The Times Spring 2021 Football Player of the Year: Fieldcrest’s Jaxon Cusac-McKay shined brightest among many stars

Ask anyone who has spent time around Fieldcrest standout athlete Jaxon Cusac-McKay, and he or she will tell you there is no lack of confidence in the Fieldcrest multi-sport star or his teammates.

For good reason.

That confidence was challenged in the opening game of the COVID-shortened spring football season, when the preseason No. 8-ranked Knights, coming off a 12-1 Class 2A semifinal playoff appearance in 2019, found themselves down 14-0 at halftime to No. 4 Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley.

However, after taking the half to talk things out, the visitors scored three times in the third quarter on the way to the come-from-behind victory.

“Personally, I was very confident going into that first game,” said Cusac-McKay, a senior running back/receiver/defensive back/kick returner who caught a touchdown pass in the 21-14 win over the Falcons, finished with 151 yards rushing on 13 tough carries and recorded an interception on defense. “There were preseason rankings and people that believed and didn’t believe in us.

“I’ll be honest, that first half had me doubting a little bit. But once we went [into] halftime, we all talked, especially the older guys to the younger guys, and got things worked out. We came out in the second half a different team, the kind of team we were in the final three games as well.”

Cusac-McKay – coming off a basketball season in which he helped lead his team to a Heart of Illinois Conference title and was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and Associated Press All-State teams – led Fieldcrest to a perfect 4-0 mark on the football field and finished with 278 yards rushing, 24 receptions for 256 yards, as well as 13 solo tackles and an interception.

“I don’t know what his statistics were at the end of (the Eureka) game or this season, to be honest, but sometimes numbers alone don’t tell you the impact a player makes. That would absolutely be the case for Jaxon.”

—  Fieldcrest football coach Mike Freeman

For his efforts this season, Cusac-McKay was named to the Friday Night Drive Team of the Year at DB and also selected The Times Football Player of the Year.

“The word I would use to describe him is special,” Fieldcrest head coach Mike Freeman said. “He is a special athlete, a special captain for us, a special teammate. He has special character, attitude and everything about him sets him apart. Overall, he is just a special person.

“He has that contagious smile, and the fun that he brings to practices, games and the locker room is unbelievable. He is not a selfish young man. Whether he got the ball or not, he was someone that the other team always had to worry about, which allowed us to get other guys the ball. He made other players around him better in practice and in turn they excelled in games when opportunities came their way.

“It’s once in a great while as a head coach to have a guy like Jaxon that is a senior leading the team with his best friends on the team. I couldn’t have asked for a better guy as a leader my first year as head coach. He has always put the work in, and all the accolades he receives are without a doubt deserved.”

In Week 2, the Knights blanked Dee-Mack, 17-0, with Cusac-Mckay running for 114 yards. Then came a road trip to Class 3A No. 7-ranked Eureka in a much-anticipated matchup of state-ranked teams. Down a point with time running out, the Knights drove from midfield – with Cusac-McKay making two of his 10 catches for key first downs – before FHS’s Jacob Joyal kicked a game-winning field goal with 26.8 seconds remaining.

“[Eureka] has been a rival and team we want to beat every year since fifth-grade football,” Cusac-McKay said. “I think it’s always a huge game for both teams every time we meet. The way that game ended for us was incredible, and it’s probably one of the best memories I’ll forever have playing for Fieldcrest. There were so many great plays in that game from both sides, but that drive at the end, and then the kick to win it was insane.”

“I really feel we truly made the most of what we were given this spring, and that makes me feel pretty good.”

—  Jaxon Cusac-McKay, The Times Spring 2021 Football Player of the Year

“There were a couple of scramble plays on that final drive in which [FHS quarterback] Cory [Land] was looking for someone and Jaxon found open space, made the catch and kept us moving,” Freeman said. “We always talk about giving our quarterback a chance, and Jaxon did that, but he doesn’t quit, ever. In big games like that, guys like Jaxon seem to find a higher level of play and just will not allow their team to lose.

“I don’t know what his statistics were at the end of that game or this season, to be honest, but sometimes numbers alone don’t tell you the impact a player makes. That would absolutely be the case for Jaxon.”

In the final game of the year, a 45-14 win over El Paso-Gridley, Cusac-McKay had a rushing touchdown, 82 receiving yards and a 90-yard kickoff return for a score.

“I was good with how the season went, and obviously it ended well,” Cusac-McKay said. “I think I speak for everyone when I say I wish we would have had the playoffs to see how far we could have gone again. It’s just unfortunate it wasn’t able to happen. This team was very special, and the guys I played with will be my brothers forever. It was a short year, but a great year.

“I really feel we truly made the most of what we were given this spring, and that makes me feel pretty good.”