Poinciana’s ‘J.J.’ Jones honored

By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

When his Poinciana girls basketball team won the Class 4A District 6 championship  in February – the first hoops title for the school, girls or boys, Coach Jamerson Jones thought that’d be the last hardware he’d see this year.

Not so fast, coach.

Jones, known as “J.J.” to many in the county, finally broke through and was named winner of the M. Dean Cherry Coach of the Year Award as Osceola County’s high school coach of the year after being named the PHS Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive time.

The announcement was made at Tuesday’s School Board meeting.

“I’m blessed to be in the right place at the right time,” Jones said. “I guess the fourth time was the charm.”

The county’s other finalists were Eric Pinellas (Osceola girls track coach), Matt Milton (St. Cloud wrestling), Ettie Singleton (Gateway volleyball and girls track), Chris Todd (Harmony wrestling), Joan Connolly (Celebration volleyball, basketball, softball assistant), Eric Scrivens (Liberty wrestling) and Ryan Adams (New Dimensions volleyball and boys basketball).

Jones’ Eagles were 17-9 this season, a remarkable mark for two reasons. First, his roster featured just two seniors among a group of sophomores and freshmen.

Second, Jones almost missed the 4A-6 district championship when his daughter fell ill and needed an emergency room trip. When he walked into the gym, Poinciana trailed host Harmony, 30-23, but Jones stepped in and watched his team finish with a flurry and a 57-46 win.

“It’s a blessing, hard work and consistency finally paid off,” he said.

Jones came to Poinciana High in 2000 and was a girls basketball and football assistant coach until taking the  the varsity hoops program in 2003. His first two Lady Eagles teams went 7-12 and 12-15 and they’ve posted winning seasons ever since.

“The year before I took over, I was an assistant when we took a loss to Osceola by something like 62-6,” he said. “I vowed that would never happen as a head coach.”

Jones, a member of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association, takes a year-round approach to improving his program. He’s a regular at FACA coaching clinics, and his players attend summer camps and play on travel teams.

“We’ve had good players around, and we’ve always stressed character,” he said. “We work year-round, and we have five girls now in travel ball. It benefits the kids, but I just work with them at school and stay out of that talent meat market.”

Two of Jones’ players, Lyllique Roman (Stetson) and Yeshira Delgado (Arkansas) have signed Division I scholarships.

Poinciana Athletic Director Mal Harpell, himself the 1996 and 2000 Cherry Award winner, said Jones’ program has brought the school much-needed positive publicity.

“He’s developed a competitive program, year-in and year-out,” Harpell said. “He’s developed the girls’ individual skills, as evidenced by the two Division I signings.

“But, this past season was most impressive, getting it done with a freshman-oriented squad, bringing them together and winning the school’s first district basketball championship. It’s something this school is very proud of.”

Jones, 37, has deep roots in the community, spending his entire life in the county, except for his years (1991-96) at Bethune-Cookman College, where he attended on a football scholarship and earned his master’s degree in education leadership.

Jones is a 1991 graduate of St. Cloud High School, where he played football and basketball for Danny Rea Smith and Tim McMullen.

“I’m a community guy. I went to Ross Jeffries Elementary then St. Cloud Middle and High,” he said. “I became a disciple of Coach Mac. It seems that every one of his players learns something from him and our coaching philosophies are about the same – press and make lay-ups. It’s nothing new.”

Jones said he didn’t imagine he’d have the longtime success he’s achieved on the sidelines.

“When I first started out, I wasn’t sure if I’d be effective as a girls coach. I’m pretty tough,” he said. “But our administration shares my commitment to excellence.

“As my principal (Belynda Pinkston) says, ‘Coach, I’m with you win or win.’”

Osceola High wrestling coach Jim Bird was honored last year for the second time in three years. OHS football coach Jeff Rolson won in 2008.

The award is named for the  former coach and the director of staff development for the School Board who passed away in 1995.