By JOE SIMON

New Castle News

Knowing how to play running back isn’t good enough for Dylan Jones.

Laurel High’s leading rusher wants to understand exactly why he’s supposed to go through a specific hole, and what he’s supposed to do if that hole isn’t open. Jones is infatuated with knowing where everyone is going and what they’re supposed to do on any given play.

Coach Jerry Holzhauser thinks he knows why.

“He wants to, every day, learn a little more about this game to make himself and his team better,” he said. “A running back, for a lot of them, it’s just give me the ball and run. But he actually knows the blocking schemes that the linemen are doing. It’s a real advantage. He’s a bright kid, a smart kid and a good student.”

He’s a pretty darn good football player, too. The junior ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries in the Spartans’ 22-19 Midwestern Athletic Conference victory over Freedom. That performance earned him Athlete of the Week honors, an award sponsored by Washington Centre Physical Therapy and selected by the New Castle News sports staff.

Jones’ big game came at the perfect time for Laurel (1-3 conference, 2-3 overall). The Spartans were in the midst of a two-game losing streak and were outscored 55-7 in those two contests. They trailed, 19-14, at halftime, but Laurel made some changes and a few big plays on defense to secure a 22-19 victory.

Jones said Holzhauser does a great job of communicating with the team, and that helped the Spartans in the second half.

“We came in the locker room, and we just made adjustments,” Jones said. “Coach doesn’t yell at us or anything. He just tells us, ‘You have to make these adjustments,’ and then we talk to each other, the running backs and the line, and everyone, really. We figure out what we’re going to do when this happens or that happens. We really executed after that.”

The Spartans’ ability to converse during games plays a big role in their success, and no one embraces it as much as Jones. The 6-foot, 185-pound Jones played extensively last year as a sophomore and built a rapport with the linemen. Their relationship grew this year, and Jones said he’s now able to speak with anyone without feeling as if he’s being overly critical.

“Last year, I didn’t really talk to the line as much,” he said. “I usually let the seniors do what they want — they’re the seniors, so they lead. This year, they (the linemen) look to me for help sometimes, so I tell them what they need to do, but I don’t ever get mad at them. Like, if a guy gets in the backfield, I’m not going to yell at someone about it, I’m just going to say, ‘Hey, this guy got in the backfield.’ We talk and figure out how to fix it.”

Holzhauser raved about Jones’ communication skills, but he’s equally impressed with his physical capabilities. Jones is third in Lawrence County with 600 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on 104 carries. Keep in mind, the Spartans have played Jeannette, Aliquippa and Beaver Falls, all teams with winning records, along with Freedom and Riverside.

Holzhauser said Jones’ ability to play multiple positions, coupled with his natural talent, led to his success.

“He’s as tough a runner as we’ve had in a long time at Laurel,” he said. “He’s strong, fast, has real good feet and he can catch the ball. He’s the whole package.

“And he learns — he knows what’s happening everywhere. This year alone, he went from corner, to safety, to inside linebacker; he runs back kickoffs and punts — he does it all.”

The reason Jones can play so many spots, comprehend so many formations and be a team leader is simple: He pays attention in practice, Holzhauser said. He’s not just listening when the coaches are talking to running backs and linebackers — he listens to what they instruct each position.

“When coaches talk, he knows exactly what we’re talking about,” Holzhauser said. “He’s got football savvy that a lot of kids don’t have at his age. He’s able to see things that are going on on the field. A lot of kids just play their individual position, but he sees the whole picture, which is great for a kid his age.

“He’s just got football just in his blood. He loves the game.”

And it shows.

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THE DYLAN JONES FILE

POSITION: Running back/Linebacker

TEAM: Laurel

GRADE: 11

KNOWN FOR: Jones ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns in Laurel’s 22-19 victory over Freedom. He’s third in the county in rushing, with 600 yards, but it’s his understanding of nearly every position on the field that sets the 6-foot, 185-pound junior apart from other players.

PARENTS: Bobby and Sherry Jones

FAVORITE PRO PLAYER AND WHY: Barry Sanders, former Detroit Lions running back. “He was just awesome to watch. He didn’t even have much of a line, and he was still amazing. If he would’ve kept playing, he would’ve had all the records.”

FAVORITE PRO TEAM AND WHY: Dallas Cowboys. “When I was younger, they weren’t very good, and I like to pick bad teams and hope they upset teams. I always root for the bad team.”