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Jonesboro High
School Football History
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JONESBORO
CARDINALS
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In the fall of 1946, Jonesboro became the first
Clayton school to field a football team. With Superintendent
of Schools J.E. Edmonds doubling as coach, the Cardinals took to
the gridiron for the first time against an established
powerhouse, West Point, on September 6. Not all games in the
early years were against varsity competition, however. The
first schedule included two “B” team games against R.E. Lee,
both won by Jonesboro. The first varsity win came in the eighth
game by the score of 12-6 over Jackson.
Jonesboro’s original line included Neil Foster
and Wilbur Peacock on the ends, Stanley Wootton and Hiram
Adamson at tackle, Jimmy Oliver and James Wood at the guard
positions, and James Satterfield at center. The starting
backfield consisted on Eugene Kendrick, James Kraft, John Voyles
(captain), and Joe Hooks. Kendrick would later return to coach
at his alma mater.
When the state organized into regions in 1947,
Jonesboro became one of the state’s 22 Class C schools, joining
Lincolnton, Warrenton, Gray, Monticello, Eatonton, Washington,
Sparta, and Mary Persons in Region 3-C. This was the state’s
smallest classification. The first full-time coach, W.J. “Doc”
Kirksey, came on board in 1948 and took his team to a
second-place finish behind Eatonton. Jonesboro’s best season
ever came in Kirksey’s second year when the Cardinals went 10-2,
claiming the 3-C title with an undefeated region slate. They
destroyed Lincolnton 41-6 in the playoffs before losing to
Gordon Lee in the North Georgia Championship.
Jonesboro flirted with success in the 1950’s,
only to be edged out of region titles on several occasions. The
Cardinals had winning records seven times in the decade
including eight-win seasons in 1952, 1953, and 1959. Jonesboro
was the victim of a cruel playoff system. Region championships
were decided strictly by wins and losses in the regular season
and only one team per region advanced to state. Kirksey’s 1952
team finished the year ranked #4 in the state by the AJC, but
had the misfortune of being in the same region with state
champion Hogansville. Coach Frank Plant’s 1953 unit was ranked
sixth in the final poll. A single loss to top-ranked West Point
denied the Cardinals a circuit trophy and post season play.
One of the most controversial episodes in
Jonesboro’s history took place the week before the start of the
1957 campaign. Superintendent J.E. Edmonds fired second-year
head coach Gene Kendrick for urging his players to fight the
Forest Park team at a community swimming pool. The facility was
near Jonesboro High, allowing several Forest Park players to
watch the Cardinals practice. Coach Kendrick told the team to
“take care of them” and fisticuffs ensued. At the insistence of
Edmonds, the Jonesboro players apologized for the incident, but
it was not enough to save the popular coach’s job. Assistant
coach Ed Daniel took over the team. Jonesboro finished the year
ranked sixth in the state.
The Cardinals had many outstanding players in
the early years. Bill Dunford was the star halfback on the 1949
region championship squad. At 6’0 and 185, he was bigger than
most of the linemen. Dunford had 165 points (26 touchdowns and
9 extra points) as a senior, using his size and speed to break
through would-be tacklers. He received a scholarship to the
University of Georgia. His 38 career touchdowns rank third on
the all-time county list. Dunford scored the winning touchdown
for the North in the 1950 Georgia All-Star game at Grant Field.
Jackie Satterfield, an offensive lineman, was chosen to play in
the 1954 North-South game. Ed and Gaffney Blalock, Frank and
Wayne Kendrick, Hoyt Scott, and Jack Swygert also made their
mark in the 1950’s. Swygert was all-state in three sports and
was named to the 1959 All-Star game.
After fielding a string of above-average teams
in the 1950’s, the new decade was not kind to the Jonesboro
program. Changing regions may be partly to blame. Jonesboro
played in Class B for most of the 1950’s before moving up to A,
then AAA in 1962. Opponents such as Griffin and R.E. Lee posed
more of a challenge than the likes of Manchester and Harris
County. Also, a “musical chairs” situation in the coaching
ranks did not help. The Cardinals had four different head
coaches in the 1960’s with no boss staying for more than four
seasons. The only non-losing record of the decade was the 5-5
mark in 1968.
