Wade Jones spotted the ball flying toward him. His only thought was to catch it. He’d worry about scoring later. He had a chance for a great play with only one person to beat.
Taylor made a statement with their final road game of the season against Madonna, winning 91-28. The near 100-point performance set a school and conference record for most points in a game.
Multiple players stood out to the coaching staff. Junior quarterback Damon Hockett had only needed to complete five passes to throw for 119 yards and three touchdowns. Senior running back Jameson Chesser had 120 rushing yards and two touchdowns, breaking 1,000 yards on the season. Freshman tight ends Luke Etchison and Nate Munson each caught a touchdown.
One of the highlights was freshman defensive back Wade Jones’ 76-yard pick-six.
“I looked up and saw the ball being thrown towards my direction as if the quarterback wanted to play catch with me,” Jones said. “One thought was going through my mind: I needed to catch the ball.”
Jones had a wide-open path to the end zone with a solid block from his teammate. As a track athlete, the sprint was nothing new. He took the ball to the end zone with a smile on his face.
He saw the entire defensive system move as one. They were able to come together and make necessary stops that boosted the team’s energy all game long.
That energy was visible from the Taylor sideline throughout the game. Many players got their chance to take the field as head coach Aaron Mingo put in his third and fourth strings to finish the job.
“We didn’t let the scoreboard dictate how hard we played,” Mingo said, “we just kept the intensity up. Our team is constantly getting better. Our pass defense, QB pressure, kicking; everything has improved.”
Jones shared this same thought. He spoke about his confidence improving as the year progressed. As a freshman, his knowledge of the game during a play came to him as he got more reps.
Starting running back Chesser was a key part of the Trojan’s offense this year. Combining a record-breaking seven-touchdown game against Saint Francis (IN) and over 1,000 rushing yards, he had a season to remember.
“It was such an honor to have a season like we had,” Chesser said, “A season where we see success in all areas of our game. We went from 2 - 9 to 9 - 2. And it’s really the brothers around me that make this so special.”
Football has always been part of Chesser’s life, and it’s been a grind for the past nine years. He has to look forward to the next steps after graduation, and he knows that he will have this brotherhood for the rest of his life.
Chesser’s favorite moments centered around his teammates and coaching staff. Through all the fantastic victories, his favorite game would be a surprise for many.
“It was actually the loss against Marian,” Chesser said. “It was a heartbreaking defeat, but it was the game we grew from the most. Chains were broken, and misbelief was transformed into belief. It was my favorite because it did the most for us.”
His final words for the team were simply a thank you. He said God had blessed him with this team, and this season was only possible because of Him. All the work they had put in all pointed back to glorifying God.
Chesser will miss many things about the team. Suiting up with the boys and having late-night conversations in the dorms will always be fond memories for him, but he remains thankful for the time he spent with them.
Every loss and lesson pointed toward the Trojan’s last home game against Concordia. “We are very consistent,” coach Mingo said, “with our team getting better, we look to take care of business at home.”
Taylor followed their dominant performance against Madonna by closing out their year in a win over Concordia 20-14, ending their season with a stellar 9-2 record.
