Independence’s Jayden Jones is Observer’s Football Player of the Week
Jayden Jones said he isn’t sure if last week’s performance was his best of the season.
“But it was certainly one of the best,” Jones said. “And I’m happy that it came when it did.”
Jones accounted for 225 yards of total offense and four touchdowns last Friday in leading Independence to a 41-7 rout of neighborhood rival Butler.
It was the Patriots’ most lopsided victory over Butler in 17 years.
“It’s always special when you play well against your rival,” said Jones, a 5-10, 175-pound senior running back who has rushed for 770 yards this season despite playing full-time in only five games. He missed all or part of five other games with a hamstring injury.
“The hamstring is much better now, and it’s getting better every day,” Jones said. “I’ve had a lot of therapy, a lot of stretching. I’m back to where I can move a lot better.”
Lots of talent
Jones is the second Patriot running back to be voted Player of the Week this season. Travis Hill won the award in the Patriots’ third game of the season, a 35-34 victory over Charlotte Christian.
Hill took over when Jones was hurt, and now Jones and Christian Liles are carrying the load since Hill was injured a few weeks ago.
“That’s the kind of team we have this season,” Jones said. “We have players all over the place. We have people ready to help each other out.”
Last Friday, Jones carried the ball 15 times for 157 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught three passes from Jared Street for 68 yards and another touchdown.
Jones said he and his teammates have learned that preparing for a game requires a full week of work. He said the Patriots started slowly in preparations for Hough and West Charlotte, and they lost both games.
“We learned we have to start the week fully involved in the game plan,” he said. “When we have a good start, we finish well. And with the talent we have, this team can go a long ways.”
A stint at quarterback
Jones started playing football around age 5, as a running back and middle linebacker in midget leagues. By the time he arrived at Northeast Middle School, in the shadows of Independence, Jones had become a quarterback.
“We needed a quarterback when I was in eighth grade,” he said. “I seemed to have a knack for the position, and I enjoyed it.”
When he got to Independence as a ninth-grader, Jones was moved to running back and linebacker.
“I only played linebacker in ninth grade,” he said. “Since then, I’ve focused on running back.”
Jones and the Patriots (8-2) get the night off Friday, drawing a bye in the first round of the 7A playoffs. They’ll open action next Friday at home against the winner of the McDowell-Page contest.
“This has been a good week for us,” he said. “We’ve practiced, but we’ve also been able to rest up and heal a bit.”
“Independence has a great tradition of football,” he said, referring to the Patriots’ powerhouse teams of the early 2000s. “We want to add to that history, but we also want people to remember us, for what we do. That’s our goal.”
