The Jones Bowl: Preston’s Pumas Out-Duel Jim’s Wildcats

Every year, the Jones family around the holiday season goes fishing in Mexico. More often than not father Jim forces his son Preston to clean the fish after they are caught.

This year however, Jim admits he will now have to do the cleaning as his Mesquite Wildcats fell to his son’s Perry Pumas on friday night 34-20.

“We go to Mexico to catch those big fish and I guess I’ll have to clean them,” said Mesquite head coach Jim Jones. “But he hasn’t caught very many so it won’t be much of a job.”

So how will things be at the dinner table on Thanksgiving this year?

“It depends on if he says anything smart alic,” stated Jim Jones. “It’ll be fine otherwise. I like him too much.”

“It’s not like this is the first time this has ever happened,” Coach Jim added. “It was the first time for us and will be the last time I hope.”

Perry head coach Preston Jones has taken much from what he has learned from his father and has applied it to his coaching career. He admitted that tonight being on the opposite side of his father did not feel right.

“Real awkward,” explained Coach Preston. “I didn’t want to look over. I didn’t want to do that. It was awkward but if I didn’t look, it was fine like another game.”

Coach Jim mentioned that there was an agreement made between the two leading up to the game.

“Yeah he did it and was pretty successful,” mentioned Jim Jones. “The deal was that we weren’t going to do any trick plays, everything we were supposed to do was on game film and he cheated.”

The trick play Coach Jim speaks of was a first half touchdown consisting of double pass consisting of freshman receiver D’Shayne James rolling out and throwing to his brother and fellow receiver Nate James for a touchdown.

When asked to comment on that claim of cheating, Coach Preston kept it simple.

“We’re happy to be 2-0,” he said.

These two weren’t the only two from this family that was on the field for the game. Mesquite starting quarterback and safety Preston Jones is the nephew of Preston and grandson of Jim. Plus Mesquite offensive coordinator Corbin Smith is Preston Smith’s father.

Despite the competition on the field, both sides left with smiles on their faces with Coach Preston leaving soaking wet from a Gatorade bath from his players.