As head coach, Adkins hopes to turn Jersey team in right direction

JERSEYVILLE - Jersey Community High School’s football program is poised to show significant improvement in 2016 and this week a decision was made to hire a coach who turned a losing program around in Jon Adkins.

Adkins, 29, was head football coach at Peoria Heights. When he started, the team had 17 players on the roster and 60 when he left. His team was 5-4 in the regular season last year and made the Class 3A playoffs for the first time in many years.

Adkins replaces Dave Jacobs, who resigned in May. Jacobs’ Panthers were 1-8 last year in a rebuilding year. Jacobs had success at Jersey, with a 10-1 record in 2012 and career record of 24-25 in five seasons with the Panthers.

“I feel unbelievably fortunate to get this and every opportunity,” Adkins said of his new Jersey job. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Jersey's new coach said when he first put in his application he researched the town and its program and watched highlights and researched the kids on the team as much as he could.

“These kids are young and hungry and I think will come back fired up for the season,” he said. “I think I can add my own little touch and flavor and I know I can be successful. I am a former quarterback and the first thing I looked at was the quarterback and he has great potential. I have two more years to work with Drew Sauerweim and I think he will be something special to watch.”

Adkins mentioned that Blake Wittman is an excellent returnee at receiver as is Stephen Rulo at linebacker.

“Jersey returns a majority of its team from last year,” Adkins said. “People say they were 1-8 last year but at the end of the day you look at that and realize a lot of them were sophomores playing varsity. The kids still were competing and not blown out at all. That says a lot about them and the tradition Jersey is all about.”

During June, Adkins will spend the month evaluating the program and getting to know the players on a personal level. His goal is to put his kids in the best position to succeed.

“There are already a lot of things in place,” he said. “I have a lot of questions to answer and once we get out on the field we will probably change a few things.”

Adkins is a former quarterback, so he said he always identifies well with the person in the quarterback position and their responsibilities.

Adkins was a player and grew up in Charleston, Ill., then attended Eastern Illinois University.

He said at Peoria Heights, he was only 23 when he took over the head coaching job.

“I came in young and eager and ready to go,” he said. “I was very fortunate to be able to be a head coach at 23 when most are essentially starting their coaching careers as an assistant. The numbers were low with the Peoria Heights program and it was a long process involved to turn it around. We had to take baby steps. I had to literally show the kids where the weight room was before we could think about strapping on the equipment and winning football games. The team made the playoffs last year for the first time since 2003.”

Adkins will also teach within the Jersey Community Unit School District. 

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