Football Friday
For Freedom and Jared Jenkins, championship-chasing season has begun.
When Freedom gathered Monday to start prepping for Friday’s game with Emmaus, coach Jason Roeder gave his players a big-picture update.
His message was direct — the Patriots have started championship-chasing season.
Freedom senior quarterback Jared Jenkins’ dad warned him three years ago his high school football career would fly by, and now he is on the verge of a Senior Night game the Patriots need to win as they pursue another EPC South title.
Jenkins and Freedom (6-1 overall, 4-1 EPC South) shared the EPC South title with Emmaus (4-3, 2-3) last season before beating the Green Hornets for the District 11 Class 6A title.
These Patriots are tied for second in the EPC South with Easton (6-1, 4-1), a half-game behind Nazareth (6-1, 5-1).
“It’s been awesome, just the connections and relationships I’ve built with so many people through all the years,” Jenkins said during a break from practice Monday. “It’s going to be sad when it all comes to an end, but that’s why right now, we want to get better each week so we can finish it off the right way.”
The three-year starter nudged his career passing total over 6,000 yards in Friday’s 26-14 win over previously unbeaten Easton.
He already owns the Patriots’ singleseason and career passing records for attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns.
Jenkins hasn’t needed to throw as often through the first seven games as he did in past seasons thanks to the running-back duo of Jalen Stewart and Matt Russin, and he has never been more efficient.
Jenkins has completed 68% of his passes with 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He has averaged 11.57 yards per attempt on 103 passes.
“He just understands the game so well,” Roeder said Monday while watching his son play in Freedom’s freshman game. “He understands our offense so well. He’s the kind of guy, if the scout team isn’t right, he can recognize that in practice and move some guys around.
“Along with the physical tools, he’s just such a smart football player.”
Roeder’s confidence in Jenkins emerged again versus Easton. Facing a fourth-and-2 from the Red Rovers’ 40-yard line early in the second half, the Patriots could have looked for a quickhitting pass to move the chains.
They instead sought an explosive play. Jenkins did his part, firing a strike down the field. Vince Reph snagged it for a 40-yard touchdown that gave the Patriots command at Cottingham Stadium.
Reph and Jenkins have played football together since third grade when Reph moved from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Jenkins has been Reph’s quarterback the whole time.
“You want to have a guy that’s been through big games like that,” Reph said. “Going into the postseason, it’s awesome having a guy that’s been through the postseason. He’s won a district championship before. He knows what it’s like to be in pressure situations.
“It puts a lot of confidence in everyone when a guy who’s getting the ball every play is the way he is.”
Jenkins hopes to end the Emmaus matchup the way he has finished so many Freedom games since he became the starting quarterback — celebrating a win. The Patriots are 25-9 during Jenkins’ career, including 19-3 over the past two seasons.
Jenkins usually has a line of family and friends waiting to greet him after games, including both sets of grandparents.
Senior Night should draw a big crowd for what could be his final home game.
“Beating Easton last week was a huge step for us, but now it’s really time,” Jenkins said. “We really want to play at home for the playoffs, so we have to step it up and keep winning out the rest of the season.”