CARY, N.C. — It looked like a typical scene following a high school football practice — sweaty jerseys, tired players and a tub of cold water sitting just past the endzone.
The tub wasn’t for icing down sore muscles, however. One by one, nearly a dozen players from Cary High School’s football team stepped into the water, not for recovery, but to demonstrate rebirth.
In a moving public display of faith, 11 players from Cary High’s varsity and junior varsity football teams were baptized following a recent practice on Tuesday, Oct. 7, in front of teammates, coaches, family, friends and members of a local Baptist church. The post-practice baptisms were a highlight of two years of consistent ministry by Cary First Baptist Church that began with a simple gesture — providing pregame meals to the teams each week.
“Cary First Baptist exists to demonstrate the love and share the good news of Jesus Christ everyday, everywhere, with everyone,” said Pat Kilby, the church’s senior pastor. “We firmly believe that if you demonstrate the love of Jesus to your community consistently and strategically, you will see fruit. This has been a work in progress over two years. It’s one of the avenues that God has allowed us to serve our community and share the good news with them.”
Back in 2024, Cary First Baptist’s Worship and Student Pastor Mark Page reached out to Cary High’s head football coach Coleman Tyrance to see if there were any ways the church could serve the team.
“We need someone to feed us,” Tyrance said.
So church members began serving the team by preparing meals before junior varsity games on Thursdays and varsity games on Fridays. What started as a simple act of hospitality has grown into a ministry that has changed lives. With each meal, Page and others have consistently shared the gospel and seen many players come to faith in Christ over the past two seasons.
“Immediately lots of players started praying to receive Christ,” Page said. “There have been more and more every week.”
Page estimates that of the approximately 80 players who make up both the junior varsity and varsity squads, all but about 10 have made professions of faith over the past two years.
“It’s just been the gospel and a bold call to come to Christ and follow Him,” Page said.
Page has had the opportunity to baptize a number of the players prior to the recent post-practice baptism with more planning to be baptized soon. The approximately 60 members of Cary First Baptist who volunteer to prepare and serve the meals have also witnessed the changed lives. In fact, a large contingent of the volunteers came out to see the players get baptized after the recent practice.
“We have a committed team who prepare the meals,” Kilby said. “It takes a lot to serve these kids and earn the right to share with them, but these volunteers do it week after week with joy and a humble spirit. They love these kids, and the kids love them.”
Page, Kilby, Associate Pastor Myron Burris and the rest of Cary First Baptist aren’t stopping with seeing players come to faith. They’re also committed to helping them grow spiritually. Page said he is working to connect players with mentors and get them in groups to read and study the Bible together.
The spiritual awakening that’s taking place on the team this season also comes amid one of Cary High School’s best seasons in recent memory. The varsity team is undefeated on the season, holding a 7-0 record for the first time since 2004 with a bye scheduled for this week. The team is also guaranteed to finish the season with a winning record for the first time since 2011.
“I’ve seen a lot of bonding as a team,” said Anthony Atunku, a sophomore defensive tackle. “We’re a lot more united, and I feel like that has to be God. A team can only win if you have that connection with one another. But most importantly, it’s about glorifying God in the way we play.”
Coach Tyrance added, “It is awesome seeing young people finding faith and being received by family, friends and teammates.”
Following the post-practice baptisms, Page gathered the team together and prayed a prayer of commissioning over them.
“Let’s take another step,” Page told the team. “Let’s go back to Cary High School united as brothers and preach Jesus.”
Page said he hopes what’s happening at Cary High School will happen in other places.
And God may indeed be moving in similar ways elsewhere. Social media posts about the baptisms have generated thousands of views and hundreds of likes, shares and comments online. Additionally, Page said other high school and college athletes have sent him messages asking him to come speak to their teams.
“I’m always amazed at what God can do,” Page said. “God is bringing an awakening to our towns and our cities through sports. The thing that I’m believing God for in the future is that this becomes a catalytic spark to awaken revival in our town in such a powerful way that it spreads to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and beyond.”
This story originally appeared at the Biblical Recorder.
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