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The May family remembers only the good times in hindsight
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Carr Trophy winner Jimmy May of Scott City, seated, and finalists Marsayv'aun Harrell of Kennett, left, and Jackson's Cael Welker are shown following the 74th annual Poplar Bluff Letter Club Gridiron Banquet on Wednesday at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
Daily American Republic ~ Brian Rosener
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Veteran Scott City football coach Jim May and Rams senior running back Jimmy May each admit to the past four years not always being easy to endure. However, on nights like Wednesday, revisionist history makes the time the father and son spent together seem as easy as a gaining a yard against a three-man front.
"Now that it is over," the elder May said, "you look back on it and you think that it was an unbelievable experience even with the bad, so it was a lot of fun."
The younger May made his father beam with pride countless times over the past four seasons, but never to the degree he did Wednesday when he was honored at the 74th annual Gridiron Banquet as the recipient of the Carr Trophy.
The award is named for E.E. "Bus" Carr, a longtime sports media personality in Southeast Missouri and is awarded to the "Best High School Football Player in the SEMO Conference."
"I'd be proud even if it wasn't my son and I was (just) his coach," May said. "Because I know what it takes to win that award."
It takes a lot to be the best in the entire region, but to do so when you are 5-foot-5, 150 pounds is even more impressive.
Jimmy May totaled 1,304 yards (an average of nearly 10 yards per carry) and ran for 22 scores.
He also caught nine passes for over 300 yards and scored four times for a total of 316 points, which set a new SEMO Conference record.
"He's been little his whole life," May said of his son. "He's been told he couldn't do a lot of things his whole life."
When Jimmy told his dad during his first year of high school football that he wanted to win the Carr Trophy, his dad didn't join in any skepticism.
"He likes to prove people wrong," May said.
What May and his Ram teammates mostly did this past season was make the Scott City community proud.
The Rams finished 11-2 and won the Class 2 District 1 championship, which was a first in May's 10 years as the Ram coach.
In May's final two seasons as the main offensive threat, Scott City won 19 games, which was far and away the best the program had achieved in recent history.
"Hopefully (other Scott City teams) can beat us," the younger May said, "or be as good as us. I want that."
Braun does the dirty work
Coach May stated that "linemen don't get their names in the paper," but that doesn't hold true when the player is as good as Scott City senior blocker Noah Braun.
Braun was honored as the SEMO Conference West Division Lineman of the Year, which didn't surprise the athlete that ran behind Braun's blocks.
"Noah was really valuable because no matter which way the ball went," May explained, "if I went the opposite way of him, he would be running full speed and trying to get to the other side to get a block, even on the other side of the field."
Both May and Braun only got to nights like Wednesday through diligence, seen often by their coaches, but almost never by the fans, according to coach May.
"It took a ton of work," coach May said of Braun's development. "He has started since he was a freshman and he has wanted to win this award for three years.
"It takes heart. It's not always easy to do a thankless job all of the time."