Lawry scores five touchdowns in Kingsway win
Kingsway junior running back-cornerback Ray Lawry has played like a star all year but has been treated as just another player, and his father couldn't be happier.
Lawry enjoyed another vintage performance, rushing for 260 yards and five touchdowns on 19 carries as Kingsway defeated host Clearview, 41-13 on Thursday, earning a share of the WJFL National Division title.
The Dragons will share the championship with Clearview and Shawnee, all with 4-1 division records.
Meanwhile, Kingsway (7-3) will prepare for its South Jersey Group 4 semifinal at 10-0 Lacey on Dec. 1.
"It feels great because Kingsway and Clearview are rivals and all this hard work we have been doing since June has finally paid off," Lawry said. "Now we are looking to win another championship."
That is Lawry, never satisfied at winning one title when another is there for the taking.
This mind-set was drilled into him by his father, also Ray, with an ample assist from Kingsway coach Tony Barchuk.
The elder Lawry is a 1989 Kingsway graduate who played nose guard for Barchuk and has instilled a lineman's mentality into his son.
More than anybody, Lawry's father understands how Barchuk can be demanding on his players in attempting to get the most out of them.
The father's attitude?
Bring it on.
"If his son makes a mistake, he will take the heat, and I am able to do that with young Ray because his father played for me and knows how I work," Barchuk said.
So if Barchuk gets on Lawry - and there isn't a lot to get on him about - the father couldn't be happier.
"I encourage Coach to do it," the elder Lawry said. "We want him [his son] to work for everything."
It's not as if young Ray has to be pushed. It's just that he can never become complacent in practice, or a game, with such strong role models. He is listed as 5-foot-9 and 173 pounds, but Barchuk says he's 10 pounds stronger.
"I've never seen anybody who could get to full speed in such short spurts," Barchuk said.
Clearview coach Mark Deal concurs.
"If there is any type of daylight, he makes his own daylight," said Deal, whose team finished 5-5 and was among the area's more improved teams after going 2-8 last year. "He has outstanding strength and speed and is a tremendous player."
The key is that Lawry hasn't allowed all this success to get to his head, and his father and Barchuk have made sure he is on his guard, just the way defenses are against him.
The coach and father will have trouble finding much wrong with Thursday's performance, which also included an interception at cornerback. Yet the younger Lawry knows never to relax.
"You have to keep working," he said.
Lawry has made unofficial visits to Penn State, Rutgers, and Temple. While no formal scholarship offers have arrived, it seems only a matter of time.
"I believe they will be coming," he said.
It's probably a good assumption.
Kingsway 14 14 6 7 – 41
Clearview 0 0 7 6 – 13
K: Ray Lawry 64 run (kick failed)
K: Lawry 51 run (Brendon Irving run)
K: Daquan Mayer 25 pass from Robert Green (run failed)
K: Lawry 45 run (Pat Hodges pass from Green)
K: Lawry 35 run (kick failed)
C: Mitch Harbaugh 5 run (Kevin Parrott kick)
K: Lawry 39 run (Tyler Bell kick)
C: Harbaugh 5 run (pass failed)
Contact Marc Narducci at mnarducci@phillynews.com or @sjnard on Twitter.