Jones head football coach Ronald Hooker was at a crossroad.

He wanted to give ailing quarterback Aaron Taylor some rest leading into this week’s showdown against Furr for sole possession of first place in District 22-4A.

A week earlier, Taylor suffered an undisclosed injury in the second quarter against Scarborough and didn’t return to the game.

With Furr’s victory against Kashmere improving the Brahmans to 4-0 in district play, Jones needed a victory over Wheatley to keep pace.

The 5-foot-9, 155-pound junior quarterback refused to be a bystander.

Following a tentative beginning, Taylor found his rhythm in the second and third quarters by tossing three touchdown passes and allowing the Falcons to coast past Wheatley 32-0 at Barnett Stadium.

“We wanted to sit our quarterback for awhile because he was still a little sore and we knew the game against Furr for the district championship was still ahead of us,” Hooker said. “But he wanted to play and we brought him back. We are second in the city (Class 4A) with more than 1,200 passing yards. He came back and made it work tonight.”

The game began rather inauspiciously for Taylor and the Jones offense. On the Falcons’ first offensive possession with excellent field position at the Wheatley 48-yard line, Taylor under-threw wide receiver Morrian Sias on his first pass attempt of the game.

On second-and-10, Taylor connected with 6-foot-6 senior receiver Herman Gooding for a 29-yard reception. Things went downhill from there. Taylor misfired on a pass intended for Michael Holmes on first down at the Wildcats’ 19.

Disaster nearly struck on second down as Taylor had to chase down and corral a high snap from center that resulted in an 18-yard loss. To add insult to injury, Taylor was sacked for an eight-yard loss on the next play, forcing the Falcons to punt on fourth down.

An unheralded Jones defense, that would limit Wheatley to 115 yards total offense in the contest, would soon rise to the occasion.

Moments later, Oscar Webb intercepted a Wheatley pass and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown and the game’s first points. Jones led 7-0 after the first quarter. Webb would strike again later in the game.

“The coaches put us in a good position to make plays on defense,” Webb said. “Wheatley came out in formations that we’d seen all week on film. I read the formation and called an audible for the defense. After that, the play came right to me and I made the best of my opportunity.”

Taylor and his stable of quality receivers that includes Sias, Gooding, Holmes, Gabriel Young, Joshua Butler and Musa Mahmud, took over from there.

During one stretch in the first half Taylor completed nine of 10 passes, including a four-yard TD pass to Gooding with nine minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the second quarter that increased the Falcons’ advantage to 13-0.

Jones carried a 19-0 advantage into halftime when Taylor connected with Sias on an 11-yard TD pass with 2:11 left in the second stanza.

Before handing the reins over to Joseph Bloom to close out the game in the fourth quarter, Taylor would complete his night by throwing up a three-yard TD pass that only the 6-6 Gooding had a prayer to catch.

“He told me to go up and get it for us so that he could sit out the fourth quarter,” Gooding said.
“Aaron knows just as much about the offense as I do,” said Jones offensive coordinator Elton Conger. “He called that last play to Gooding. He came to the sideline and said he was going to throw it up to Herman Gooding. I told him to go ahead and the result was six points.”

Taylor completed 17-of-26 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns against Wheatley. Sias had seven receptions for 74 yards and a TD. Gooding finished with five catches for 70 yards and two TDs.

“I wasn’t 100 percent, but I wanted to make plays for our team,” Taylor said. “I knew if we could score some points and get a good lead, then I could sit back out.”

Webb made sure there would be no Wheatley comeback this particular night when he recorded his second pick of the game late in the third quarter.

“I told our safety if his assignment came our way, I was going to jump his route,” said Webb, a 5-foot-6, 150-pound defensive back.

“It happened like I thought it would and one of our linemen got his hand on the ball and it sailed through the air like a wobbly duck. I was able to gather it in for my second pick,” Webb said.

“Oscar is a good player,” Taylor said. “I’m glad I have him on my team.”

Taylor’s teammates feel the same way about him.

“I’m glad to have him at quarterback during my senior year,” said Sias. “There’s nothing better than having a quarterback like him. He knows the offense better than anybody and although he’s only 5-9 or 5-10, he’s got an arm like I’ve never seen before.”