MIAMI, Fla. – Jones High School come up just short of an undefeated season, losing 40-31 against American Heritage in a slugfest for the Class 4A football state championship.
“My kids played lights out,” Jones head coach Elijah Williams said after the game. “They fought; they have been resilient all year. We just came up short.”
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Although the Jones Fightin' Tigers held an early lead, they were down 17-10 at the half. Jones quarterback Dereon Coleman had three rushing touchdowns on the night, his last one making the game 31-24.
And in the fourth quarter, Jones tied it at 31 a piece, thanks to Jones running back Jaquail Smith. But a 80-yard touchdown run from American Heritage and a late forced fumble against Jones sealed the game.
“I was proud of how none of us put our heads down,” Jones wide receiver Vernell Brown III said. “None of us quit; we fought hard to the end. As leaders of the team, that was our message: the scoreboard may not look the way we want, but we’re going to fight to the end. I feel like we did that.”
The Fightin' Tigers made history throughout the year with the first undefeated regular season in school history. The team was back in the state final for the first time since 2019.
“All you do is ask for the chance to win,” head coach Williams said. “We had a chance.”
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