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Jones returns to Kingstree with high hopes

     By David Shelton

Staff Writer

Kingstree – As an assistant coach, John Jones saw that winning could happen at Kingstree High School. Now, Jones is ready to win as the head coach at the AA school.

Jones was an assistant at Kingstree from 1997-2001 under Reggie Kennedy. During Kennedy’s seven seasons, Kingstree enjoyed their most successful run. During the time that Jones was on the staff as the offensive coordinator, the Jaguars posted a 38-20 record.

Jones has bounced around somewhat in his prep coaching career and has been a head coach at North High School after leaving his post at Kingstree. Now he is back and eager to rebuild the Jaguars program.

“I am very excited about the opportunity that we have here at Kingstree and I will work as hard as I can to make this program as strong as it can be,” said Jones. “We have a ways to go but we certainly have the potential to do well here. Kingstree has won before and I was here when they were competing for region titles and playing in the playoffs. We want to get back to that.”

Jones is a native of Florence and played football for Neville Files at West Florence High School, graduating in 1987. After starting college at Wingate, Jones earned his degree from South Carolina in 1995 and got straight into coaching as an assistant at Williamsburg Academy for two years.

He spent one season as the offensive coordinator at C.E. Murray before joining Kennedy’s staff at Kingstree.

He coached one season at South Florence and was the head coach at North for three years before hooking up with Kennedy again at Orangeburg-Wilkinson for two years. When Kennedy left O-W for Fairfield-Central, Jones followed and was again the offensive coordinator.

“I’ve learned a lot from a lot of different people and I feel like I have prepared myself to be a head coach again,” said Jones.

Jones went through spring practice and has been working with his players all summer. He says the numbers have been outstanding, averaging 52 players a day at the workouts. The coach has been stressing effort and commitment from day one and the players seem to be responding.

“Effort is the key and it’s something we talk about everyday,” said Jones. “We talk about work ethic and commitment. Nothing is easy and nothing is free. There is no magic carpet. You get what you work for.

“Our players have been great so far. I could not be more pleased. We’re getting great parental support and the community has been great. Now we have to do our part and help these young men win.”

Jones has formed his football staff for the coming year. Hired as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach is Doc Lewis and Brandon Cantrell will run the offense.

Calvin McClary, who was on the staff at Kingstree under Kennedy, is returning to coach with Jones and will handle running backs, defensive backs and special teams.

Larez Felder will work with receivers and safeties. Felder played at Kingstree during the Kennedy years and is working as a volunteer coach while he earns his degree.

“The minute he graduates, he will be a full-time member of this staff,” said Jones of Felder.

Working with the junior varsity program and assisting the varsity staff will be Willie McKnight and Antonio Evans.

 

 

The team's center is 6-foot-5 sophomore Rashon Mitchum.
"We brought him up as a freshman last year," Williams said. "We couldn't practice him some days, because he couldn't understand the speed of the game. He had a great offseason. He's shown enough improvement for us to put him in the starting lineup."
The team's top reserve is 6-foot-2 senior Dominique Mabry.
"He gives us a spark off the bench that is much needed," Williams said.
One player who isn't in the starting lineup is Devon Bay, who was an all-state player a year ago. Williams said Bay will not play until January for disciplinary reasons.
Williams is assisted by Steve Guerry.

Kingstree girls basketball up and down thus far


By Scott J. Bryan
Special Writer
Kingstree (12/21/09) Kingstree girls basketball coach Sonya Burgess could liken her team's 3-3 start to a roller coaster ride.
"We're kind of up and down," Burgess said.
Burgess isn't suffering from any motion sickness, and her frustration level is limited largely because she boasts a young and inexperienced team.
"We're just not playing consistent yet," she said. "We're playing up and down.
"I'm young this year, so I've got a lot of rebuilding, teaching and getting my young ones into the flow of things."
One of the team's top players is freshman guard Latoya Jones. Jones is the team's shooting guard.
"She's shooting the ball well, but we're still looking for that consistency," Burgess said. "She has those up and down games. When she shoots it, she shoots it well though."
The team's sophomore starter is Kelsey Weatle, who is playing power forward.
"She's very quick," Burgess said. "I'm just trying to get her to play more under control."
The team's top returner is point guard Jalissa Brown, a four-year member of the Jaguars' varsity club.
"She's kind of putting the team on her shoulder and carrying them," Burgess said. "When we're not doing so hot, with her being my only returning starter, she has big shoes to fill in that leadership role."
Tatanese Epps is the team's starter in the post, while Shaniqua Tisdale, Brittany McFadden and Crystal Moore are all rotating at the fifth starting spot.
Despite the team's inexperience, Burgess said she's encouraged by the willingness to learn.
"They're pretty receptive to learning," said Burgess, whose team has swept East Clarendon and topped Georgetown, while falling to C.E. Murray twice and Lake City. "They have to get used to the speed of the game. The speed is different for them. They're eager to learn. They're willing to learn. That's always a good thing. One thing I can say is I do believe I'm quicker than I've ever been in the past."
Kingstree will be playing in the District 9 Christmas tournament in Sumter on Dec. 28-30.
"We're just looking fore more of a connection," Burgess said. "We need to be more consistent. Hopefully, we'll be gelling by the end of Christmas break. Hopefully, we'll be on the right track when the region schedule begins."