NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- If you keep up with area high school football on social media, you may be familiar with "The Maury Factory," a nickname given to the program by a staff member.
So what does that mean?
"I didn't come up with the label," smiled Commodores' head coach Dyrri McCain. "I wouldn't say that I wouldn't take it, but I didn't come up with the label."
"A lot of guys come here and produce and turn out to be guys who play at the next level," explained senior edge Ari Watford, who has verbally committed to Clemson.
"Guys come here ready to work and really just ready to develop themselves and become better," senior quarterback Au'Tori Newkirk added.
Last year, in addition to a handful of Division I college athletes, the factory produced a state championship, capping it off with a 45-34 win over Stone Bridge in the title game. The heat pushed the Commodores indoors this week, but they're back in the lab and working to stay on top of the high school football mountain.
"I feel like it's hard to do both, but it's harder to stay on top," Watford said in regards to winning and then keeping the crown. "Guys coming after you, everybody's gunning for you, the top dog, but as long as you're putting in work, you'll be straight."
"Nothing is promised to us come December 14," added McCain. "We can't walk around and be comfortable about it, but as far as having a certain swagger and a certain confidence of feeling like you want to be the champion for '24 and feel like we're one of the best teams around here, yes, that's what we do have."
The current focus is using that swagger and turning it into more results. McCain and company return many players from last year's 15-0 squad and do not shy away from putting their repeat state championship goals out there.
"That's going to be explained and talked about the entire camp, the season," the head coach pointed out. "December 13 should be our last practice."
"We know we'll be back there and we know what we want to accomplish in the end," said Watford. "That's pretty much it. Last practice, December 13."
Along with it, Maury has the chance to add to its already-storied history. Never before have the Commodores claimed back-to-back state championships, so players in the factory are currently hard at work in hopes of cementing their legacy within the program."
"It would feel good being the first to do it, being the first in that category," said Newkirk. "It's something that we can hold on to for years from now."
"We talk about the guys wanting to be able to leave a legacy," McCain added. "This team can create its own legacy for doing something that has never been done before in school history. They have the opportunity to do that, so there's a bunch at stake, but the guys want to do it."
Maury opens its 2024 season on September 6, hosting H.A Wise out of Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
