Jefferson Cavaliers building a culture on and off football field
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (BVM) — The first high school football game of the season can always be a bit of a nervous endeavor. It鈥檚 a new team with players trying to solidify their spot on the roster and looking to start the season off right. Some refer to it as the first-game jitters and the Jefferson High School Cavaliers certainly had that when they took the field against Sioux Falls Washington last week.
鈥淚 was a little nervous, me and the other teammates had the first-game jitters,鈥� Cavalier quarterback Taylen Ashley said. 鈥淚 can remember that from last season, I got it a little bit this year too.鈥�
However, last year Ashley and all the other plays that make up the Jefferson football team were on different teams at different schools. This season aside from the normal reasons any athlete may be a little nervous heading into the first game of the season there was the added understanding that this was the first game in program history.聽
Jefferson High School opened this year and the 2021 fall season is the first ever for all Jefferson athletics and getting to this point has been a long but rewarding process, starting with the hiring of head coach Vince Benedetto.
鈥淚 figured I was only going to get this opportunity once in my life and I wasn鈥檛 going to pass it up,鈥� Benedetto said.聽
Many of the players felt the same way as their coach and wanted to take advantage of a rare opportunity to be a part of building a program from the ground up.
鈥淚 felt like Jefferson was my calling, to go there, be the first of many, to start the culture there right,鈥� Ashley said.聽
Ashley had been the starting quarterback at Roosevelt High School last year as a sophomore, helping the Rough Riders make it to the state title while scoring 24 touchdowns and amassing over 2,400 all-purpose yards.聽
He then won a state title as the point guard for the Roosevelt basketball team, but made the tough decision to come to Jefferson, taking everything he had learned while a Rough Rider and using it to help the Cavaliers.聽
鈥淭his year it鈥檚 been more of a mental game, helping other guys out,鈥� Ashley said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have that much varsity experience, so just being there to calm the guys down just be like, 鈥榃e got this, just calm down.鈥� It’s definitely different from Roosevelt last year being the younger guy and the seniors having the most responsibility. Now we have two seniors so it鈥檚 up to the juniors, it鈥檚 up to the sophomores, freshman, it’s up to anyone to step up and be a leader on the team.鈥澛�
Ashley is just one of the leaders on the team, but his leadership and talents under center have been a huge help as the Cavaliers continue to form an identity.聽
鈥淗aving a quarterback like Taylen with his basketball background,鈥� Benedetto said. 鈥淚 mean he鈥檚 reading defenders in basketball like he’s reading defenders in the run game and the pass game for us. He鈥檚 going to get us out of a lot of hairy situations which makes it really fun to coach him as a quarterback.鈥澛�
That was on full display last week when Ashley dropped back for a pass and as the pocket began to close around him, he scrambled out and took it 53yards for a touchdown, the first in program history.
. turning on the jets 鈥� 馃敟 |
饾棧饾椏饾棽饾榾饾棽饾椈饾榿饾棽饾棻 饾棷饾槅:— Midco Sports (@MidcoSports)
鈥淚鈥檓 going to be honest,鈥� Ashley said. 鈥淚 scored the touchdown and I really didn鈥檛 think about it till I came to the sidelines. It鈥檚 actually crazy to be the first and it鈥檚 going to be in a trophy case and always be the first touchdown, be the first team to get a win. It鈥檚 crazy.鈥澛犅�
It wasn鈥檛 the end of the firsts for Ashley or Cavaliers as he and longtime teammate wide receiver Griffin Wilde connected for the Cavaliers first-ever passing touchdown.
鈥淕riffin makes my job 100% easier,鈥� Ashley said. 鈥淲e have a bunch of great skill guys, having them makes it so much easier.鈥澛�
Along with Wilde, there is junior running back Tayten Sanow and many others who give Jefferson the big-play ability that is needed on any team but especially a team that is still building its identity.聽
鈥淚 think having big-play ability on an offense is really important,鈥� Venedetto said.
That big-play ability along with some big stops by the Cavalier defense led the new team to its first-ever win, beating Washington 17-14.
鈥淚t was cool being in the huddle with them after the game and seeing the satisfaction on their face and how happy they were,鈥� Venedetto said. 鈥淚t was really, really fun and something I鈥檓 probably going to remember for the rest of my coaching career.鈥澛犅�
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a blessing,鈥� Ashley said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been so much fun practicing and thinking about our team playing our first game and now to be done with it and come with a win means even more.鈥澛�
A great start to what everyone hopes is a long and successful football tradition. The five footballs used in that game will be saved and put in a trophy case as part of an active effort by the coaching staff to document the beginnings of the program so that future teams will have plenty to look back on.聽
The win also helps to build the culture not just on the team but within the new school as everyone tries to find their way in a new environment.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always that cool thing of being a football player,鈥� Ashley said. 鈥淵ou walk into school and they鈥檙e like, 鈥楬ey good game,鈥� or 鈥楬ey what鈥檚 up Taylen.鈥� It really makes you feel like it鈥檚 football season and the culture is starting to build.鈥澛�
With one game down and the season officially underway, the Cavaliers still have a lot to work on, but as they go through a season of firsts, they are building a foundation that will carry them and future Cavaliers for years to come.
