SMALL WORLD: Easton Jones QBs Jackets against father Troy’s old team

Troy Jones attended Monterey High School, even knew Greg Winder

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Easton Jones, a Stephenville Yellow Jacket, in 2017, and his father, Troy Jones, a Lubbock Monterey Plainsman, in 1987. || Easotn photo courtesy VARARA PHOTOGRAPHY, Troy photo courtesy DON and PATTI JONES

Flash Staff Report
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (October 6, 2017) — The family of Stephenville quarterback Easton Jones has already celebrated homecoming against Lubbock Monterey.

The Joneses did that last year when Stephenville visited Monterey in Lubbock, a true homecoming for Troy Jones back at his old stomping grounds.


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Troy and his wife, Pamela Jones, is a longtime teacher and girls coach at Henderson Junior High, are the parents of Easton, a third-year starter at quarterback for the Yellow Jackets, a letterman in basketball and the reigning 8-4A district pitcher of the year in baseball. Thirty years ago this season, Troy was one of the versatile skill players who saw time at quarterback for Monterey. The Plainsmen moved skill players around quite a bit, their old stats would make it appear, and were known primarily for their defense, as was the case with most West Texas schools in that day.

Jones, according to old box scores in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, had duties as a return specialist, at least on some points, both attempted a few passes and caught some for the Plainsmen, and averaged anywhere from 3.5 to 6 yards per carry .

 

Troy Jones, No. 90, second from right, is 30 years removed from playing at Lubbock Monterey High School, the homecoming opponent of Stephenville and his son, third-year starting quarterback Easton Jones, at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium. || Photo courtesy DON and PATTI JONES

 

Easton Jones prepares to lead Stephenville against a Monterey team the Yellow Jackets lost to last season in a 56-14 rout. || The Flash Today/Dr. CHET MARTIN

 

The applicable saying, of course, would be ‘Small world.’ In this instance, though, it’s even smaller.

Small enough that Troy even knew of current Stephenville head coach Greg Winder during their time in Lubbock. Both their dads were still active in their coaching careers then. Troy’s father, Don Jones, is retired and lives in Stephenville with his wife, Patti, and they attend virtually every athletic competition any of their grandkids participate in. Greg’s father, renowned coach Dick Young, passed away in 2014.

The Joneses and Coach Winder now bleed a darker, Stephenville navy blue, as opposed to the bright blue and red associated with Monterey, and they are hoping for a better outcome on homecoming Friday at Memorial Stadium than last year’s 56-14 loss to the Plainsmen.

The Jackets and Easton were off to their best start sine 2007 with four consecutive wins before losing last week at Graham, 30-14. Easton almost did not play this season. Tommy John surgery and almost always an ensuing calendar year of recovery was originally the most likely response to a torn ligament in the elbow of his throwing arm (right).

But after getting a second opinion, it was recommend he try stem cell treatment  before resorting to Tommy John surgery, and what followed as an impressive recovery and return, with Jones taking his first snaps in week three of the season, 105 days after suffering the injury while pitching for the Yellow Jackets’ summer baseball team. The Jackets advanced through two playoff series to the Region I-4A quarterfinals in the UIL season last spring.

Jones has gone full throttle since returning to spur a 27-0 run against Everman for a 34-7 lead by the end of the third quarter. The dogs were called off, and Everman cut it to 34-21 in the fourth. Jones passed for a career-high five touchdowns in a 41-20 win over Decatur, and even then the starters were taken out early in the fourth quarter. Their other wins came against Cleburne and Springtown.

Kickoff of the homecoming game is 7:30 p.m. The homecoming queen will be crowned at halftime. The homecoming king will be named in the pep rally that begins at 8 a.m. at Gandy Gym.


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