Two for the Money

Talented players and brilliant coaches brought home a long-coveted title to Jeff Davis County this past fall. Coach Stan Rush’s Yellow Jackets won the Southeast Georgia Middle School Athletic Conference football crown thanks in large part to the talented tandem of Alex Sanders and Jaylene Kirby. The eighth-graders not only play beside each other in the backfield and alongside one another on defense. They are cousins, so they also bring vital chemistry to the mix.

“Sanders and Kirby were both key players on both sides of the ball,” says Sidney Spell, the Jackets offensive coordinator. “They were a large component in the success we had as a team this year. They never come off the field and have never wanted to. They were a great one-two punch – Kirby with power and Sanders with speed and agility.  Regardless of their success they are appreciative of the great blocking up front.” 

Sanders, 5’6” and 143 poumds, accounted for 17 touchdowns on offense (15 rushing) and intercepted a pass on defense from his strong safety post. Kirby, 5’7” and 160 pounds, rushed for six scores on offense while adding an interception and three forced fumbles while playing linebacker. Here’s a closer look at the dynamic duo of JDMS.

Scoop on Sanders: According to Rush and Spell, Sanders exceeded in all aspects of the game (rushing, receiving, and passing). In the conference championship game against Ware Middle School, he scored three touchdowns and performed solidly on defense.

Mother’s take: “When I was pregnant with Alex, we made sure to stay in church,” says Paula Sanders. “This is God-given talent that was given by Jesus Christ…I would like to see athletics take Alex all the way to the top. The sky is the limit. It’s not often that anyone from Hazlehurst gets a shot…In the last game, he had all three touchdowns. The score was 21-0 and 21 is his jersey number.”

The Home Team: Grandfather Willie Sanders and grandmothers May Sanders and Gwen Isom count themselves as the biggest fans of number 21. Meanwhile, little sister Trinity Sanders and younger brother Marvin Hankerson, Jr. are budding athletes in their own right. “Alex has a little brother just as tough and he can take a fastball just as well,” says Willie Sanders. “Alex never liked coming off the football field. His coach would say ‘I don’t want to run him down’ and I’d say ‘Run him until he throws up.’…We haven’t had time here lately to do any fishing because Alex goes from one sport into another. Some kids go to the beach or whatever, but Alex is so dedicated, he doesn’t want to leave.”

Academic Angle: Alex Sanders has received three awards for science, reading and math on the CRCT. “My favorite subject has to be reading,” he says. “It was my subject back in the fifth grade, so I kind of stayed with it. In primary school, my favorite author was Dr. Seuss.”

Fun Fact: Alex, short for Alexander, is named after former Pittsburgh Steeler Kendrell Bell, a family friend whose middle name is also Alexander.

Cousin Connection: “When we were talking on [the] radio they asked what Jaylene likes to do and he said ‘Run over people,’” notes Sanders. “Even when he has the ball and isn’t opening holes he is running over people. He blocked for me when I scored on a 49 sweep. I got the ball and the safety thought he had an angle on me, but I beat him. I was just like ‘Thank you’ and scored from about 50-60 yards.”

Alex’s Outtakes: On playing defense – “We changed to a 5-3 later in the year, so Jaylene and I were outside linebackers. I like both of them (safety and linebacker), especially linebacker. I mostly stay on the tight end and make sure they don’t throw it to him.”…Favorite unsung hero – “My friend Hunter Foster was the quarterback for us in middle school. He did his job at QB and at safety. He threw some good passes to me and I mostly caught them. He was my friend on a travel ball team. We communicated well then and we haven’t stopped being friends.”…Winning the championship – “It means a lot. Ware County had two very good players, a quarterback and tailback and we did our job and stopped them. When we came off the field and I saw the look on the coaches’ faces, I knew they were proud of us.”
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Scoop on Kirby: A multisport athlete, he recently added basketball to a sports regimen that also includes membership on conference championship baseball and weightlifting teams. “He had a few a great runs this season where he carried a several opponents,” notes Spell. “But I think the highlight of his season was a pick at the end of the fourth quarter to finish a close game against Martha Puckett.” That play also ranks as his mother’s favorite. Martha Puckett was driving inside the JDMS 10-yard line with less than a minute to play. That’s when Kirby intercepted a pass and returned it to the opposing 5-yard line to preserve a 12-8 victory.   
Mother’s take:  “Jaylene is the most disciplined of the kids because if you need his help, he is going to help you,” says Kirby’s mother, Rachel Williams. “If it’s something that needs to be done he’s going to do it to the best of his ability.”

The Home Team: Kirby’s inner circle includes his parents, Rachel and George Williams and Jason Kirby as well as a brother, Jashaun Kirby, 12; and a sister, Taylor Willliams, three.  “I don’t give Jaylene responsibilities with his baby sister, but they play a lot and she thinks she is as big as her brothers are. They throw the ball and hit the ball. I think she’s going to be a softball player, but she wants to play basketball. She wants to play everything they do.”Kirby’s grandparents are Floyd and Georgia Mae Mincey. “He is just making me proud, proud, and more proud,” says his grandmother. “And it makes his younger brother look up to him. We just love him for it.”

Academic Angle: In sixth grade, Kirby exceeded in all areas on the CRCT, a notable fact in that his mother says math has not always been his strongest subject. He now says it is his favorite subject. “I just get it more than other activities in school,” Kirby says. “I got more help in math and other subjects in school and I became smarter in all subjects. My teachers helped me out a lot with the problems.”

Fun Fact: Kirby attends worship services at Bennett Tabernacle where he often serves as an usher.

Cousin Connection: “Alex ran for like a 40-yard touchdown and I was blocking for him. It was a sweep and I put the cornerback inside,” says Kirby. “After games, we talk a lot about the good things that happen and sometimes about things that go wrong.” The cousins are also teammates for the Tazers, a travel baseball team. “I play right field and sometimes third base. Alex is in centerfield. There was one time when we were both in the outfield and I dove for a ball and missed it. But he was right behind me to catch it.”

Jaylene’s Outtakes: About his interception against Martha Puckett – “Coach Spell knew what was going to happen and he told me to scoot over. The ball came over my way and I caught it. I was just thinking ‘Run!’ and trying not to get caught.” On his latest passion, basketball – “I have been in the band before but I quit to play basketball. I’m playing the post and getting better at it. My strength is layups.” Major influence – “Coach Spell has been really good in helping Alex and me.”

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“These are two special young men, who have bright futures. They are both very respectful, hard-working, and polite young men. They are very dedicated in the weight room.  They showed up all to summer to workouts and push themselves each and every day. – Sidney Spell, JDMS offensive coordinator