James Clemens Jets in action Friday night under the lights
JCHS head football coach Bill Stewart coaches players in a tackling drill
The James Clemens Jets, fresh off two weeks of grueling two hour plus practices, are ready to show off what they have learned to their fans. The Blue/White scrimmage Friday night at the stadium at Liberty Middle School will be part of a bigger night of celebration that will start at 5:00 pm with the middle school team scrimmage. James Clemens will take the field about 7 pm.
Led by their head coach Bill Stewart, who seems to have boundless energy, the team has come together and began the long process to respectability.
“It’s a process day-by-day,” Stewart said during a short break at practice to meet with media members gathered. “We have been blessed with kids that I think can get it done in the end when we build them up and we have been given the facility so now it’s up to us to get it done.”
“We have to get our kids bigger, faster, and stronger or we won’t be able to compete in 6A with teams like Hoover and Bob Jones.”
The 15,000 sq. ft. weight room in the James Clemens Field house has just opened and this week hosted the first full squad lifting workout when the team’s practice on Monday was rained out. Stewart said all 80 players can now lift at once.
“We are very fortunate that the city has built an unbelievable school. They thought about academics and athletics in what it takes to have a great school. All of the athletic programs here can compete with any school when we get a few years under our belt.”
Stewart added that he thinks Bob Jones is “an incredibly successful school and the city is now blessed with two.”
Stewart has a background as a strength coach that will serve him well in preparing his players for football. In his prior job in Georgia, he coached a weightlifting team at Etowah High School in Woodstock, Georgia to a state championship. .
Back on the practice field, Stewart, a former linebacker and later linebacker coach in college at the University of Central Florida, works with the linebackers in individual drills. But he has his hand on every aspect of the team. He takes the place of the quarterback to teach the intricacies of running and defending the read option.
“I’ve been doing this 20 years now so there is not a lot I haven’t seen. I am dealing with a younger group than I am used to and what you have to do is teach more fundamentals.”
“There is some potential to have some great players out here,” Stewart said after one week in pads. “We are still making some moves offensively and defensively every day. We’re running out of time but we hope to have everyone in place by the Grissom game (jamboree on August 24) and we are going to evaluate in that game.”
“I am real happy with the way Mathew Stewart has been running the ball.” Stewart said.
To start the season, two players will play both ways. Both are skill position players, Phillip Noble and Deondre Douglas. Douglas will play on special teams as a return man also.
“We’re a little behind most people because we are practicing so many young kids. But as far as preparing, hustling, and doing what it takes to get ready we are doing a good job. I’m proud of the kids for being here every day and on time,” Stewart said.
