David Selig: Cyrus Jones lives up to the hype
As Calvert Hall’s punt bounced inside the 5-yard line, Shane Cockerille’s first reaction was, “Uh oh.”
With three minutes remaining in a tie game, the Gilman quarterback had been told that he was going to take a deep shot to star receiver Cyrus Jones on the very next snap. But if the Greyhounds got pinned back close to their end zone, those plans would probably have to change.
It turns out that Cockerille never got to take that shot, and Jones was all to blame.
With much of the Gilman sideline screaming for Jones to let the punt go, the senior All-American chased the ball down, scooped it up at the 3 and then took off on a 97-yard return that will forever be part of his high school legacy.
“That one, I wasn’t going to let it go,” said Jones, whose breathtaking touchdown gave the No. 1 Greyhounds a 28-21 come-from-behind victory over No. 2 Calvert Hall Friday afternoon. “I had to do something, man. I was desperate at that point. I had to try to make a play for my team.”
Jones is widely believed to be the best player in the area, which is supported by his numbers (1,358 all-purpose yards and 14 TDs through six games) and the fact that 10 major Division I programs are still vying for his services (he plans to announce his choice at the Jan. 5 Under Armour All-America Game).
But that stardom comes with a price.
It means that most of the fans that circled Gilman’s home field on Friday expected Jones to awe them on every snap. And, for three quarters, if you didn’t know who he was, you probably wouldn’t have guessed that No. 5 in black could be playing at a school like Auburn or Alabama next fall.
That wasn’t all Jones’ fault, of course.
As Calvert Hall built a 21-7 halftime lead, the Cardinals swarmed Jones at the line of scrimmage every time he took a handoff in motion.
They also stayed close to his body when he ran slant patterns toward the middle of the field.
While some star players would grow frustrated at a similar lack of productivity, Jones was soaking in the way he was being defended and noticing how he could exploit it.
On the Greyhounds’ first drive of the fourth quarter, Jones made a 19-yard grab, followed by a 23-yard catch.
And then, after a running play, Gilman sprung the trap with a hitch-and-go.
“I knew they bit up real hard when you ran short routes,” Jones said, “so I just tried to sell the hitch and just get around [the cornerback] and use my speed to get behind him.”
Cockerille hit Jones in stride, and he toe-tapped the back of the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown that allowed Gilman to pull even with 6:32 remaining. (Jones finished with six catches for 94 yards and 8 rushes for 32 yards.)
When the Greyhounds forced Calvert Hall to punt on its next possession, you had to wonder if the Cardinals would kick it anywhere near Jones.
The punt actually bounced well short of where Jones was standing, but it hopped past him and forced him to retreat inside the 5.
Most teams have rules for when and where their return men can pick up a punt, but Jones?
“He has no rules,” Gilman coach Biff Poggi deadpanned. “All he has to do is come in his uniform, and that’s all we require.”
Make no mistake, Jones wasn’t the only reason Gilman won Friday. Cockerille passed for 124 yards and rushed for another 25. Kenneth Goins chipped in with a hard-earned 32 yards rushing and a TD, and he also keyed a relentless pass-rush.
But the difference between the two best teams in the area came down to one special player, and the Greyhounds felt fortunate to have him on their side.
“You like having a lot of receivers,” Cockerille said. “Matt Tilley was good today. Henry Poggi was good. Kenny [Goins] was good running the ball. But, definitely, you’ve got to have a player like Cyrus to make plays for you.”
It’s what Jones thrives on. After he had already gone through the wringer with a handful of newspaper, TV and radio reporters, I asked him if the attention and the stakes of Friday’s showdown actually allowed him to shift into another gear that he might not reach in a typical game.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “When it’s an atmosphere like this, you can’t help but bring all you’ve got. This is where they test you, right here. This is where you make a name for yourself if you don’t have one already.”
Cyrus Jones already has a name. And now he has yet another thrilling highlight that can be forever attached to it.
David Selig is the high school sports editor at The Baltimore Sun. He can be reached at david.selig@baltsun.com and twitter.com/SunVarsity.
Comments
Reality check - for every Cyrus Jones born & bred on Baltimore's gridirons, there are at least a dozen better down South. Once again, that plain & simple fact was on display as I watched the Valdosta ( Ga.) vs. Lowndes ( Ga. ) HS game last nite on the U. No discredit towards Jones who has obvious ability, but the talent pool in other parts of the country is frighteningly better - always has and always will be.
Posted by: Mark | October 8, 2011 9:08 AM
Oh so Baltimore/MD athletes are inferior to Southern athletes? Ok.
Posted by: winston | October 8, 2011 4:15 PM
Valdosta alone has a larger enrollment than Gilman and CH combined. More players with talent? Yes. More talented players? No.
Posted by: shf9 | October 8, 2011 6:47 PM