Ethel’s Marcus Jones not only had one of the best season’s in school history, he had one of the best in Attala County this season.
For his efforts, Jones was named the National Guard Player of the Year for Attala County.
Jones helped guide the Tigers to a 6-5 record and rushed for 1,578 yards on 271 carries and 21 TDs. He also threw for 380 yards and six TDs on 32-of-58 passing.
After rushing for 541 yards and being hurt as a sophomore, Jones almost tripled his output his junior year.
“He exceeded all of my expectations,” Ethel coach Adam Smith said. “I was hoping to have a 1,000-yard rusher with the success we had last year but what he did this season was more than I could have ever imagined. Again, he just exceeded all of my expectations. He is a great player and a great guy and had a great season.”
Smith said when he arrived at Ethel, he figured out quickly that Jones was his guy.
“The staff didn’t have much in the way of a quarterback for me when I got here,” Smith said. “We looked at him and figured out pretty quick that he was be the guy. I told him as long as I was here, he would be my guy. He has gotten better each and every year. He really exploded and had a good season this year. I’m excited about what the future holds for him.”
Smith said the more he watches Jones on film the more he becomes impressed with the junior.
“It just amazed watching him on film,” Smith said. “I just wonder some times how he stays on his feel and finds a yard. He is one of the most physical runners I have ever coached. He has good vision and really runs hard. He has a knack for knowing when to cut and hit the open seams. When it was third or fourth and short, he was our guy.”
Smith was also named the Division 3-1A Athlete of the Year this past season.
“He had a really good offensive line this season and they really paved the way for him,” Smith said. “As a team, we rushed for almost 3,500 yards and they were the main cogs in the wheel. They made us go and made it happen for him. Hopefully, he can run for 2.000 yards next year.”
