When Mt. Zion Junior Varsity faces off against Taylorville on Monday, October 12, they will do so with an unblemished record. A record that is quite memorable. A record that is 16 games in the making.
In fact, the Braves are going to ride a 16-game winning streak into Taylorville when they take on the Tornadoes.
For Mt. Zion, the players have bought into a winning mentality, a mentality that Assistant Coach Ashton Summers hopes will carry over to the varsity level.
Summers says this season has seen a good group of players who like to fly around, are very coachable and play free. As coaches, the goal is to put them in positions to be successful while knowing what they are good at. Summers says every game is treated the same, and they try to go 1-0 every single week.
When it comes to the differences between coaching varsity and junior varsity players, Summers says he treats it no differently.
“I treat it no differently. If you go to the games, you probably hear me yelling on the sidelines. I think the players take it seriously as well, and I think our record shows that.”
When it comes to coaching, a good portion of that is player development, as Assistant Coach Summers and the rest of the staff work on getting the players ready for that next level, the varsity level.
When it comes to development, Summers says being coachable and having situational awareness can go a long way toward playing on Friday nights. However, when it comes to fixing issues, the coaching staff tends to look at the mistake, not the player.
Summers says it’s not personal, but fixing the mistake and understanding its importance can help prevent bigger issues down the road.
At the end of the day, if you strip everything else away, Summers says, “While winning is awesome, what’s important is developing them as football players, but also developing them from boys into young men.”
Two of the junior varsity players, Junior Connor Crafton, along with Junior Creighton Weigler, both wide receivers and defensive backs, spoke about playing for Mt. Zion.
Weigler said that for him, having a winning mentality has always been something instilled in the players. Seeing the varsity team make it to state has also motivated the younger players to push even harder.
Crafton says one of the most important things on the field is chemistry, and that translates not only on the field, but off it as well.
“I’ve played with these kids for years, starting in JFL, and they all play a role on and off the field. You may not think it does, but it definitely does.”
For both Crafton and Weigler, coaching has played a big part in why they love playing for the team.
“Having alumni coming back and coaching really shows the standard that people want to come back and be a part of the program.”
With Taylorville coming up, there’s no question about it. There is definitely a rivalry there.
“With us being undefeated right now, we can’t stay on that high. We have to be ready for Taylorville because they can throw anything at us.”
Mt. Zion Junior Varsity is set to take on Taylorville Junior Varsity in Taylorville on Monday, October 12, at 7 p.m. You can hear the game on 106.3 The Game and stream it at DecaturRadio.com.
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