Blasting off: High-scoring Rockets ride 3-0 start into TCS opener
What do you get when you combine one of the WPIAL鈥檚 top dual-threat quarterbacks with an outstanding big-play receiver, a good running game, a strong offensive line and a solid defense?
Swirl that recipe together and you鈥檝e got the 2024 Jefferson-Morgan football team.
The Rockets are off to a 3-0 start thanks in large part to senior quarterback Houston Guesman, junior wide receiver and return specialist Deakyn Dehoet, and hard-running junior John Woodward.
鈥淭hose players have had a huge impact on what we鈥檙e doing along with our offensive line,鈥� third-year coach Shane Ziats said.
Jefferson-Morgan has opened the season with wins at Chartiers-Houston, 35-6, at Class 2A Waynesburg Central, 34-28, and over visiting Burgettstown, 49-14.
The Rockets are averaging 39.3 points while allowing 16 per game as they head into their Class A Tri-County South Conference opener against Mapletown at Parker Field.
Guesman completed 6 of 11 passes for 185 yards and four touchdowns against the Blue Devils and also had four carries for 82 yards and two TDs.
So far this season Guesman has nine touchdown passes and five TD runs. Five of his scoring passes have gone to Dehoet covering 25, 55, 26, 44 and 20 yards.
鈥淗ouston and Deakyn are just electrifying to watch together,鈥� Ziats said.
Dehoet also has scored two special teams touchdowns with a 99-yard kickoff return and, last week, a 74-yard punt return.
Guesman, who鈥檚 had a hand in 14 of J-M鈥檚 17 touchdowns this season, has gotten steadily better as a quarterback, according to Ziats.
鈥淗e鈥檚 developed into a better overall quarterback,鈥� Ziats said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 learning how to take what鈥檚 given to him. Last year if his first read wasn鈥檛 there his instinct was to take off and run. Now he鈥檚 going through the progression of what he needs to do and then if all else fails he鈥檒l run when he needs to.
鈥淗e鈥檚 built that quarterback mentality. We had a coach come in and work with him a little bit and he鈥檚 doing a fantastic job with him, He鈥檚 still got some things to learn but he can run, he can move, he can throw, he can do it.all. He had a 73-yard run against Burgettstown so he showed his speed there. He鈥檚 learning how to read defenses, when to put some touch on the ball, how to throw the deep ball. He鈥檚 worked on all that in the offseason and has done a good job and improved a lot.鈥�
Guesman credits Ziats for putting in a game plan that is the best fit for himself and his teammates.
鈥淐oach Z knows what we are best at, and he knows how to set that big play up,鈥� Guesman said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 lack anywhere on our line and Johnny Woodward gains a lot of yards at running back for us that creates a pocket for me to throw the ball to our wide receivers. They do a great job at getting open, they go 100% all the time and that helps me out a lot.鈥�
Dehoet is another player Ziats has watched grow as a player.
鈥淗is attitude and his maturity are positives,鈥� Ziats said. 鈥淗e comes ready to work when it鈥檚 time for practice. He鈥檚 put forth the effort to become a better player over the years. He鈥檚 progressed. This is his junior year and it鈥檚 clicking for him where he realizes, hey, I can be a pretty good football player.鈥�
鈥淗e has good hands. He鈥檚 made some fantastic catches on some difficult throws. He knows where to get his hands and how to torque his body the way he needs to to make the difficult catch.鈥�
Dehoet is clearly Guesman鈥檚 favorite target.
鈥淒eakyn is younger than me and I see a lot of want and determination in him,鈥� Guesman said. 鈥淗e is a great kid and I trust him. If we need a play, Deakyn will go make it. He鈥檚 the combination. I just make the throw and he does the rest.鈥�
Guesman has other dependable targets to throw to besides Dehoet, who caught four passes for 79 yards against Burgettstown.
鈥淛ohnny Gilbert, Ryan Baker and Jace Bedilion are also options in the pass game,鈥� Ziats said.
鈥淕ilbert had a really nice catch against Burgettstown on a throw that was kind of over the back.鈥�
Gilbert has two touchdown receptions of 23 and 28 yards this season, the latter coming last week vs. the Blue Devils. Baker had his team鈥檚 longest TD catch of the season with a 78-yarder against Burgettstown.
Woodward鈥檚 inside running helps set the table for the offense.
鈥淲oodward is a tough running back,鈥� Ziats said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 one of those hard-nosed kids. When he gets a full-head of steam he鈥檚 tough to bring down. He is also fast enough to break off big runs, especially when he bounces outside sometimes. He鈥檚 a good football player.鈥�
Woodward and Jeremiah Robertson both had 55 yards rushing in the win over Burgettstown.
Strong line play is needed to make an offense work and Ziats pointed out that J-M has that as well.
鈥淵ou have to be strong up front for your skill players to succeed, and we are,鈥� said Ziats, who also lauded his defense鈥檚 performance.
鈥淥ur defense has been fantastic,鈥� Ziats said. 鈥淐oach (Ron) Gallagher has come in from Carmichaels and he鈥檚 put together a fantastic defensive scheme. Every week he comes up with something new, something different that gives the opposing offense problems.鈥�
The Rockets have steadily risen under Ziats who took over a team coming off a 1-9 record three years ago. Jefferson-Morgan improved to 4-6 with a 2-5 conference record in Ziats first season in 2022, and were 6-5 overall and 5-2 in the TCS last year when it qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2012. The Rockets have even higher aspirations this season but Ziats is keeping his team focused on one game at a time.
鈥淕oing 3-0 is a great way to start but this is when it counts,鈥� Ziats said of this week鈥檚 game against the Maples (1-2). 鈥淭hese are the games that really matter and every one is going to be a tough one. We have a lot of rivalries in this conference.鈥�
Guesman has faith in his team and his coach.
鈥淐oach Z comes to practice every day with a get-better mentality,鈥� Guesman said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 told us from the beginning that the bar has been raised, and it鈥檚 only getting higher and higher. We are shooting to win every week, become conference champions, and we鈥檙e hoping to make an impact in the playoffs this year.鈥�
(Jonathan Guth contributed to this story.)