October 3, 2024

SWJCFC MEDIA DAY | TJC loaded with experience; are Apaches ready to make a run?

Tyler Junior College coach Tanner Jacobson (above), whose Apaches likely return more experience than any team in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference in 2024. (Photo by MITCH LUCAS - ETBLITZ.COM)
Tyler Junior College coach Tanner Jacobson (above), whose Apaches likely return more experience than any team in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference in 2024. (Photo by MITCH LUCAS – ETBLITZ.COM)

TYLER – Tyler Junior College head coach Tanner Jacobson had the home field advantage, so to speak, on Thursday once again, as the coaches from the Southwest Junior College Football Conference met at Hollytree Country Club for the annual media day, to answer questions about their teams and meet East Texas-area media.

Jacobson, who played high school football at Southlake Carroll and college at both Texas Tech and Brigham Young (BYU), is only 31, 32 years old. But he said coaching in this conference – likely the toughest in the country – will age you quickly.

“Talking about what this conference will do to you,” said Jacobson, with jet-black hair, “I think I found my first gray hair. I’m choosing to say ‘blonde,’ because I’m too young to have gray hair.”

Jacobson said the Apaches, who went 5-4 a year ago and 4-3 in conference play, bring back all of their coaches on the offensive side of the ball and add David Johnson, a former TJC player who spent the spring season with the UFL’s D.C. Defenders, as a defensive assistant.

Josh Thomas, a former Longview High standout, will be back. Thomas played the last couple of games for TJC last year and has looked good in spring, coach Jacobson said.

He noted that the Apaches only lost two starters from a year ago on offense.

Ashton Haynes, the former Gilmer running back who averaged about 5 ½ yards a carry last season, is back and has added 20 pounds, Jacobson said.

A big “get” for TJC was former Aledo wide receiver Hawk Patrick Daniels, who was the most valuable player of the UIL Class 5A Division I state championship game. “He was an early enrollee in the spring and benefitted from the spring here,” Jacobson said.

Also of note added into the program: offensive lineman Josiah Drake of Duncanville, who transferred in from Austin Peay; David Williams of Desoto, another offensive lineman.

Defensively, Jacobson talked about his line, including Emmanuel Oguns, who didn’t play football until his senior year of high school, and transferred to TJC from Lamar University.

“He was kind of figuring out the game last year, but now he’s really stepped into his own,” Jacobson said. “He’s 6-foot-6 through the door. Anytime you have to duck your head to get through the door frame, you know you’re really tall.”

Linebackers expected to contribute, the coach said, are William Cornelson and T.J. Williams, a redshirt last year.

The defensive secondary has an SMU transfer Jayden Lawton, as well as Baltimore native Kendall Marks. Samuel Fongang returns at one safety and Bernock Iya has been moved from corner to safety.

Jacobson noted that he does have a weapon returning on special teams: kicker Christian Baxter, who will get the first pick of a jersey number in the offseason.

The Apaches have an interesting schedule – No. 1, it DOESN’T begin with the traditional non-conference game against Kilgore College, like it usually does. This year, TJC and KC meet only once, the conference game between the two in late October.

TJC actually opens the season on a Thursday night, Aug. 29, on the road at Dodge City (Kan.), a Jayhawk Conference opponent.

In week two, they come home and they’ll find a tough out against Georgia Military, on Sept. 7 there at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.

The conference opener is the following week, on Sept. 14, at home against Trinity Vallley.

The longest road trip of the season is up two weeks later, on Sept. 28, at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, in Miami, Okla. And it’s a good thing, because the Apaches host New Mexico Military Institute the following week (Oct. 5).

Going to Brenham for a game against Blinn is scheduled on Oct. 12, and then it’s back-to-back home games for TJC: Cisco on Oct. 19 and then the Rangers on Oct. 26.

The Apaches play their regular season finale on Nov. 2 on the road against Navarro in Corsicana, and are actually off the final week of the regular season on Nov. 9.

And then the conference playoffs begin for the top four seeds on Saturday, Nov. 16.

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