2024 Interview with Jade Ashford from Columbus Linden McKinley


 

Name:Jaiden Ashford

School:Linden Mckinley 

Positions played: strong safety, wide receiver 

Graduating year:2025

Height and weight: 5–10, 160

What are your personal goals for the 2024 season?

Just gaining more exposure to get to the next level.

What will you miss the most about your teammates who graduate this year?

Their knowledge about the game.

I cover a lot of Columbus City League games, and for the most part, the teams have low numbers. As a player, how do you go about trying to get some of your classmates to come out for the team?

I just recruit everywhere I go, trying to help kids like me not only get a chance at something different but also a way to get off the streets.

What has your biggest moment been as an athlete, in any sport, at any age?

Just being a freshman starting on varsity on lindens 2021 season making history for linden first time winning 8 games and first time in the playoffs. 

What is the strongest part of your game?

I believe my aggressiveness as a hard hitter is one of my strengths. 

Which part of your game must you improve on the most to be a better overall player?

Just the physical aspect of being 100% healthy to play my best

Where on the field do you believe is the best sport for you?

I believe in strong safety or defensive backs.

Coming off a rough season, what must you guys do as a team to make sure you guys have a winning season?

It starts with the grades in the off-season, but during the season, they stay together and play as a team.

What lessons did you learn about yourself as you went through the 0–10 season that you can use this year to be a team leader?

To use everyone because everyone has something different to contribute and add to the game.

What is the toughest part of practice?

Helping the young players understand the game at faster speeds. 

Who is the best player that you have faced in a game, along with the team he played for?

Dane was a running back in the first round of the playoffs, and he was a real problem to stop. He played for Highland.

With this being your senior year, have you found yourself preparing any differently?

Yes, I find myself taking mental reps as much as physical reps to help get a better feel for the game.

What is your go-to snack?

Reese's cup, for sure. 

What is the one sport you cannot watch on TV?

Probably, tennis. 

Who are your role models?

My parents are my number one role models.


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2024 With Head Coach Jake Heigel from Brockway High School, PA.

Image
  Jake Heigel Brockway High  Head Football Coach Who was the best player you have ever coached against, and what team did he play for? Carson Neely, Port Allegany  Looking back from day one as a coach up to the present, what have been the low and high points of your coaching career? 2020 was a rough first year. We had maybe 15 kids on the roster in preseason sometime in late June. We ended up with probably 6 starters who had never played football in their lives, which isn’t exactly a recipe for success! I was also ejected from our game against Cowanesque Valley. We lost to DuBois 49-0 to end the difficult season... The future did not look so bright. - But fast forward to 2022, where we won our first playoff game 62-6. Followed that up with a win against the reigning western finals champion, Redbank Valley, in a 7-3 fist fight to advance to the D9 championship. In 2023, we won an overtime thriller against DuBois Area 14–13, avenging a 1-point loss at the 1-yard line the year prior.
Read more

2024 Interview with Braylon Sturgill from Ironton High School

Image
  Braylon Sturgill Ironton High School LB/FB 2025 What were your goals entering the 2023 season, and were you able to achieve those goals? Our goal every year is simple: win a state championship. We fell short last season, but we are coming back stronger. My personal goals were to be a full-time starter and contribute to my team's success. I was able to start and contribute despite a few injuries that prevented me from being 100% throughout the season. What is it like to play for Coach Pendleton? It’s an honor playing for Coach Pendleton; he knows what it takes to be successful and play at the next level. A coach demands excellence and accepts nothing less. What makes Coach different from other coaches is that he teaches us toughness, and that’s what separates Ironton from other teams. Coach has surrounded us with some of the best staff in Ohio. He is the best coach I have ever played for. What is the hardest part of an Ironton practice? The hardest part about practice is
Read more

2024 Interview with the powerfully talented K’Vuone McNeal from Canton McKinley

Image
  K’Vuone McNeal Canton McKinley  Defensive End/Outside LB 2025 6’3 235 What are your goals for the Bulldogs for the 2024 season? Play every game as a team, with everyone doing their job. The whole team gives one hundred percent at practice and in the weight room every single day. Players on the team lifting our guys up during games Get better and better each week and win the state title. What are your personal goals for the season? Break the school sack record. be the top-ranked defensive end in Ohio. Help my team make it to the state title. Continue to lead on and off the field. Stay healthy all season. How long have you been the long snapper, and how did you get into playing that position? I have been playing long snapper for 2 years, and I started playing it because my big brother Cynceir McNeal played it when he came here, and he inspired me to start playing long snapper. You are also a linebacker and a tight end. Of those two positions, which one do you feel you are be
Read more