McKay giving all he can to Nashua South football

Once the high school football season is done, Scott Knight takes a few trips to meet with parents and students at the middle schools to talk to anyone who might be interested in playing when they get to Nashua South.

Four years ago, on a trip to Fairgrounds Middle School, the Panthers coach was met by a player who didn't go to school there, and wouldn't be going to South.

But earlier that year, Stephen McKay had decided that he wanted to be a Panther.

"I played soccer through middle school," said McKay, who is home-schooled and lives in South Nashua. "I didn't think I'd be able to do it into high school, so I thought, maybe football would be a good option. I did a PAL camp in eighth grade, and since I live in the South district, I figured I'll sign up to be a Panther."

It was something new for Knight, having a player who is home-schooled on the roster, but it's worked out well for both the coach and the player. McKay has started at left tackle for the Panthers since the start of his junior year, and this year, as a senior, he was selected by his teammates as a captain.

"That's just a small part of what he is," Knight said. "He’s a tremendous kid and he works hard. He never misses workouts in the weight room. And he's playing real well on both sides of the ball."

While McKay has the height, at 6-3, to be an offensive tackle, he lacks a bit in size, but whatever he doesn't have in that category, he makes up for in intelligence and knowledge of the game, according to Knight.

"You've got to be intelligent to play on the offensive line," the coach said. "There's a lot going on in front of you, but you also have to have some mobility and size. He has just enough size and he just outworks everybody."

When he came into the program as a freshman, McKay wondered how he would fit in with a group of players who had know each other for a long time. It turned out to not be a problem, as the freshmen class worked together and got to know each other.

"There's lots of questions and it's kind of fun to me," he said. "It makes me feel even more a part of the team, that people are asking questions about (home schooling)."

McKay felt like he had a pretty good grasp of the South offense as his freshman season came to a close. The coaches picked some of the younger players to practice with the varsity as it prepared for the Turkey Bowl, and McKay found out quickly that he still had a lot to learn.

"Then I realized it was a lot more complex than what I knew," he said. "Because of that, and then the next year as a sophomore, I think I really started to get it. I knew I was going to have a shot at (starting as a junior), but I knew I wasn't guaranteed to start. It was definitely on my mind going into the offseason. I was hoping I could play on Friday nights."

Not only is McKay playing on Friday nights, he's going to the middle of the field as a captain for the coin toss each and every week. It's a rise that still somewhat baffles the player, but having been around McKay for almost four years, doesn't surprise Knight.

"He does all the right things," Knight said. "When you see that, those kids who have those qualities, tend to take on leadership roles. If you have someone who wants to do it, and has the work ethic, and has the intelligence, and you put all that stuff together, a kid like that is going succeed. A kid like that is going to succeed at the high school level every time."