PAPILLION, Neb. (WOWT) – Derek Jones began his senior year at Papillion La Vista South with a bang.
“I’d say it’s one of my top games,” Jones told First Alert 6.
The Titans opened Week 1 with a rivalry matchup against Papillion La Vista.
“That game always brings a little bit more juice than some of the other ones,” Papio South football coach Tim Clevenger said. “The kids always get pretty amped up.”
“I was very juiced up,” Jones added. “I just wanted to get them back.”
The senior running back scored five total touchdowns in a 41-14 win.
“The whole crowd was riled up. We were ready to go,” Jones said. “We fired off the ball, smacked them first and I knew it was going to be a great day from there.”
“He’s been preparing for this for a long time,” Clevenger added. “You see a kid work so hard, lay it on the line year after year and then see it pay off his senior year is pretty cool.”
Through Week 1, Jones’ five scores lead the entire state. Yet, he is quick to credit his teammates.
“I bleed blue with everything I do. It’s all about the program, all about the team first,” Jones said.
Clevenger said that mindset makes all the difference.
“Keep doing what he’s doing, keep practicing hard, keep leading, keep being a great teammate,” he said. “When he does those things, we’ll be fine.”
And Jones has a message for the rest of Class A: “I think we’re really a team that needs to be watched and I think we’re coming.”
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