Jones’ big day lifts Plano

Updated: September 10, 2011 1:02AM

Joseph Jones wasn’t going to let a few cramps get in the way of a big day.

The Plano senior and Northwestern recruit had to leave the field several times in the second half of the Reapers’ game with Manteno Friday, but when he was in the game he was able to work through the pain, toting the ball 15 times for 192 yards and four touchdowns to give the hosts the 38-20 win and pushing their record to 3-0 on the season.

Jones, who was part of a backfield triumvrate along with Alan Vega (19 carries, 85 yards) and Weslye Brown (14 carries, 85 yads) that totaled 362 yards on the ground, felt a sense of redemption after the win as he suffered a broken leg against the Panthers in Week 3 last year and missed the rest of the season, watching from the sidelines as the Reapers lost their last seven games.

“I was sore and cramping up hard core, but we did our jobs so I cannot be happier,” Jones said. “All I have been thinking about was getting back (from the injury) and making sure I got back and we won this game.”

The contest was a bit closer than the Reapers’ previous blowout wins against Lisle and Seneca, as a Mike Benegas’ (nine carries, 53 yards) 27-yard touchdown scamper on the first play of the second half brought the visitors within 18-14.

But Plano took the ball and went home from there, running 38 snaps on offense that resulted in three touchdowns in four drives and chewed up a majority of the second half clock. Jones scored all three times and punctuated his night with an electrifying 55-yard run to put the game away with 1:48 to go.

“That was good for our kids to know, because those first two games we were scoring so quickly we hardly had the ball,” Plano coach Jim Green said. “We had to prove that we could make drives and grind up time and we were able to do that.”

Brown and Vega also scored for the Reapers, and while Green was happy with his backfield, he was thrilled by the effort the guys up front gave in the trenches. Manteno brought a reputation as a physical team, and Plano was able to match that and win the battle on both sides of the ball as the defense held Manteno to 10 rushing yards and 189 yards total.

“I’ll give our kids credit, we stayed physical, especially up front on the offensive line,” Green said. “They did an outstanding job picking up the blitzes they were sending.”

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