Stick another feather in his cap -- or helmet, as the case may be.
Chester quarterback Tony McNeal hasn't even started his senior year, yet he has another football accolade to talk about.
McNeal, who committed to Clemson in January, led a 7-on-7 team from the Southeast to a 36-0 win over a Southwest team on Sunday in Orlando, Fla., as part of the ESPN RISE Games. In the first half alone, he threw strikes to all of his receivers, completed 12 of 15 passes and two touchdowns.
Not bad for a guy that wasn't initially on the Champion Gridiron Kings invite list. McNeal was summoned only after Phillip Ely, a quarterback out of Tampa, Fla., pulled out of the event.
McNeal helped lead the Chester Cyclones to the Class AAA state title game as a sophomore and to the second round of the playoffs in 2009. Playing 7-on-7 tournaments is a summer staple for McNeal. But Orlando had a different feel. All the players on both teams were Division I college prospects.
"I just learned that you can't take anything for granted," he said. "People are relying on you. You've got to do your best to make your school better."
Former Chester coach Maurice Flowers knew McNeal was going to be a good one when he named him the Cyclones' starter as a sophomore.
"He absorbed everything I talked to him about. He listened and had a good work ethic," Flowers said. "He is very cerebral; a good study of the game. College coaches noticed that right away."
Flowers learned McNeal was going to Florida and set up a workout for him in Charlotte with a couple receivers. It helped to get McNeal ready.
The workout was on July 15 and McNeal flew to Florida the next morning. He met his teammates at a team dinner that night.
Practice began at 9 a.m. on Saturday and the game was played on Sunday. The contest aired on ESPNU on Wednesday night.
"We all sat down before the game. We all wanted to defend the Southeast's championship from last year," he said.
McNeal came away with some new friends from the game.
Now it's back to Chester football. His focus is solely on this season. The Cyclones first practice is at 9 a.m. today.
"I just want to make sure we get back to the state championship game, and win it," he said.
