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Beloit Memorial Football Team Getting Bid Push up Front from Jaedyn Coleman
Beloit Memorial assistant coach Connor McClelland watched 6-foot-3, 300-pound Jaedyn Coleman throw his weight around last spring as a top shot put and discus thrower on the track team.
Now he’s watching him simply throw his opponents around.
“He’s been crushing everybody,” the offensive line coach said of the senior offensive tackle. “He’s sending people flying. I actually have an issue with him tossing (defenders) into the other offensive linemen sometimes.”
McClelland helped Coleman become an All-Southern Lakes Conference Second Teamer a year ago and return this season as the anchor on an offensive line that has performed well in a pair of victories: 30-12 at Racine Park and 42-6 at Madison East.
“It feels great,” Coleman said of Beloit’s early success. “It has been a real long time coming. I’m a senior this year and I know that I just don’t want to lose any more close games. I’m trying to stay locked in.
“Really it’s been our defense leading the way so far. They’ve been firing on all cylinders. The offense will pick it up eventually. We can play better and we’ll get there.”
Statistics would indicate some pretty fair execution already. In two games, Beloit’s run-oriented attack has featured 78 carries for 502 yards, averaging 6.44 yards per carry. Feature back James Ford has 42 carries for 276 yards. Vinson Reed has 15 for 129.
“James Ford is a dawg,” Coleman said. “Vinson is good, too. Making the cuts, reading the hole. They’re similar sort of runners and then E’Mareon (Thomas) is a bigger dude who can get the tough straight-ahead yards.”
Of course it helps running behind an offensive line led by three returnees in Coleman, left guard Dillon Larson and center Jacob Popp, not to mention tight end Tucker Sherrod
“Jay is quick enough to play guard in our offense, but I think with him at tackle and Tucker at tight end they really like to set that hard edge,” McClelland said.
McClelland is probably a little biased since he’s an assistant coach for the track team, but he says going out for that spring sport is paying off for both Coleman and Tucker.
“I call them the Tortoise and the Hare. Jay was the Tortoise. He was a naturally gifted guy when he came in and worked. Tucker was slower and he had to develop. I think having them lifting and throwing together pushed them both in a big way.”
Coleman ended up third in the SLC in the shot put with a toss of 51-feet, 9 inches and fourth in the discus. Tucker was third in the discus (148-10). Coleman won both events in the WIAA Division 1 Stoughton Regional and tossed a PR of 151-6 in the discus at the sectional to take fifth.
“Yeah, it was a pretty good year in track,” Coleman said with a grin.
In the spring, McClelland said the Knights focused on weight-lifting for power. In the off-season they combined lifting for power, strength and endurance for football.
“Jay has absolutely gotten stronger,” McClellan said.”He put 30 pounds on his bench. He was at 325 the last time we tested.”
He isn’t done, either, the coach said.
“In the old days, they said during the season you just lifted trying to maintain,” McClelland said. “We’re not just doing that now. We’re trying to add power and strength during the season.”
The Knights will need it this week as they prepare to play Elkhorn. Last season, the Elks handed Beloit a stinging 35-6 loss. Beloit’s running game was held to 137 yards on 36 carries in that contest, averaging 3.8 per rush. Elkhorn ran for 294 yards and averaged 6.5.
“I feel like the field had something to do with that,” Coleman said. “The turf was really slippery and you couldn’t get any grip. Our cleats weren’t doing anything for us and (the Elks) were all wearing the same turf shoe.
“This year, we’ve got them on our field and I believe we’re better now than we were at this time last season. I’m excited. It’s my last home opener and I want to have some fun.”
McClelland said his protege has college potential.
“I’d love to see that,” the coach said. “He has some grades to take care of, but if he can do that, I see no reason that we can’t find him a scholarship somewhere.”
“That’s the plan,” Coleman said. “That’s the goal I want to achieve.”
