After lighting up the scoreboards and taking part in all five Strake Jesuit touchdowns in a 34-12 win over Cy Creek, quarterback Jeff McVaney is The Athlete's Connection's Athlete of the Week.

Under McVaney’s leadership, the Crusaders are 7-1 overall and 4-1 in District 17-5A play. McVaney took over quarterback duties this season after a stellar junior campaign as an All-District linebacker.

“I was excited to get the opportunity to play quarterback this season,” McVaney said. “I have the chance to make more plays and help the team more.”

And ‘help’ is a clear understatement. After missing postseason play last season, Strake Jesuit sits in a very good position to make the playoffs. In McVaney’s opinion, it is the leadership and strong defensive play that is a large part of the Crusaders’ success.

“I think we have a great group of captains,” McVaney said. “The guys (other teammates) look to us to lead the team and I think we have done a good job of that.”

As the Crusaders round out district play, it is evident that McVaney’s performances are noteworthy. He is No.3 in District 17-5A in passing with 142 completions for 1,328 yards, 19 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. On the ground, he has rushed 107 times for 445 yards and six touchdowns.

“He has been tremendous for us this year,” Strake Jesuit coach Ron Counter said. “His decision-making has been unbelievable.”

And all of the numbers has resulted in bringing him exposure to college recruiters. At the moment, McVaney holds offers from Harvard, Army, Texas State, and Houston. All the scholarship opportunities are for football except for Houston, a team that is interested in him for baseball.

“Right now, I don’t know what sport I want to pursue,” McVaney said. “But I love football and I would really like to play in college.”

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