St. Peter's Prep junior guard Rayshawn Ford

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Prep’s Ford explodes at season’s end

By Jim Hague

It’s very rare to have a high school basketball player’s failure turn into motivation to become successful.

But that’s what happened to St. Peter’s Prep junior guard Rayshawn Ford.

The turning point of Ford’s incredible campaign took place on January 7, when Ford’s Marauders were facing archrival Hudson Catholic on the Marauders’ home floor at Grand and Warren.

As the game dwindled down to the last few precious seconds and the game tied, Ford stepped to the free throw line to make the shots that would have carried the Marauders to victory. However, Ford missed both free throws. The Marauders ended up losing, 57-51, in double overtime.

“Everyone was at the game,” Ford said. “They saw me step to the line and they could see that I missed the free throws. I didn’t want that to be in my head. I didn’t want to be known as the guy who missed the free throws and caused us to lose.”

Prep head coach Alex Mirabel knew that Ford was upset after missing the key shots.

“He just started to take the process more seriously,” Mirabel said. “Missing those shots really turned him around. He was a different player from that point on. He just kept moving forward. He never got frustrated. He just became a different player.”

Ford wasn’t about to allow the missed free throws decide what kind of a player he was going to be.

“From that point on, I took it another way,” Ford said. “Everyone told me not to put it my head that I missed those free throws. I think I wanted to take it to another level. It changed my mind set.”

Mirabel had a sense that Ford was determined to be a big-time contributor during the 2019-2020 season.

“He worked so hard during the summer,” Mirabel said of Ford. “He also worked hard into the fall. He wanted to prove himself more and more.”

Mirabel hinted that the success of his teammate Mark Armstrong served as a motivation to Ford.

“I think Mark had already established himself as a top player,” Mirabel said. “Mark was already proven and knew what he could do.”

Ford always had one goal in mind.

“My goal was to go to college for free,” Ford said. “I think a lot of colleges wanted to come visit to see Mark play. Everyone who comes to the games knows Mark. I worked hard my whole life to have that chance. Schools that were interested in Mark could see me. That’s how basketball works.”

Ford eventually settled in and had a fine junior year.

“As a sophomore, Ray really didn’t have the confidence,” Mirabel said. “He was experiencing some growing pains. He was still fairly young. I think practicing and playing with the seniors we had last year helped him.”

“I think confidence played a part in it,” Ford said. “I think it was more a comfortable thing, with everyone finding their roles. I just had to pick it up another level.”

And that’s exactly what Ford did, especially down the stretch of the season, which recently ended with the Marauders posting a 25-4 record, including a victory over Marist in the Hudson County Tournament championship game.

Over the last five games, Ford had 19 points and five rebounds in the semifinal win over North Bergen, a team-high 14 points and four rebounds in the 44-41 win over Marist to win the school’s first county championship since 2011, 20 points in the 55-49 NJSIAA Non-Public A North quarterfinal win over Seton Hall Prep, 25 points in the 74-67 Non-Public A North semifinal win over St. Joseph of Montvale and finally 21 points in the 73-66 double overtime loss to Bergen Catholic in the sectional championship game.

For his efforts, Ford has been selected as the first-ever Jim Hague Sports Athlete of the Week for the past week.

Ford, a Jersey City native and Greenville boy like this writer, said that he has a sense of pride being from Jersey City and carrying the banner proud.

“I think everyone knows I’m from Jersey City,” Ford said. “This was a great year. It was the first time I played for a championship and it was the first time Prep won the county championship in nine years. We came close a couple times (losing in the finals two years ago and the semifinals last year). A lot of people doubted us, even if we were the top seed. People thought we would lose.”

And it all began with a simple failure.

“I think missing those free throws were the turning point for me,” said Ford, who averaged 14.3 points per game this season, second on the Marauders next to Armstrong and was second on the team to Gavin O’Farrell in rebounding. “I made a mistake and instead of putting my head down, I went to work. It was definitely a mental thing. It was in my head and I knew I was a better player.”

Ford will definitely achieve his goal of playing college basketball on a scholarship. He already has received an NCAA Division I scholarship offers and more will follow.

“That confirms what I’ve been working for,” Ford said. “I hope it’s the first of many. It’s always been the goal.”

“Ray’s a Jersey City kid,” said Mirabel, who is also a Jersey City native. “For a Jersey City kid to have a scholarship offer is special for him. It doesn’t happen often. I was really impressed with the way he handled himself as a young man. He’s more mature now. He stayed after practice to take shots. He wanted to keep coming. He helped to form one of the best backcourts in the county. And they’re only going to get better. He knows he can’t settle. We have some good guards coming back (in Armstrong and Ford). That’s a good thing.”

In the case of the Marauders, it’s a great thing.