By Robert Wilson
Not even Zy McDonald’s famous uncle, Ole Miss All-American and New Orleans Saints great Deuce McAllister, might not have had a night at Morton High School like McDonald had Friday night for the Ridgeland Titans.
McDonald completed 26 of 37 passes for 398 yards and seven touchdowns and one two-point conversion and ran nine times for 108 yards and two two-point conversions in a 49-32 victory over Vicksburg.
The 5-foot-11, 182-pound McDonald, who has verbally committed to Louisiana Lafayette, accounted for 48 of Ridgeland’s 49 points. McDonald threw three TD passes to Richard Mays, two to Antoine Brown and one each to Ayden Williams and Donovan Ball. He also threw a two-point conversion pass to Williams.
For his outstanding performance, McDonald has been named the Junction Deli/Mississippi Scoreboard Football Player of the Week for the second time this season.
McDonald passed for 344 yards and three TDs and ran for 146 and two TDs in a 34-14 over Pearl in Ridgeland’s season opener on Sept. 4 to earn his first Player of the Week honor.
McDonald has completed 112 of 173 passes (64.7 percent) for 1,812 yards and 23 TDs with only two interceptions and ran 42 times for 417 yards (9.9 yards per carry) and five TDs for 5-1 Ridgeland. He is averaging 302 total yards per game this season.
“Zy is not only a great football player, but a humble and hard working kid who exemplifies what it means to be a great teammate and leader,” first-year Ridgeland coach Sam Williams said. “I’m super proud of him and all his teammates who have made this season so awesome for all of us.”
McDonald, a second team selection on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard All-Metro Jackson team last season, passed for 3,252 yards and 25 touchdowns and ran for 610 yards and 14 TDs and led Ridgeland to an 8-4 record, its first winning season since 2013. McDonald has been starting at quarterback since his freshman year.
