PREP FOOTBALL: From pupil to coach, Ray ready to lead Goldsboro

By Aviel Smolka
Published in Sports on August 17, 2018 5:51 AM

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By AVIEL SMOLKA

asmolka@newsargus.com

Elvin James cast a long shadow over the Goldsboro football program.

Before his return last summer, lack of confidence and sloppy play on the field plagued the Cougars.

They had been absent from the playoffs four straight years.

Following a 6-6 season, the first winning season and playoff berth for the Cougars since 2012, James stepped down due to medical reasons.

Assistant coach Timothy Ray was named interim head coach and is quick to credit James for preparing him for this moment.

"Coach James stepping down is a loss for everyone in Goldsboro, the community, the school and this football program," Ray said. "From day one he took me under his wing and taught me his ways. Showed me how he set the bar and set the expectations from day one ... everything we're going to do this season started off with Coach James."

Aside from coaching football, Ray teaches health, P.E., and weight lifting. He's with the players every day and believes being a younger coach will help him build close relationships with the players.

He wants to keep the standards and expectations James had for the players. More importantly, Ray wants them to understand they have to meet his expectations no matter the relationship on or off the field.

When the whistle blows and the game starts, the Cougars will take care of business and fulfill the expectations Ray has set for them.

Even with a coaching change, the Cougars' goals remain the same this season.

After last year, the team's enthusiasm is very high and its work ethic is strong. The players spent the summer in the weight room getting bigger, stronger and faster.

"Since Coach James got here, the weight room has undergone a complete change," Ray said. "The biggest thing is getting the kids in the weight room and getting them to love to lift and love to work."

Goldsboro scored 305 points in 2017 -- nearly double the 155 points it scored in 2016 -- and tallied 46 touchdowns, including 41 on the ground.

Xzavior Bowden led the team in rushing last season with 2,105 yards and 27 TDs on 262 carries. The returning senior is expected to carry the offensive load for the Cougars this fall.

Joining Bowden in the backfield will be juniors J.B. Rhodes and Darius Rodgers. Brody Morton is back under center for the Cougars. The senior QB has improved each season on going through his progressions to find the open receiver, making quick decisions and reading defenses.

"They are going to be our core group skill wise," Ray said. "So, we're going to be pretty decent this year."

Senior Sileek Warren -- at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds -- will anchor the defensive line for the Cougars. Terrell Valentine is another player to be on the lookout for throughout the season.

"Pretty much everybody is returning from last year," Ray said. "They're getting better every day so we look forward to the season."

Goldsboro will remain a run-based, play-action offense and will stay in a 'base' 4-3 defense. The Cougars plan to use their speed to attack the line and keep opposing teams from getting off big plays.

Ray's team opens the 2018 season tonight against Hobbton. Goldsboro won last year's meeting 58-0 in Newton Grove.

East Central 2-A Conference play begins in mid-September.

The Cougars look to break through the glass ceiling and return to prominence.

"We're a senior-heavy team and they all understand what their purpose is," Ray said. "That's how we like to play, with a purpose. We know what our goals are and we set the bar really high this season."