Samaj Jones ends St. Joseph's Prep career with night to remember in Pennsylvania high school football Class 6A championship game win
MECHANICSBURG, Pennsylvania - Samaj Jones had one high school football game left and the St. Joseph's Prep senior quarterback wanted to leave Cumberland Valley's Chapman Field the same way he did last season - as a state champion.
That goal was realized with a 45-23 win over North Allegheny, and Jones had his fingerprints all over it, as the University of Cincinnati commit completed 14-of-17 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 115 yards and three scores.
"He is calm, cool and collected in some of the biggest moments," St. Joseph's Prep head coach Tim Roken said. "You see he showed his physicality tonight and his leadership."
That physicality came right from the start as the 5-foot-11, 215-pounder took the snap at the North Allegheny 1-yard-line and worked his way through multiple defenders to find the end zone for the game's first score.
Then he showed his combination of speed and power on the second score, as he ran down the right side and stiff-armed a defender at about the 15-yard-line before finishing off the run for a 41-yard score to make it 14-0.
After North Allegheny scored a touchdown midway through the second quarter to cut the lead to 21-7, Jones used one of the best weapons he has on the offense, as he threw a wide receiver screen to Elijah Jones on the first play of the ensuing drive. The receiver then raced 80 yards down the ledt sideline for the score.
The next possession also ended with a touchdown pass, as Jones found Brandon Rehmann for a 13-yard score with just over a minute left in the second quarter.
And then on the first possession of the second quarter, Jones again showed his power on a run when he went down the right sideline and ran over a defender on his way out of bounds. Three plays later, he took a snap from the 4-yard-line, ran to his left, lowered his shoulder and barreled over a defender on his way to the end zone.
"I would like to say that (the power) is all from the in the weight room," Jones joked. "But the majority is probably genetics. You know, my parents are really gifted."
Samaj Jones reacts to scoring a touchdown in the PIAA Class 6A state championship game on December 9, 2023. Photo credit: Paul Burdick, SBLive Sports
Paul Burdick, SBLive Sports
Jones' career started by stepping in for the departed Kyle McCord, who was the Gatorade Player of the Year before going to Ohio State. The expectations placed on Jones may have been unfair, but they were not a surprise.
"Just because he left, our coaches' expectations didn't change," Jones said. "I think it was for the better. It helped me prepare myself and understand that I had no time to waste and that I had to grow up. Kyle, he's a great player. He's done great things here and it's my pleasure just to step in and take over."
The Hawks lost the state championship game in Jones' first year as a starter but won the final two. It was that initial game though, that helped shape his time at St. Joseph's Prep.
"I'm so grateful for that game," Jones said of the loss in 2021. "It built so much energy that the guys needed through the offseason and it built the expectation because after we won last year, the guys came back in with the same mentality."
And now, two years after that game, Jones' final game was an emotional one, even if he tried to keep those thoughts at bay.
"I tried not to think about it," Jones said. "During pregame we went back in the locker room, and I started to shed a few tears just thinking was my last time being around these guys. And I love them so much, They are amazing young men. As much as I want to leave, I don't want to leave. I'm so comfortable here."
-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sblivepa
Photo Gallery (photos by Paul Burdick)
Paul Burdick, SBLive Sports
Paul Burdick, SBLive Sports
