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Rayl arrival boosts Chargers

By: Ward Gossett
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Zach Rayl

ENGLEWOOD, Tenn. — It appeared last spring that McMinn Central would have all the necessary ingredients to repeat its Region 3-3A championship performance.

The Chargers graduated only five seniors, and versatile Ryan Slack — a defensive back, running back and multi-position receiver — appeared to leave the biggest hole to fill. However, Jordan Jackson, likely the region’s best player, violated team rules as he ran afoul of the law, and nobody, including Jackson, knew if he would return to the team.

Jackson’s importance couldn’t be overstated. He was the igniter, the guy who made a good team great with quick feet and a strong and accurate arm.

The talk was that Central coach Brandon Derrick would go with Jackson’s backup, but those rumors ended quickly when Zach Rayl, the starting quarterback for rival Meigs County last fall, transferred to the Englewood school.

“I thought it was the best move for me,” said Rayl, whose family name long has been linked with Meigs County football. “This is a great opportunity for me. I think I will have better scholarship opportunities. The recruiters were going to be coming here to see other guys on this team play.”

Rayl’s desire to play college football has spiraled since his freshman season, and his decision to transfer shows his resolve.

“It was tough to leave Meigs County. I have a lot of family over there,” he said. “I have three uncles who coach or have coached there. One of my uncles is assistant principal there now, and my dad still coaches my brother’s peewee team there. My mom still teaches there at the middle school, so it was a tough decision.

“I left a lot of friends, but I felt moving was best for me.”

Rayl also took a chance on Jackson’s possible return but knew that Jackson would be a senior, leaving him a chance to play as a senior.

“I knew I was coming to a team that had a great quarterback and that he had the respect of his teammates,” Rayl said. “I also knew that he had a bit of a slip-up, and I felt I could come here and get the job done. I saw it as an opportunity.”

Jackson squared away his legal issues and returned, although he will sit out the team’s first two games. But when he does come back, it appears that Rayl has shown coaches enough at quarterback for them to move Jackson into the void left by Slack’s graduation.

“Jordan will move into Ryan’s spot as a running back and receiver. Zach will be the starting quarterback,” Derrick said. “It helps that Zach is 6-foot-3. He ran a sub-4.6 (40-yard dash) at camp. He definitely gives more things we can do offensively. We’re going to incorporate more sets, more plays.

“We’ll have four speed guys (at receiver) and a power back (Taylor Watson or Maury Ragland).”

Jackson saw Rayl work out and went to Derrick after the practice and said Rayl should be the quarterback.

“When Jordan gets back, it will give us another really good athlete to throw to or hand off to,” Rayl said. “His return will make this team a lot better.”

However, Rayl knows he can’t cruise.

“You have to hustle and you have to work or you won’t be playing,” he said. “It’s really competitive here, and I like that. It’s hard to be a leader having just moved in, and that’s something I am working on, but I like all the guys on the team and I think I have made a lot of friends.

“I have to prove myself, and if I don’t earn that starting spot and the respect of the other players, I could get moved to another position. The mindset here is go hard or go home, and that’s what I came here for.”

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