Toughness, physicality and discipline.
For new Jordan-Matthews football head coach Reggie “Kermit” Carter, those are the three pillars the Jets will operate by as they try to restore the feeling of what Jordan-Matthews football once was.
As an alumnus of his program when it was still the top dog in Chatham County, Carter learned those values from personal experiences with Jets’ coaching legends Phil E. Senter and John Phillips.
And now in the position they once held over his life, he’s starting the road back to glory by pouring those same sentiments into the next generation.
Jordan-Matthews’ players, who have come out in larger numbers than last season, have already felt and accepted the new energy within the program and are looking to make the first step toward a nostalgic renaissance in 2024.
Last year
Outside of its two wins against Chatham Central and Graham, the bottom two teams in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference, Jordan-Matthews wasn’t very competitive on Friday nights. Despite having solid pieces in Raje Torres, Nick Glover, Gabriel Brewer and Neil Wiley, the Jets struggled immensely on offense, failing to score over 13 points in seven of their eight losses. Jordan-Matthews finished the season with a 2-8 record, its 12th straight losing season.
Changes and Newcomers
Being without its former quarterback Raje Torres and receiver Nick Glover, who transferred to different programs, does change the depth of talent on Jordan-Matthews’ roster. However, with the Jets switching to a more hard-nosed, downhill style of play, more emphasis will be put on the running back positions.
That helps sophomore Namir Wiley who will be making the switch from wide receiver to quarterback this season. Although he will have talented targets in sophomore Kenneth Dula and Rashaad McSwain, easing Wiley into the passing game with a solid rushing attack could bode well for his confidence and development throughout the year.
“He’s never played it, but he’s a good athlete,” Carter said about Wiley. “He’s a hard worker. I have faith that he’ll put the work in to get to our liking. I told our coaches there’s no reason to overload him.”
Jordan-Matthews should also be stronger in the trenches as it boasts a deep group of big bodies up front.
Players to watch
Junior running back and middle linebacker Jakari Blue and sophomore running back Omar Sanford should be in for huge seasons as they’ll look to get a lot of touches in the backfield.
Players and coaches have been impressed with Blue in the backfield because of his physical style of running.
“He runs up the middle, and you don’t know what he’s going to do,” senior lineman Tate Kidd said. “He might hit-stick you. He might do whatever he wants to do.”
Carter said he’s been surprised by McSwain’s work ethic and impact at the tight end position as he’s returning from a knee injury that kept him out of most of last year.
McSwain was praised by Carter and Kidd for working his way back to good health quickly, and said he’s looking to playing a “leadership role” this season by helping the young guys learn their responsibilities.
Dula, one of the Jets’ best skill players, is looking for a solid year at the corner position as he’ll try to stay healthy while facing many talented receivers around the county this season.
“I just want to play as hard as I can,” Dula said.
Outlook
On the base of the three pillars that Carter instilled into his players, the goal for the Jets this year is to just compete.
That’s a start in the right direction for this team, as the glory days won’t come overnight.
Carter said he’s been most happy about the players’ energy and willingness to buy into his way of doing things in preseason practices. According to Kidd, the team has been doing more hitting drills and running than they have in the past, which he feels is the right amount of intensity needed to turn the program around.
With that newfound energy, the Jets may put up more of a fight in its regular season bouts, even if they still fall short in the win-loss column.
“Do what your coach would do, and let the chips fall where they may,” Carter said. “That’s all I can ask from these young men.”