The 1960’s began with Jonesboro fielding a young
team for a new coach. Thamas Coleman led the team from 1960-62
and was followed by Bud Amsler (1963-66), Buddy Nix (1967-68),
and Bobby Taylor (1969). Running backs Don Scott, Jerry Stewman,
and Don Voyles were the key players in the early years of the
period. Frank “Moat” Swygert, Kenny Clonts, and Paul Benefield
led the team into AAA ball in 1962. Scott and Benefield both a
breakaway speed and scored on several long runs, passes, and
returns.
The key offensive players under Coach Amsler
were quarterback Mike Tallant and running backs Roy Powers and
Stan Kemp. On the line, Hank Meyer and Tony Stalnaker stood out
for their blocking ability. Jimmy Thompson, Roy Weeks, and
Ricky Satterfield were key skill position players as the decade
closed.
The best defensive players at Jonesboro in the
late 1960’s were Skip Kubelius, Walt Pierce, Tommy Seay, and
Kenny Allen. Kubelius was a 6’5” 235 lb. defensive tackle who
made the all-county team three times. He signed with Bear
Bryant’s Crimson Tide. Pierce averaged 15 tackles per game in
1967 and was an all-county Clayton Journal choice.
Compared to the previous decade, Jonesboro’s
45-55 record in the 1970’s was a tremendous success. Bill
McNair inherited a team in 1970 that had won just six of the
last 50 games. He made an immediate impact with five wins in
the first six outings. Weyman Sellers took over in 1973 after
17 years at Athens High. The Cardinals had winning records in
five of nine seasons under Sellers.
One of the most tragic nights in the history of
Jonesboro football took place on September 9, 1971 at Tara.
After the Cardinals disposed of Therrell 41-0, a small group of
knife-wielding students met the Jonesboro players as they
boarded the bus. Three players were stabbed and a fourth
suffered a broken hand in the melee. All four were starters.
Linebacker David Greenway received the most serious injuries,
having to undergo open-heart surgery. All victims recovered.
Jonesboro had a series of excellent backs in the
1970’s. Tony Lovin and Mark Bradshaw led the team in rushing in
the early years. Kent Woerner carried the load in 1973 and
1974, claiming Clayton Back of the Year honors as a senior.
Steve Gassaway was a star running quarterback in the same
backfield with Woerner. Scott Woerner followed his brother as
the team’s leading rusher. He was also chosen the county’s most
valuable back in 1975 and 1976. The latter Woerner became one
of a long line of players sent by Sellers to his alma mater, the
University of Georgia. Edward Turnipseed and Gordon Dorsey were
the most consistent ground gainers in the latter years of the
decade.
The Cardinals had several noteworthy linemen in
the 1970’s. Al Radney and Phil Weeks were key members of the
turnaround 1970 squad. Kenneth Price was the CND Lineman of the
Year in 1971. Al Hughes, Mickey Drew, Paul Edmondson, and
Francis Cabrel were solid on the offensive front in the early
years of the decade. Cabrel continued his career at Georgia
Tech. Billy Johnson, Lawrence Tanner, Eddie Tucker, and Greg
Furlong earned accolades opening holes for Turnipseed and
Dorsey.
The Cardinals did not have a dominant defense in
the 1970’s. The 1973 team allowed the most points of any county
team ever. They did play well enough, however, to win almost
half their games, a big improvement on the previous decade. Mike
Ormseth was the Clayton Defensive Back of the Year in 1970.
Scott Woerner, who would make his reputation on that side of the
ball at UGA, was an excellent defensive back as well.
Fate was not kind to the Cardinals in the
1980’s. Jonesboro matched Forest Park in county futility by
posting only one winning season in the ten-year period, 6-5 in
1987. An overall record of 27-74 over the ten seasons made
Jonesboro a welcomed addition to opponents’ schedules. Four
head coaches directed the team: Weyman Sellers, Joe Pittman,
Rick Tomberlin, and Al Hughes. Tomberlin had the distinction of
being only the second coach to lead Jonesboro to the post
season.
