GLEN ALLEN, VA (WTKR)- Perry Jones got a large part of his football foundation at Oscar Smith, building his talent to the power-five level. Friday, however, finds the former Tiger in unfamiliar territory.
"It's going to be a little bit weird," Jones said. "I've never played against them."
He'll be able to cross that off his list on Friday night, when his Glen Allen Jaguars welcome Oscar Smith for a Region 6A first round playoff showdown. Jones is in his fifth year as Glen Allen's head coach, leading the team to an 8-2 record this season. This week's contest will mark the school's first home playoff game in school history and its first postseason match-up in Class 6.
"Our defense has been playing stout since the beginning of the year," the former Tiger said, noting that the Jaguars' starting quarterback came off injury and the team only returned one offensive lineman from last season. "We knew we had to rely on them heavily and they came up in the clutch for us."
To find where Jones draws much of his inspiration as a coach, one can look back to Chesapeake and his days at Oscar Smith. He was a key member of the Tigers' first state championship team in 2008 as a running back and went on to play his college football at Virginia. His days in the yellow and blue played a big part in his development as a coach.
"That place kind of built who I am today," Jones said. "Coach Richard Morgan, who was the head coach when I was there, did a great job at helping us understand the value of football and how it mirrors life and I try to pass that on down to my guys here."
Jones uses some of the same play calls from his high school days, sticking with what's familiar to him. Familiarity might take a back seat Friday night, as the former star player will look across at the other sideline and see the uniform he used to wear.
"A lot of people [who are] coming to the game, I'm sure they're going to try to reach out to me before or after the game," he said. "A lot of those people I went to school with or saw me play or I might be coaching against their siblings or their sons, so it's definitely a surreal moment."
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When the ball kicks off, it will just be another football game to the former Tiger. He noted he's been able to compartmentalize the situation and not think about it too much, as Jones now gets the chance to create a postseason legacy for his own program.
"Whether it was that team or another team, we're just excited to be hosting a home playoff game," the head coach said. "The boys have gotten up for that, they're excited about it and I'm glad that we're able to do that for the community."
Jones knows that getting a win will be a tall task for his team on Friday, pointing out that the region is full of good squads, but while winning always means a lot, he admitted a victory over his high school program might mean a little bit more.
"To be able to get one over that team, being that it's my alma mater, that would definitely mean a lot," he said. "We also know that to be able to make that a possibility, we have to continue to put good consecutive days together in practice and film study and just sharpen up our tools."
Oscar Smith enters Friday's postseason with a 7-3 record and as the number five seed in Region 6A. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM.
