Jacob Tucker's name is firmly entrenched in the Tennessee record books now.
Photo by Bill Beasley
notched his fourth state record over the weekend as unbeaten
Perry County (Linden, Tenn.) blanked Mt. Pleasant, 40-0, for its eighth consecutive football victory.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior quarterback accounted for five touchdowns to give him a state-record 130 (passing and running) for his career. Earlier this fall he set a state record for total offense in a career. That record now stands at 11,342 and counting.
As a junior he set single-season records for total offense (4,683) and touchdowns (57).
"It's something special to be able to carry with me for awhile," Tucker told MaxPreps. "I'm more happy to get to share it with a group of guys that I've grown up with since I was 6 or 7 years old."
Coach Michael Harrison took over the young program, which started in 1998, when Tucker was in eighth grade.
"He was an athlete, but we didn't know what he was going to turn into," Harrison conceded. "We sat back and joked about his freshman year. He didn't want us to watch when he threw the ball. It was just nerves. He ended up starting."
Operating a double-wing offense, Tucker recalled, "I threw 56 (passes) all year and completed 15. I thought I was going to be more of a defensive player. I love playing defense (linebacker). Offense is a lot of thinking and mental games. Defensively you just go out there and hit somebody."
The next year Harrison switched to a spread offense, using four or five receivers. He explained that he wanted to draw the best athletes in the school, but most of them played basketball because the Vikings had won six Class A state titles in that program. He reasoned that a more exciting offense would work and it did.
Tucker and wide receiver Dray Mercer - who was one year older - were the top two athletes and others followed them onto the football field. The end result was the first winning season in school history (7-5) and a berth in the state semifinals.
"I had no idea it would blow up that fast," Harrison admitted.
Tucker - the guy who once was embarrassed to have his coaches watch him pass - became a great passer as a sophomore and has gotten better every year. He set two state records as a junior and could add a couple more before he closes out his career this fall.
Harrison noted that Tucker won contests for accuracy and distance at the Vanderbilt University Football Camp.
"He makes decisions," Harrison said of his star's strongest asset. "He has a wristband with our plays. He's the only guy who knows what everybody is doing. I never saw anybody as comfortable in the pocket as he is. He throws the ball real well, but also runs well. He also starts at linebacker and never comes off the field."
Tucker admits to surprise that the records still are coming, because Mercer has graduated. He explained, "Last year on third down the ball always went to Dray. This year we've had six different guys catch a pass in every game. This year on third down the ball could go anywhere."
Heading into his ninth game, Tucker has these mind-boggling career statistics: 8,027 yards and 85 touchdowns passing; 3,315 yards and 45 touchdowns rushing; 338 tackles, seven interceptions and four touchdowns on defense.
Asked about pressure, Tucker said that is the question he is asked most often.
"I tell everyone that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," he related. "Not a bit. The game means a lot to me, but it's just a game. The more I would worry about pressure, the less fun I'm going to have."
His biggest goal is a team goal.
"The state championship is the ultimate goal for every high school team," he said. "This year everything is falling into place. It looks like it's going to be a special year."
Though he has no college scholarship offers yet, he has qualities colleges are seeking. He is No. 3 in the senior class with a perfect 4.0 GPA. He runs 40 yards in a respectable 4.7 seconds and bench presses 315 pounds.
He hopes that recruiters will look beyond his small-school competition and see the many positives he has to offer.
* Maty Mauk added another national record to his growing list last week when he completed 33 of 48 passes for 497 yards and eight touchdowns as Kenton (Ohio) routed Celina, 70-33. He now has 190 career touchdown passes to eclipse the record of 185 by Chris Leak. He also ran 13 times for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
* Greenbrier (Ark.) defeated Siloam Springs (Ark.) 62-35, as senior quarterback Neal Burcham threw for a season-high 535 yards and tied the state record with eight touchdown passes.
* Enid (Okla.) star Popeye Handley broke a 1964 school record when he ran for 376 yards and five touchdowns during a wild 80-57 victory over Bixby (Okla.). In a losing effort, T.J. Eckert passed for 451 yards and five touchdowns.
* Belfry (Ky.) defeated Lawrence County (Louisa, Ky.), 48-6, to give coach Philip Haywood his state-record-tying 345th career victory.
* On target for a bunch of national records by the time he graduates, junior Kelvin Taylor rushed for 426 yards and five touchdowns to spark Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.) to a 35-24 victory over Village Academy (Delray Beach, Fla.)
* Gary Harris, who is one of the nation's premier senior basketball players, is making his mark in football, too. Last week he set a school record with 189 receiving yards (including 73- and 64-yard touchdown catches) as Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.) shut out McCutcheon (Lafayette, Ind.), 52-0.
* Tanner Trosin passed for 479 yards and five touchdowns as Folsom (Calif.) rolled past Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.), 63-40.
* John Chereson kicked three field goals - including one from 52 yards - to help Cathedral Prep (Erie, Pa.) defeat defending Class A state champion Aquinas Institute (Rochester, N.Y.), 16-13, and snap a 19-game winning streak.
* Flower Mound (Texas) senior quarterback Marshall Williams passed for 425 yards and seven touchdowns during a 59-36 victory over Lewisville (Texas).
* Brian Buell fired eight touchdown passes - seven in the first half - as Jesuit (Dallas) defeated Richardson (Texas), 62-30.
* Rhys Gervais completed 19 of 36 passes for 407 yards and five touchdowns as Puyallup (Wash.) suffered a 73-56 loss to Bethel (Spanaway, Wash.).
* On Oct. 7, Madison Ridgeland Academy (Miss.) quarterback Matt Porter set a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools state record by passing for 503 yards (and seven touchdowns) during a 63-24 rout of Magnolia Heights (Senatobia, Miss.). Nick Everhart had 13 catches for 247 yards and four touchdowns.
* Valencia (Los Lunas, N.M.) defeated Miyamura (Gallup, N.M.), 48-36, despite the passing of Zach Shank, who amassed 462 yards and five touchdowns.
* Webster (Tulsa, Okla.) defeated Muldrow (Okla.), 32-18, behind the 404 passing yards of Garrett Griffith.
* Dylan Sheffield, who holds the state record of 683 yards, continued his high-octane air attack by completing 34 of 48 passes for 480 yards and seven touchdowns as Wichita Falls (Texas) defeated Little Elm (Texas), 49-21.
* Filling in for an injured player, Bibb County (Centreville, Ala.) senior Lee Dobyne scored seven touchdowns and five 2-point conversions during a 78-7 rout of Southside (Selma, Ala.). Nicknamed "Akeem," he now ranks No. 3 (tie) in state history with seven touchdowns and No. 4 with 52 points.
* Charles Johnson averaged an eye-popping 45.4 yards on 10 carries and scored six touchdowns as Keith (Orrville, Ala.) defeated Shades Mountain Christian (Hoover, Ala.), 45-6. He had long runs of 93, 80, 76 and 61 yards.
* Coaching milestone victories: Rich Zinanni of Bishop McNamara (Kankakee, Ill.) and Randy Allen of Highland Park (Dallas) both notched No. 300, while Tim Janocko of Clearfield (Pa.) earned his 200th win.
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