Athlete of the Week: David Jones

Senior comes up with four turnovers in PV victory

Nolan Wasserman, Sports Writer|October 30, 2020

Nolan Wasserman

After coming up big on both sides of the ball in PV football’s win over Bergenfield, David Jones is the Athlete of the Week.

Name: David Jones
Sport: Football
Grade: Senior
Position: Safety/Wide Receiver

Recent Performance: Jones has been on fire through the first two games of his senior season. In Week 2 against Bergenfield, Jones put on a show, leading PV to its first win of the season. He was everywhere on the field, as he finished with a hat trick of interceptions, along with a defensive fumble recovery and a receiving touchdown. Simply put, if you were playing high school fantasy football, you would want him on your team.

Recent Team Results: The PV football team has come out of the gate with a 1-1 record in two games that could not have been more different. In its first game at Ramapo, the team took a beating, losing 41-6 to a talented Raiders team. However, things soon turned around as Valley traveled to Bergenfield, in what would prove to be a huge game for Jones. PV cruised to a 34-8 victory to even out its record.

“Everyone did their job, and we just dominated,” Jones said of the Bergenfield victory.

Next up, the team will take on Northern Valley Demarest on the road on Saturday.

Jones’ Contributions to the Team: Jones can be a force playing receiver when PV has the ball, and he has found the endzone once this season. However, his big contributions are found on the other side of the ball, where he already has four interceptions through just two games.

Which is Better: Offense or Defense?: While he enjoys both, Jones enjoys playing on the defensive side of the ball more because he loves making game-changing interceptions.

Jones’ Interceptions: An interception can be a game changing play, immediately giving your team possession, and most times putting your team in great place to score. Nobody knows this better than Jones, who makes them a focal point of his game. When the ball is up in his area and Jones gets a glimpse of it, everyone knows what is coming.

“When I see the ball, I know the ball is mine,” Jones said. His mindset then immediately converts into running the ball back, and maybe sneaking into the end zone.

“Just go, run, get a pick six,” Jones said of his mentality as he picks the ball off.

Expectations: The team is focused on winning now, and want to do as much of that with the remaining games they have.

“For the team as a whole, we just want to win out,” Jones said.

Football or Lacrosse?: Jones is a two sport athlete, also playing lacrosse in the spring. However, he isn’t able to choose one over the other, as he loves them both.

What Jones Likes Most About Football: Jones’ favorite thing about football is the atmosphere and energy that come with it.

Best Football Memory: Last season, Jones came up with a big deflection on fourth down to seal a playoff win for PV against Garfield, sending the team to the state sectional final.

Proudest Moment on the Field: Jones’ proudest moment on the field came in the Bergenfield game, as he completed his third interception to cap off an incredible game.

Jones came up with four turnovers in Valley’s win against Bergenfield on Oct. 10. The senior defensive back is this week’s Athlete of the Week. (Nolan Wasserman)

What Jones Does In His Free Time: Jones likes to hang out with his friends and play NBA2K.

One Thing People May Not Know: Jones is a huge fan of Mooyah, a restaurant in Old Tappan.

Role Models: Jones’ parents have always been his biggest role models.

“They always set good examples for me,” Jones said.

The End of the Road: “I am probably not going to be playing in college,” Jones said, acknowledging that he is most likely playing the final football games of his career.

However, he is sure of his plans for the rest of the season.

“I want to win my last few football games,” Jones said. “I want to finish with a win.”