Jets blast Hartselle in spring football game
Maceo Booker turns upfield for a gain in the Jets spring game against Hartselle
(RECORD PHOTO/LINDSAY VAUGHT)
MADISON- It was only a spring game but James Clemens came ready to play Thursday night at Madison City Schools Stadium. The Jets rolled to a 31-7 win over 5A Hartselle in the first ever football game featuring a full senior class for James Clemens. If the game is any indication for this fall, the 2-8 record they posted last year will be a distant memory.
James Clemens scored the first time they had the ball. Maceo Booker capped a 90-yard drive with a 10 yard touchdown run. Booker gained most of the yards on the drive running to his right behind Logan Stenberg and Andrew Nelson at tackle and guard. A pass from Heath Burchfield to Immanuel Wilder accounted for 25 yards.
Booker also had a 44-yard touchdown run in the final minute before halftime. Will Gochowski hit the extra points to put James Clemens up 14-0. It could have been much worse but the Jets were flagged for several penalties on offense including holding that stopped drives.
The starters played into the third quarter and by the time they retired James Clemens led 28-0.
Head Coach Wade Waldrop, entering his second season, said the team has made the most of the 10 allowed spring practices.
“Dylan Hampton on defense has had a great spring. Maceo has also had a great spring. There are a lot of guys I could name that have had great off-seasons. We have been very physical in the spring.”
Waldrop said it was important and encouraging to see his team play well against a quality opponent like Hartselle.
“I know how well-coached they are and how tough and physical they are so for us when we analyze the film we will see what we need to get better at,” Waldrop said. “We played tonight much like we have practiced all spring. The defense has been playing really well. Offensively we have done a good job on the one or two schemes we ran. Outside of a few penalties and a coaching error, we played real well on offense.”
James Clemens features several players who have offers to major colleges. Deondre Douglas has been offered by UAB. He played both ways at receiver and outside linebacker. Right tackle Logan Stenberg has been offered and has committed to Kentucky.
Defensively, Dylan Hampton made a nice play when he batted down a pass as Hartselle tried to score on fourth and three. Jamaal Morris and John Jenkins moved to middle linebacker to replace Jace Hampton who graduates.
The game offered Jets players their first opportunity to use their own locker room. The locker room in the northeast corner of the stadium has been painted in Jet blue and will become their permanent locker room in the fall.
The Jets summer workouts start in June and the team will once again go to Samford University to play in the 7-on-7 tournament.
“We are going to be active all summer,” Waldrop said.
James Clemens opens the season against Athens on Thursday, August 28 at home.
