Jefferson Middle School: Eagles
As Rodney Ellison prepares for his third season as Jefferson Middle School’s football coach, he has one glaring goal for the Eagles.
“Obviously, we want to improve on last year,” said Ellison, a previous assistant at Oak Ridge High School and Knoxville Catholic, as well as head coach at Powell High School. “We have a tough conference, but if you finish in the top four in the league, you go to the playoffs.
“Last year, we didn’t finish last. We went 1-7 and we beat (Christian Academy of Knoxville) and they went 0-8.”
The Eagles have a roster dominated by seventh graders. But there is a sprinkling of eighth-graders to provide some experience.
“We have a lot of seventh-graders, and that could be scary,” Ellison said.
The Eagles open their 2024 season on Thursday, Aug. 8, when they head to West Knoxville and Warrior Stadium to tangle with CAK.
Top returners for Jefferson, according to Ellison, include: Judah Holman (an eighth grader and returning three-year player who will play at wide receiver and cornerback); Amari Bishop (eight grade, a wide receiver and strong safety who is a returning starter); Gavin Ellison (eighth grade, wide receiver/free safety/kicker); Braylon Wooten (eighth grade, wide receiver/cornerback); Lucas Wilburn (an eighth grader who will anchor the offensive line from the center position and play on the Jefferson defensive line); C.J. Stewart (a returning starter and seventh grader who will play offensive tackle and defensive end); Quan’Davis Watson (seventh grade, tight end/defensive end), Armani Brown (eighth grade, wide receiver/cornerback) and Dylan Manley (eighth grade, offensive lineman/defensive end).
Key newcomers are: Brandon Zamora (a seventh grader and running back who was one of the top rushers for Jefferson’s junior varsity team last season. He’ll also play linebacker); Jeremiah Cabrera (eighth grade, offensive lineman/defensive lineman); Luke Jackson (seventh grade, inside linebacker); Brogan Helle (seventh grade, running back/cornerback); Carter Bradshaw (seventh grade, wide receiver) and Chris Sanchez (seventh grade, wide receiver).
Coach Ellison said that the Eagles entered summer workouts with a quarterback competition.
Easton Knipp was Jefferson’ JV starter under center in 2023 and he’s battling newcomer Jordan Samuelson for the No. 1 quarterback spot.
“We have two seventh graders battling to be our starting quarterback and the one who doesn’t win the starting job will be on the field somewhere, probably on defense,” Coach Ellison said.
The coach noted that JMS’s strengths will be a solid running game with Zamora being the feature back.
“On defense, our linebackers will be a strength for us and we’ll have a strong kicking game,” Coach Ellison said. “Gavin is my son and he plays soccer and started playing football in middle school.
“He punted and kicked extra points last year. We didn’t try a field goal last year, but we could this year because his leg has gotten stronger. He can make a 30-yard field goal.”