Jonesboro had several distinguished players in
the decade. Bobby Seals ran for 728 yards and 11 touchdowns in
1984. Vance Turpin had a great junior year with 807 yards
rushing in 1985 before an injury ended his career. Roderick
Crocker, Tracy Smith, Oscar Clemmons, Leonard Clark, and
Emmanuel McDaniel were the major offensive stars of the latter
years. Smith converted to defense in college and saw playing
time with the Tennessee Volunteers. Outstanding linemen of the
decade included two-time all-county tackle John Lovett and tight
end Boomer Foster who signed with South Carolina.
Two factors were at the core of Jonesboro’s
success or failure in the 1990’s. Despite declining numbers,
the Cardinals played in the state’s highest classification
through the 1995 season, first under Al Hughes, then Jed
Hodges. Powerful teams such as Griffin, East Coweta, and Forest
Park had no trouble with the over-matched Jonesboro teams. When
the Cardinals right-sized to AAA in 1996, they responded with a
7-4 record and qualified for the playoffs. The other
consideration was the ability to run the ball. Jonesboro had
two dominant backs in the 1990’s—Emmanuel McDaniel and Donnell
Brantley. Future NFL star McDaniel, the county record holder in
the 300 meter hurdles, led the way to a 5-5 finish in 1990.
With Brantley running the ball behind Fumaata Fonoimoana (6’1,
266), Corey Brosius (6’2, 270), and Jamari Stokes (6’2, 280),
the Cardinals were able to move the ball against any opponent.
Brantley was both the CND and AJC Offensive Player of the Year
in 1996. He ran for 1973 yards and scored 29 touchdowns as a
senior. His 40 career touchdowns, including an 80-yard run on
his very last touch, are good for second in county history.
Jonesboro put some quality players on the field
in the 1990’s. Kicker Adam Campbell represented the Cardinals
in the 1991 Georgia All-Star game and had an outstanding career
at West Georgia. Boomer Foster was an all-county tight end in
1990 who later started at that position for South Carolina.
Linemen Savoy Curtis and Brian Lamb were all-county choices in
1991 and 1992. Curtis was regarded as the strongest player ever
at Jonesboro. William Wise stepped into the running back
position after the departure of Brantley, earning all-county
status with a thousand-yard season in 1997.
Tommy Webb, a former baseball standout at
Jonesboro in the 1970’s, returned to take charge of the team in
2000. He guided the team to an improved 5-5 record his first
year, then to consecutive 7-3 regular seasons in 2001 and 2002.
The latter squad made the post season field as the fourth-seed
from Region 2-AAAAA.
The highlights of the 2000 season were the upset
victories over North Clayton and Riverdale. The Jonesboro
defense held Eagle superstar quarterback D.J. Shockley to just
34 yards passing on five completions. Calvin Ervin’s 55-yard
scoring reception with less than two minutes left gave Jonesboro
a rare decision over Riverdale.
The 2001 and 2002 squads were known for their
ability to throw the football. With Kenyari Addison calling the
signals and Harry Douglas running the routes, it was difficult
for opponents to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard. Addison
was the Clayton Offensive Player of the Year as junior and
earned first team all-state recognition by the AJC as a senior.
He threw 40 touchdown passes in his three-year career. Douglas
led the region in receiving and earned a second all-county nod
in 2002. The Cardinals could also move the ball on the ground
with Darius Fudge leading the team in scoring.
The second season in Region 2-AAAAA was a mirror
image of the first. After a hard-fought win over Morrow in the
opener, the Cardinals dropped five straight games by decisive
scores. Wins over cellar-dwelling Henry County and Stockbridge
made the final slate 3-7. First-year coach Larry Mortonson
found several stars remaining from the 2002 playoff team.
Defensive end Darrell Robertson was Co-Defensive Player of the
Year in the county and first-team all-state. Robertson and
defensive back Jamal Lewis both signed scholarships with Georgia
Tech.
The 2004 campaign began with a very strange
phenomenon, a tie with Mundy’s Mill. Since Jonesboro was in a
lower classification (Region 5-AAAA), overtime was not an
option. This was the first deadlocked game for the Cardinals
since 1960. Mortonson saw a marked improvement on offense in
his second year. Jonesboro scored three or more touchdowns in
six games. Two of the wins came in thrilling fashion. Patrick
Saxby’s 23-yard field goal at the horn defeated South Atlanta
24-21 and his extra point in overtime led to a 21-20 victory
over SW DeKalb. A close loss to Mays in the season finale put
the final record at 4-5-1.
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