'Always in the game': Burr and Burton captain named Free Press boys athlete of the year

Jack McCoy, the quarterback, piloted the high-scoring Burr and Burton Academy football team, spearheading a Division I championship run with his legs, arm and wits.

Jack McCoy, the defenseman, controlled the ice for D-I semifinalist BBA hockey, using his vision and skating to possess and distribute.

Jack McCoy, the shortstop, captained BBA baseball's D-I semifinal club, with composure in the field and at the plate.

When it came to all three sports for the senior from Manchester, one common denominator stood out: The unwavering will to compete.

"No matter what he was always in the game and always a tough out," BBA assistant baseball coach Eddie Lewicki said. "You saw it in every sport. He's tough in football, he's tough in hockey.

"He’s exactly what you would want for a player."

The youngest of three McCoy brothers to shine at BBA has one more title bestowed upon him for 2023-24: Jack McCoy, the Free Press' boys athlete of the year. The state honor was also given to middle brother Joey McCoy in 2020.

"It was fun to watch them play and to know I'll be out there one day doing what they do," Jack McCoy said of his upbringing with brothers Jay and Joey. "Everything was sports with them and we are so competitive. They set the bar high for me and gave me a standard to follow."

And Jack McCoy capped his family's legacy with a memorable senior year.

The Gatorade and Free Press football player of the year pushed the Bulldogs to their first D-I title since brother Joey accomplished the feat in 2019. This fall, Jack McCoy threw for 2,055 yards, ran for 1,243 and totaled 47 touchdowns, while also collecting 74 tackles from the safety position.

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In hockey, McCoy's 14 goals and 18 assists this winter set a BBA single-season points record for defenseman and left him with 85 points, another club mark for blue-line players. His 85 points, amassed over a career that started with a limited schedule due COVID-19, are also third all-time for all BBA players.

And in baseball, the left-handed hitting McCoy batted .377, with four extra base hits and 11 RBIs. He also struck out just five times in 71 plate appearances, stole nine bases and garnered a .911 fielding percentage at shortstop.

Playing multiple sports "developed my overall skills do a variety of things," McCoy said. "I think it helped me be a better athlete. The (skills) intertwined with each sport and I stayed busy all the time, not to burn out in one sport."

In the D-I football title game, BBA stormed to a 28-6 lead in the fourth quarter before Hartford uncorked a whirlwind comeback to tie the game. McCoy and Co. were unfazed: The 5-foot-10 quarterback found the right read on a third-down completion to Zak Chani for 51 yards to set up the go-ahead score.

Then on the next Hartford possession, McCoy forced and recovered a fumble in the flat. After another Hartford turnover, BBA sealed the crown.

"It’s special to have an impact on both sides of the ball, trying to do my best and do my job essentially," McCoy said. "It just comes down to being an athlete and letting your instincts take over."

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For the game, McCoy ran the ball 32 times for 134 yards and threw for another for 178 to account for all five of BBA's scores.

"Touch and toughness are two things I would say about Jack," said father Tom McCoy, BBA's head football coach. "Some of the throws Jack made with touch was really good stuff. He really dedicated himself to the weight room the last three years. He was an offensive threat and I'll miss having a McCoy on the roster."

The BBA hockey team went 7-1-1 down the stretch before getting ousted in the playoffs by eventual champion Rice in the semifinals. The Bulldogs' success can be partly attributed to McCoy, who used his tools and work ethic to establish a winning formula.

"He controlled the ice like he controlled the field in football. It was so much fun to watch," BBA hockey coach Mark Slade said. "He worked harder than everyone. There was so much stuff off the ice, in the locker room, in the weight room, he led that team and our program to be so much better.

"Jack had it all."

When a early season slump in baseball could've derailed his final season, McCoy got creative by bunting as a left-handed hitter. The change in approach sparked an offensive tear for McCoy during BBA's 13-game winning streak.

"It’s impressive to me because you don’t see that a lot out of high school kids — confidence to do that," Lewicki said.

McCoy will continue his academic and football career at St. John Fisher University in New York. Both of his brothers played in college, at Hobart, but Jack McCoy will be the first of his siblings to remain at QB at the next level.

"It’s been a great job in my life, to coach them and see their success on all their athletic fields," Tom McCoy said of his sons. "I'm really proud of Jack and the boys for what they accomplished. It’s been a great run."

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Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.

BFP Boys Athletes of the Year

2024: Jack McCoy, Burr and Burton

2023: Tyler Rivard, Hazen

2022: Andrew Goodrich, Essex

2021: Finn O'Hara, Harwood

2020: Joey McCoy, Burr and Burton

2019: Patrick Burke, Mount Mansfield

2018: Kevin Garrison, Burlington

2017: Tyler Marshall, Champlain Valley

2016: Andy Kenosh, Rutland

2015: Alec Eschholz, Mount Mansfield

2014: Tommy Fitzgerald, Rice

2013: Matt St. Amour, Missisquoi

2012: Matt St. Amour, Missisquoi

2011: Christian McCormick, Rice