Dontae Gray has had success with a simple, straight-forward mind-set, so he sees no point in changing now.
After all, most seniors prefer to stick with things and methods they trust will work in an attempt to make one final impression on college coaches.
If Gray comes close to what he did in 2016 for the Heritage Academy football team, he is going to generate a lot of enthusiasm.
Last week, the anticipation surrounding the senior running back started to grow when he was named to the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools’ (MAIS) All-Gridiron Team.
“I am honored just to think playing for my team will get me recognized,” Gray said. “It is really a great accomplishment, but I am just focusing on the team.”
Gray already knew he had been named to the 20-player team, which was announced Friday. He and the other players will be recognized Saturday in Pearl as part of the 16th-annual Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Coaches Association (MAISCA) Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Ceremony at the Clyde Muse Center on the campus of Hinds Community College (Rankin Branch).
Last season, Gary was part of an offense that scored 486 points, which is believed to be a single-season school record, and powered Heritage Academy to a 10-3 record, a MAIS Class AAA, District 2 title, and a trip to the Class AAA semifinals.
“We are really proud of Dontae,” Heritage Academy football coach Sean Harrison said. “You see a lot of kids who are blessed with gifts but don’t put the work in to be able to use them properly. He is one that puts the work in. He is what makes us go. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Gray rushed for 1,910 yards and 24 touchdowns and had 546 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. For his accomplishments, he teamed with Tyler Anderson as The Dispatch’s Small School co-Offensive Players of the Year.
“I think last season was definitely a good step for this program,” Gray said. “We’re just going to try to continue it and go farther than we did last year.
“(Individually), I just felt like I did what I can do. I just played as hard as I could and it just happened.”
This season, Gray will be without Anderson, but he will have a young cast of talented players with potential, including sophomore quarterback Carter Putt, Moak Griffin, Eli Acker, Lex Rogers, Jared Long, and Dalton Alexander. Gray said he is willing to take on whatever role he needs — feature back, decoy, receiver — to help the Patriots take the next step.
“I am just going to do what I can do,” Gray said. “We have some good guys who didn’t play a lot last year and who are inexperienced, but I think we’re going to be good and they’re going to come around during the season. Once we get some experience, we’ll be pretty good.”
Gray said he attended mega camps at the University of Memphis and at Rhodes College, which also is in Memphis. He feels the events helped him raise his profile and show off the fact he had added 15 to 20 pounds and feels stronger at 5-foot-9, 190 pounds.
Gray understands that while he has attracted some attention from colleges that he has work to do to realize his goal of playing football in college. Still, he said he isn’t going to worry about it and that he is going to follow the same path he has traveled for the last few years.
“I am just going to do what I can do and play my hardest,” Gray said.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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