores and a perfect 177.1 QBR. Facing Belleview on the road, he led his team to a 35-0 blowout victory, in which he threw for 245 yards, going 8 for 11, racked up another 2 touchdowns, a 154.4 QBR and was awarded Semper Fidelis Offensive Tampa Catholic Football Player of the Game.
“Away from the game, I enjoy hanging with teammates and going out, being on the water and just having fun. After high school, I plan on getting a good education anyplace that will have me, I’m looking into the business side of things- real estate and stuff like that.”
Coach Jeris concludes, “He can elude pressure so effectively- made something out of nothing on multiple occasions and you can’t coach that a lot of times; being able to extend drives on a broken play is what he does best I think. The sky’s the limit for him, as he continues to work, getting bigger, faster, stronger and grips what we’re trying to accomplish on the offensive side of the ball. All the guys like him, he’s a funny kid but knows when to be serious- just an overall likable kid that fits in well here as a leader on and off the field.”
“We expect a lot as he’s been around for a year, he knows the playbook, his reads and protections, he’s putting on weight and running track. He’s doing everything he can to become his best football player and that has us excited to see his capabilities going into his senior year.”
Vaughan Sixbury, BCP Contributor