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ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — Jefferson’s football program had a breakthrough season last year. The J-Hawks posted their first winning season and their first playoff season since 1993, so what’s next for the J-Hawks?
No one associated with Jefferson High School will forget the excitement of making the playoffs last year, but right now, these young men who have been working all summer are trying to blot it out for now.
“Our big thing is just not focusing so much on last year and just focusing on this year. Building off what we did last year, taking it into this year,” said junior running back/linebacker Jace Schaack.
“Our whole thing this offseason was “Burn the Bridge,” said Jefferson head coach Cody Casazza. We’re trying to disconnect ourselves from that team as much as possible because that team is now a relic of the past. We really want to earn our right as this team to punch another ticket to the playoffs.”
Running back/receiver Adonis Pickett wants more. “The box we want to check this year is to improve of course. We want to win a playoff game. We made the playoffs last year, but we didn’t win.”
The J-Hawks lost about 24 seniors from last year’s team. This group will be a lot younger.
“A lot of the kids we’ve brought up from JV,” said Casazza. “We’re very sophomore and junior heavy. We’ve got a lot of game maturing to do.”
This team will be different from last year’s team in that this team will be smaller on the lines and more athletic, more explosive on the edges. Mike Townsend, who set all sorts of school receiving records is gone, but number two receiver Janardie Turner, who’s also one of the state’s most explosive hurdlers, is back and ready to become that number one threat.
“I feel like he’s definitely ready,” said senior Alejandro Almonaci. “Me and him have been working a lot just this offseason together. Yea, we did lose Mike Townsend who was an explosive player, but I feel like we have a couple more explosive players this year.”
The J-Hawks appear to be deep with athletes at receiver with JaJuan Harris, Anthony Harris, Laudrell Baylock and Adonis Pickett.
“I think we have a lot of weapons, said JaJuan Harris. We’ll let you guys see week one. I think from the run game to the pass game to special teams. I think we’re loaded.”
At running back Leslie Thomas will get a lot of carries. We’ll see Jace Schaack back there too.
Schaack’s primary job is leading the defense at linebacker. This is his third year starting there.
There’s also Auburn transfer Mike Jones Jr. He brings a lot of size and speed off the edge at defensive end.
“I think he’s going to make up for a lot of our lost seniors,” said Schaack. “He’s definitely going to be a big threat.”
Jones Jr. will also be a key addition to the offense with his size and hands at tight end.
Senior Alejandro Almonaci will certainly be a key player. He takes over as the J-Hawks starting quarterback this year. He last played quarterback as a freshman when he was at Guilford.
“I’ve done it before, but I feel like I’m really smart at the game of football,” said Almonaci. “I’ve been studying it my whole life. I feel like that really gives me an advantage over someone who’s just playing quarterback for the first time.”
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