Bob Jones ready for playoff push this week
MADISON- Bob Jones is primed and ready for a strong push in the 7A playoffs and it gets started this Friday night at 7 pm at Madison City Schools Stadium. Bob Jones is the #2 seed in Region 4 and will face Region 3 #3 seed Mountain Brook.
Coach Kevin Rose wants a big home crowd and invites all football fans in the city to come.
“We want everybody locally to come out,” Rose said. “It you want to see a good football game it doesn’t get any better than Bob Jones and Mountain Brook. Weather will be good. We want a full house.”
Bob Jones started the season with two losses to non-region opponents and some watchers thought it might be Rose’s first losing season. But the Patriots were resilient and showed mental toughness. They won four games in a row and enter this game on a three-game winning streak.
“We are taking the attitude to go 1-0 this week and buy us seven more days of high school football for our seniors,” Rose said. “Our goal all season was to get better each week and become a good football team by this point and we have. It’s win or go home. This group of seniors can leave a legacy of winning Bob Jones’ first playoff game in 7A.”
Bob Jones will need another big game from quarterback Caden Rose who has delivered in big games this season when it mattered the most.
Caden Rose has completed 68% of his passes this year. He has accounted for 22 touchdowns (16 passing and 6 rushing). He has completed 154 passes for over 2,000 yards. His running ability was the difference in key wins over James Clemens and Gadsden City. He has averaged over 5 yards per rush gaining 373 yards on 71 rushes.
Before the season Rose said he needed Demontrez Brown to be an impact player and he has come through with 53 catches for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“Demontrez has made big plays in big games and Caden has played great running and passing,” Rose said.
“On defense Kade Koler has had big year, Gavin Lewis has contributed on both sides, and our secondary with Terrell Jennings and Jadon Hill have played great and people thought we would struggle back there. The big difference on defense this year is we have won on third down and fourth down.”
The secondary has feasted on opposing quarterbacks led by Jennings (6 interceptions), Hill (4 interceptions), and Khalil Griffin one pick six.
“Physically we’re in about as good shape as you could be in going into a playoff game. The week off helped us.”
Weather looks to be on Rose’s side this year. Two years ago, rain forced Bob Jones to move their home playoff game to Milton Frank Stadium and Vestavia won 28-17 in a monsoon.
“We want to be on a dry and fast surface with the way we play it benefits us. It is just how our team is built. We want to play at our place to get the home field advantage and it will be a great matchup.”
Bob Jones last won a playoff game on November 15,2013 over Oxford. Since then they have lost to Vestavia twice, Tuscaloosa County, and Hoover.
