Ansel Cole, Tony Staten, Kenneth Jenkins, & Anthony Beverly, Jay 1978-'80

John Jay's football glory days included three seasons with the fastest backfield the city has ever seen. From '78-'80, Ansel Cole, Tony Staten, Kenneth Jenkins, and Anthony Beverly led Jay to two district championships and were 6 seconds away from a 3rd. In these three seasons, the speedsters scored a record 44 touchdowns from beyond midfield. EXCITING!

Ansel Cole led the way with 14 TDs of over 50 yards, including both a 93 yard TD run against Clark and a 94 yard TD run against Holmes his senior year. Wow! In two separate games in '79, all THREE running backs, Cole, Staten, and Beverly, rushed for over 100 yards.

Only fumbles could stop these burners as they lost to Judson in the '78 playoffs after 10 turnovers and then lost to Wheatley in the '79 city championship after losing 7 fumbles. In 1980, Jay's 3rd consecutive district championship bid was thwarted by Jimmy Hawkins' field goal with 6 seconds left. I'll never forget that game as it was so packed with a standing room only crowd that I had to watch the entire game through the fence from outside Northside Stadium.