When Adam Smith arrived in Ethel as the head football coach, he had several choices to fill his quarterback slot.
Smith went against the grain and selected freshman Marcus Jones, a move that was puzzling to some.
“He came in last year as a freshman and I was coming in and didn’t know anything about the kids. I didn’t know much about the kid and he seemed pretty athletic and a smart kid. We talked about it as coaches and decided we didn’t have any other quarterback-type kids,” said Smith. “My thought was coming in as a first-year coach, if I can get him coached up, I will have him four years. There are people that thought I should have gone a different direction, but I thought Marcus had a good season. I think he’s going to surprise some people and going to do some big things for us this year.”
As with any freshman quarterback, Jones took his lumps last season but did help the Tigers break a long losing streak with a 23-20 win over rival McAdams and a 41-14 win over Coffeeville that helped Ethel make it to the playoffs.
“We took some lumps with him and he made some freshman mistakes, but I was expecting that. He made some mistakes, but you never saw it really bother him,” Smith said. “The one thing about Marcus that is really impressive, is that no matter which way the ball bounces, his facial expression never changes. He is really positive with his teammates and he keeps his chin up and that’s impressive for a kid that young. We are proud of him and looking forward to what he can do as a sophomore.”
Last year, the Tigers were in the I-formation for most of the season with Jones being more of a game manager, handing the ball off for the majority of the season. But Smith said that will change this season.
“He is definitely going to carry the ball more,” Smith said. “Last year he was more of a game manager and kind of kept the offense rolling. I called him the captain because I told him that it was his ship and he had control of it. He told me that he was a running back in junior high and we will be depending on him more in the run game this season.”
Smith said he is moving away from the I-formation and going to more of a single-wing, Notre Dame box kind of look on offense, taking him back to his early years of coaching.
“There really isn’t a quarterback per se and in the single wing, but Marcus is still running the offense,” Smith said. “He will be more of a running threat than he was last season. We were in the I all of last year but midway through the season, I started to put in some of that single wing stuff and we had some success with it so that’s what we are going with this season.”
In the single-wing, the ball can be snapped to multiple players with lots of misdirection.
“He is still going to be the signal caller,” Smith said. “He’s definitely one of our leaders and that’s the thing that impressed me about him. He holds the other kids accountable on the field and in the field house. He’s really our leader and that’s unusual for a young guy. He’s going to get everybody pulling in the right direction. He’s definitely a high character kind of guy that you want on your team.”
Smith said he thinks the single-wing offense will suit Jones well.
Jones is set to run the ball more this season for the Ethel Tigers.
Robbie Robertson / The Star-Herald
“He’s not a blazer but he moves well and changes directions really well,” Smith said. “He is good with the ball in his hands but protects the ball and sees the field well. He sees the field and hits the holes like you want. That’s really why I want him to be running the ball more this season.”
Jones will also be seeing time on defense this season.A
“He will also play cornerback for us as well this season,” Smith said. “We lost some kids there with graduation and were shorthanded. He had a really good spring there and did a good job in the summer during 7-on-7. We are excited about him on defense as well. He is still just a sophomore and the only going to get better. The sky is the limit for that kid.”
More than speed and athletic ability, Smith said its Jones’ character he likes best.
“He’s just a coachable guy and no matter what you tell him to do, he’s going to do it to the best of his ability and try to get everybody pulling in the right direction,” Smith said. “He’s a young kid but he tries his best to be accountable on the field and in the classroom. He’s definitely one of those guys that you want on your team. We are excited about Marcus and what he can do this season.”
