Spears receiver graduates to starting role
Last season, receiver Darcy MacIsaac was third on the depth chart of the Niagara Spears varsity football team.
Some players may have wanted more but he was content in the role.
“I was behind a couple of great receivers and I learned a lot,” the 18-year-old Niagara Falls resident said. “I learned the difference between high school football and travel football. You have to be really precise on your routes and catching, and everything is different. And the competition is a lot stronger.”
Playing behind Dante Williams and Joseph Jones, MacIsaac didn’t catch many passes during games, but the 12B student at Stamford got in the necessary work.
“They gave me a lot of reps in practice and sometimes they would throw to me in games to try things out,” the six-foot, 185 pounder said.
The second-year Spears player kept a central message in his head during his rookie campaign.
“It was learn this year and start next year,” said MacIsaac, who will start at wide receiver for the Spears when then open their season this weekend in Guelph.
Spears head coach Brian Duguay likes MacIsaac’s progress and his attitude throughout the whole process.
“He’s a learner and he knew those guys were good last year,” he said. “He watched what they did in practice and what they did in games and learned the system.
“As the season progressed, he became a good receiver and then in the high school season he started to do really well. He came into his own.”
Duguay is looking for big things from MacIsaac this season.
“He is one of the oldest receivers and people look up to him,” he said. “He has come out hard in practice all year and he runs nice crisp routes, he has good hands and he is able to go up and get the ball at its highest peak. And his yards after the catch are really good.”
MacIsaac is looking forward to this season, but isn’t setting any goals.
“I’m looking to do as best as I can and get as far as I can,” he said.
He wants to continue developing as a receiver.
“I want to be more aggressive, have better elusiveness and everything,” he said.
A member of the Westlane football team that made the Niagara Region High School Athletic Association championship game, MacIsaac is hoping to play at the next level.
“I am going to see where this season brings me and if I get to go anywhere I will go,” he said. “If not, that will be the end of it but I am hoping to take football as far as I can.”
He returned to high school for his 12B year to boost his grades and would love to get a chance to play university football. Returning to school improve his grades was the same thing his friend Chase Bowden did and Bowden will be suiting up for St. Francis Xavier this fall.
Bowden has played a key role in MacIsaac’s football career
“He is a big part of my football and a big part of my family,” he said. “He is the whole reason I am here with the Spears because Chase thought I was pretty good and invited me to come here.”
