Athleticism may get a player on the field, but what keeps them there is building technique. The key foundation to building technique is focus and attention to detail, and that is exactly what Ware County senior football player Jaquez Bolds is focusing on.
“Jaquez is having a very good year to date. It can be attributed to maturing and the desire to be an impact player his senior season. Jaquez had a tremendous offseason in the classroom, weight room, and throughout the summer,” says Ware County head football coach Franklin Stephens.
Stephens came in one season ago and retooled the strong, solid foundation that Ed Dudley had at Ware, but added his own signature. In Stephens’ first season, the Gators finished 10-0, and took the Region 3-AAAAA crown.
Playing under the “Friday night lights” is special, but wearing the green and gold of the Ware County Gators is a something players remember for a lifetime.
“It is a really big deal to play football for Ware County,” Bolds says. “It’s a great feeling to play in the Swamp, but even if we play on the road, it’s awesome because we have so much support.”
Bolds and his other teammates have learned how to push themselves to their total best effort. The expectations that Stephens put on his players have paid dividends. Players are not just performing on the field, but off it as well, and most importantly, in the classroom. Bolds is consistent with his commitment to the expectations put forth by Stephens and the Ware County coaching staff.
“Jaquez has improved his attention to details offensively and defensively, which has allowed him to make more plays in all phases of the game,” Stephens says. “He has stepped up and become a positive leader on the team.”
Bolds quickly reciprocates the faith, belief, and confidence that the head Gator has in him.
“The program changed a lot when Coach Stephens got here,” Bolds says. “He pushes on the field, in the classroom, and outside of school, and he wants us to develop leadership, character, and skill for success on the field and in lifting weights.”
On the offensive side of the ball, Bolds is one of many running backs that carry the mail for the Gators, but his favorite position is on the other side of the ball as a linebacker.
“It going really good; I won top player four times,” Bolds says. “Twice on defense, once on offense, and I was named ‘Most Physical’.”
Through four games, Bolds leads all defensive players for Ware County with 24 total tackles, including 16 solo tackles and two sacks. On the offensive side of the ball, he has had 32 carries for 267 yards and four touchdowns. Jaquez is averaging 8.3 yards per carry, and his longest run has been 46 yards.
“I feel like the season is going well, and I want to keep on improving as the season goes on,” Bolds says. “I feel like I had a subpar year in 2014, I want to have a great senior year. I believe the coaching staff has helped me the most to improve my game in all areas. My focus the remainder of the season is to take each game one at a time and hopefully play well enough to help us win a state championship.”
Jaquez is very thankful for a group of teammates that have been there battling to be the best since day one: Ervin Nard, DeAndre Taylor, Allen Jones, Monquez Maxwell, Jalen Strickland, and Ronnie Adams.
While there may be a quarterback controversy at The Horseshoe at Ohio State, there isn’t one for Jaquez, since Braxton Miller is his favorite player. It’s one of Bolds goals to go on play college football, but first, he would love to help give the Gators a shot at a state championship.
“Jaquez has been one of our most improved players, not just on offense, but in all phases of the game,” says Ware County’s offensive coordinator Sonny Spurlock. “He has also become arguably our most productive player. I think the keys to his improvement have been his mental maturity; not only knowing better what to do but leading others, and his consistency; always being here and getting done what needs to be done day after day.”
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Attention to Detail
By John Wood
