Jayton Jaybird fans have gotten used to seeing #32 and #21 leading the way on the field for the past couple of years, along with many other great players. When Jayton met the Chillicothe Eagles last Friday night at home, seniors Tye Scogin and Aaron Hernandez were out of their pads in street clothes due to lingering injuries. The Jaybirds would depend on other faces to carry on against the Eagles. Jayton fans would not be disappointed.
Behind the Pecos Smith rushing freight train and solid passing from Joel Williams and Caleb Valerio, the Jayton Jaybirds defeated the Chillicothe Eagles 58 to 8 by halftime. Smith gained 183 yards on the ground for 5 touchdowns behind strong blocking from Nathaniel Williams and Evan Cheyne. Joel Williams, making his first varsity start at quarterback, was terrific when hitting receivers Camron Benavides and Tripp Scott in the end zone. Valerio also added a passing touchdown to Benavides.
The story of the night was on defense. Thomas Mullen, the leading tackler on the season so far, amassed 11 stops, followed by Smith and Valerio, each with 8 tackles. Cheyne and Benavides mirrored one another with 5 tackles and a fumble recovery. The Jaybirds, known for their offense the past several seasons, have stepped up considerably on defense, with strong open-field tackling while moving quickly to the ball.
Jayton, now 3 and 0 on the season, looks forward to playing Wilson at home on Friday, September 20 at 8 p.m. While injuries to key starters have been an issue for Head Coach Josh Stanaland and his squad, the Jaybirds have used the “next man up” mentality to improve all their players. With other players having the opportunity to play in key moments, there is no reason not to get excited about what the Jaybirds will be able to accomplish when they are at full strength as district games approach.
For now, the Jayton Jaybirds will prepare for their next game by hitting the practice field, preparing for every game one at a time while representing their community. One change that the Jaybirds have made this season is naming honorary team captains each week. So far, the team has asked Tim Lisembee, Roy Jon Harrison and Rodger Chunn to accompany their captains to help with the opening coin toss. The idea to name these captains was decided by the team, who want to honor the fans that have supported the school throughout the years.
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