Marcus Jelks, Stephenson head coach
Today’s interviewee is Stephenson coach Marcus Jelks, whose team defeated then-No. 3 Douglass 15-9 to win the Region 5-3A championship. Coming off a 2023 Class 3A quarterfinal appearance, Stephenson started 2-3, including a loss to unranked Mount Zion of Jonesboro in the region opener, but won its final five regular-season games and entered the rankings this week at No. 8.
1. What did your team do well to win Friday? “We played really good defense. We were able to stop the explosive plays that we saw from Doug [Douglass] all year. They’ve got a special quarterback [John Wilson], and we were able to limit some of the things he does well. On offense, we were just able to take care of the ball and not turn it over and score when we got our chances. They have a tough and fast defense.”
2. What’s happened since the slow start and specifically the Mount Zion game? “One, we were dealing with some injuries. It’s not until late in the season where we’re 100%. But then our mindset changed, to be honest. The region loss was probably one of the best things that’s happened to us. It taught them we can’t take this game or any opponent for granted. It’s helped us develop some leadership.” [On the injury front, junior defensive lineman Serio Mason has missed significant time. Leading rusher Jaden Johnson has missed a couple of games. K.J. Green, rated the No. 6 edge rusher nationally among sophomores, has played only four games. All are back.]
3. How does this team compare to the 2023 team that advanced to the final eight? “It’s two different teams. Last year’s team was senior-heavy. We graduated 23 players. That was a very talented group, and we were able to accomplish a lot with them. This year we probably don’t have as much talent, but we have great leadership. The talent we do have in the senior class is stepping up at key moments in games. Romando Craddock, he played defensive end last year. He’s playing middle linebacker, and he’s leading our defense. He’s a team captain and going both ways at linebacker and tight end. Marcus Andrews is our center and a four-year starter who also plays defensive line. He’s a key piece. The running game is more by committee this year. Our quarterback, Marte Barton, is a senior and a four-year starter. We’re relying more on him. We’re more wide-open than last year. The passing game has improved.”
4. How do you feel that things have gone at Stephenson since you took the job in 2021? “I’m excited for where we are as a program. It’s year four for me. These seniors were freshmen when we came. This is our second region championship in four years. We’re still working on developing players at the youth and middle school levels, but we feel we’re where we need to be at this point.”
