Jonesville football captains discuss team X factors that will make them winners in 2024

JONESVILLE — 2023 was a year of change for Jonesville football and coach Frank Keller as they switched from the Big 8 conference to the Cascades. The Comets had several close losses with Cascades veteran teams like Grass Lake and Michigan Center, but the team ended 3-1 in the West division, their only loss to Addison, the overall conference champion.

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Jonesville’s 3-6 campaign last year has this year’s team captains ready to make improvements to help the Comets finish off those close games and add them to the W column in 2024.

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Dual threat backfield

This year’s Comet captains include returning linebacker and running back Carson Playford. Last year, Playford led the defense in tackles and had 668 yards on the ground with six touchdowns. Playford was a part of a dynamic duo at running back last year that included freshman (now sophomore) John Milks. Both running backs were featured on the all-area dream team last season.

“This year, we will be running a different offense that will complement our two backs, me and John (Milks),” Playford said. “Last year, we were switching in every other play. I think having us both on the field at the same time is going to help us move the ball a lot more.”

Milks, the other side of that dual-threat backfield for Jonesville, is one of the captains going into his sophomore season. When Milks was not on the field this summer, his teammates and coaches could usually find him in the weight room, a perfect attendance mark for summer lifting sessions.

Milks had six 100-plus yard rushing games last season on his way to 846 on the ground and earning five touchdowns. Milks says he’s been learning about commitment through the other leaders on the team, especially this year’s seniors. That has led to a much more physical team that will look to out play the Cascades conference in the trenches.

“We had a lot of kids showing up to the weight room and this year I feel like we’re a lot more physical than we were last year,” Milks said.

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Winning in the trenches

That physical brand of football starts up front with an experienced core of linemen returning to the team, including senior captain Cooper Stevens. Also returning is senior Scotty Aube and Ben Colbart. Both Stevens and Aube were all-area dream team selections on both sides of the ball last year.

They will be called upon again to impact both sides of the ball for the Comets, and the team has been preparing for that aspect of the game in ways that could help them in those tough battles against fatigue in the fourth quarter of close matchups.

“We’ve been doing things a little different differently at the start of practice this year to better our mental toughness,” Stevens said. “And I think it’s been working. It’s just getting to the point where we can handle every situation. So, I think now that we know that we don’t have a lot of depth, all the starters have that mentality that we need to be tough for all four quarters because they have to rely on us for all four quarters.”

Stevens says the biggest X-Factor the team has this season is their starting 11 on both sides of the ball.

“We really don’t have a weak point,” Stevens said. “There’s not one position group that I could point out that is like unskilled, or young or needs work. We’re all pretty sharp right now. Everyone’s working together as a unit, and I think we’re ready to go.”

Jonesville's defense had several highlight games in 2023, including a major win at Columbia Central where they held the Eagles to eight points and division road wins at Homer and Hanover-Horton. If the Comets can improve in one-on-one situations on the defensive side of the ball, they will be an advantage for the Comets in the Cascades West where each team has their own offensive philosophy.

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Stepping up to the challenge

The Comets will be tough to stop in the trenches on both sides of the ball. One of the biggest question marks from last season was the defensive play against the passing game. Tackling in open space became a point of emphasis this offseason for senior captain DB, and now QB, Skyler Cooper.

The all-area dream team honorable mention safety isn’t new to the quarterback role. It was one he played during his time on J.V. his first two years in the program. After playing receiver last year, he returns to the role looking to play a consistent role that makes the Comets multi-dimensional.

“Playing on varsity is a different story,” Cooper said. “(There are) faster and stronger kids. I just got to be sharp.”

Seniors Makinlee Packer, Jayden Duque and Zander Goodwin will look to be some of his top options at receiver this season that will help Jonesville put points on the board.

Week 1 is here

The captains were split on which were their most important games in the conference this year. Some want payback against Michigan Center, who beat them twice in barnburners in 2023. The inevitable matchup with Addison on Sept. 27 is another penciled in as a must win. However, all four agreed that Hillsdale in Week 1 was the matchup they were most looking forward to this year.

“I’ve only been a part of one team that’s beaten Hillsdale (2021),” Stevens said. “So, it means a lot, playing them with the guys I played with my whole life for one last time, so I really want to bring this one home.”

Jonesville visits Hillsdale for the season opener at 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 29. By the time Thursday rolls in, it will be exactly 10 years since they started the annual opener series. Hillsdale is 8-1 in the rivalry series.

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This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Jonesville football captains discuss team X factors that will make them winners in 2024