BOONEVILLE -- See you later, Gator.
There soon could be a new all-time career-rushing leader in the storied Booneville Bearcat football history.
And the man who holds the record could not be more proud to see his longtime mark broken. The last name in the books would remain the same, but the first name could be different.
Allen "Gator" Ray is having the time of his life this season on Friday nights, rooting for his record 4,243 career rushing yards to be broken. And with good reason. If his milestone is to be replaced, it will be his son, senior Randon Ray, whose name will go to the top of the board.
Two of Gator's sons are impacting Booneville's team this season. Besides Randon, who plays quarterback, sophomore fullback Rylen Ray is emerging quickly as a rushing force for the Bearcats (6-1, 3-0 3A-4).
"Seeing two of your kids in the middle Friday nights is very special," Allen said. "This is a season I've been looking forward to for a long time. It has been a joy watching them play at the same level. They have been a blast to watch. They are humble, but they aren't afraid to work hard and do what is needed."
The brothers have put up impressive numbers this season heading into tonight's home game against Baptist Prep (4-2, 1-2). Randon has rushed for 681 yards on 67 carries and 13 touchdowns. Rylen has put up 429 yards on 55 touches and 5 touchdowns.
In a recent game against Timpson, Texas, the brothers combined for 281-yards and 5 touchdowns in a 57-40 road loss. Rylen ran for a career-high 150 yards on 21 attempts with a touchdown, and Randon added 131 yards on 18 carries and 4 touchdowns.
Randon is now at 3,414 career rushing yards and just needs 829 more yards to pass his dad. Last season he ran for 1,733 yards and had 1,000 yards his sophomore year.
"There is no doubt that I want him to break the record," Allen said. "He has a chance. At the quarterback position, you touch the ball a lot and don't have to get the high number of carries to get the yards. Any time anything is needed, he isn't afraid to step up for the team and make a play. It is so much fun watching him play."
Randon, who is committed to playing baseball at the University of Arkansas-Rich Mountain, entered this season 10th all-time, and he has quickly rocketed up the rankings. He is now fourth overall, just ahead of Ronnie Littleton (4,035 yards) and Bryson May (4,058 yards).
Even though he is on pace to break his dad's record, it couldn't be further from Randon's mind.
Instead, he is locked in on his goal that he set back in the seventh grade. Coaches that summer told players to write down goals they wanted to work toward and achieve. Randon's goal was a team goal and not an individual goal -- he wants a state title like his older brother Carson (2018) and dad Allen (1999) achieved.
"We have really played well so far this season," said Randon, who has earned all-state honors in three sports. "We have great team chemistry. We work really hard for each other. It is really a brotherhood out here. Up until this point, I have never really given the record much thought. I just want to take it one game at a time and hope that it takes us to Little Rock."
When asked who the best athlete in the Ray family is, Randon initially thought of his brother Carson before deciding with a laugh it was best to refrain from answering. Watching Carson's dominant season in 2018 (1,760 rushing yards with 32 touchdowns) inspired Randon, he said.
"My eyes were glued to the field," Randon said. "It was an awesome experience. I didn't want to miss a play. He was a big inspiration watching him run wild. I got to see him from the stands but watching him from the sideline was something else.
The Rays have had five members who have rushed for 1,000 yards in a season for the Bearcats. Rick, Allen's uncle, started it all in 1970. Bruce matched the accomplishment in 1973. Allen followed in their footsteps in 1998 and 1999 with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Carson broke the 1,000 yard mark in his senior year in the state championship run of 2018. Randon has run for 1,000 yards during the past two seasons. Rylen, who is 571 yards away, could be the sixth member of the 1000-yard Ray family.
"I'm trying to break those records as well," Rylen said with a laugh. "But the most important thing is playing for the team. It has been fun playing with Randon up here at the varsity level. We played in the backyard all these years, and now we get to do it at this level. It is very special."
Allen's younger brother James won a state championship in 2013 playing as a defensive back for Booneville. James, now an Arkansas State Trooper, won the 2021 National Trooper of the Year award for his heroics in December during a high-speed chase.
Several members of the extended Ray family have played for the Bearcats, too, including current team member Dunn Daniel, who has made his fair share of plays this season. Daniel has carved out a key role in the passing game on two-point conversions and returned an interception for a touchdown last week.
There have been five Bearcats players who have rushed for over 1,700 yards in a single season. Three are in the same family with Allen, Carson and Randon Ray, who is the only member of the family to play quarterback. When Allen stepped off the field in his final game in 1999, in his wildest dreams he couldn't imagine two additional Rays and potentially three eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark for Booneville. Or that his own son could break his record down the road.
"I never really thought about the record too much over the years," Allen said. "Then my first three children were boys. I got to thinking if the record was going to be broken, I wanted it to be by one of them."
The Booneville offense has looked pretty similar over the years being run-oriented. But Randon brings the threat of the rush from the quarterback position like no other has done in Bearcat history. He established that by running for 1,733 yards last year, more than any quarterback ever at Booneville.
"We have put a lot of pressure on him with running the different options," Booneville coach Doc Crowley, who grew up with the Ray family, said. "We made a complete schematic change last year. If you watch us, not much seems different. But with the changes, we have asked more of him with adjustments. He has done an awesome job with it.
"I had the privilege to coach Carson and now Randon and Rylen. They have all been good ones. I know Allen really well and we are friends. When I was growing up here, our families were close. I've known them my whole life and it's been great seeing them be so successful. They have to be one of the best families to ever play the sport in the state."