Maybe it was serendipity or perhaps it was mere coincidence.
Jalen Reese isn’t sure, but Mansfield Senior’s quarterback can’t help but marvel at how things have worked out.
The last time Senior High visited Marion Harding, Reese was an undersized sophomore and the Tygers’ third-string quarterback. The embarrassing 41-6 loss to the Presidents during that early September night in 2011 set in motion a series of events that has vaulted Reese and his teammates to unprecedented heights.
“It’s funny how everything came together,” said Reese, who will lead the Tygers (2-0) against Marion Harding (0-2) on Friday. “It all kind of started at Harding.”
J.R. Davis was the starting quarterback on that fateful night in Marion. His 1-for-15 passing performance included a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns and compelled Senior High coach Chioke Bradley and his staff to rethink their offensive strategy.
“Jalen was the third quarterback we used that night behind J.R. and Chek Washington,” Bradley said. “Jalen showed us something that night, then really took off that next game.”
The following week, the Tygers lost Senior High running back Terrell Dorsey to a gruesome, season-ending leg injury in the second quarter. The Tygers trailed 35-6 through three quarters, but Reese, who came on in relief of Washington, orchestrated three fourth-quarter scoring drives in Mansfield Senior’s 35-28 loss.
The Reese era had officially begun.
“His sophomore year, we just didn’t know if he was ready, but Terrell’s injury really forced us to change our offensive philosophy,” said Tyger’s offensive coordinator Jeff Soliday. “We went from a power running game to a shotgun spread overnight.”
The move began to pay dividends immediately. In just his third career start, Reese broke the school’s single-game passing record when he threw for 388 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-39 loss to West Holmes.
“We knew we had something special,” said Soliday, a former Senior High quarterback who put up 3,100 yards in two years as a starter. “Jalen is an intelligent kid. He’s always had a high football IQ.”
Reese started the final six games of the 2011 season, throwing for 1,432 yards and setting the table for a memorable junior campaign.
“He used the second half of his sophomore year as a springboard,” Bradley said. “He really came into his own last year.”
Reese completed 131 of 243 passes for 1,844 yards and 19 touchdowns last fall. He broke his own single-game record when he completed 16 of 19 passes for 425 yards and four touchdowns – all in the first half – in a 45-21 win over Marion Harding in Week 3.
The Tygers shared the Ohio Cardinal Conference title with crosstown rival Madison and West Holmes and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, falling to Tiffin Columbian in a Division II, Region 6 quarterfinal.
“As disappointing as that loss was, getting to the playoffs was a great experience,” said Reese, who carries a 3.6 grade point average and has drawn the interest of Ivy League schools Harvard and Princeton. “We have a lot of guys back from that team and now we understand what it takes to get to that level.”
Reese has picked up in 2013 where he left off in 2012. In two games, he has completed a remarkable 65 percent of his passes for 541 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception.
In last week’s 59-42 win at Lima Senior, the 6-foot-3 senior completed 23 of 31 passes for 346 yards and six TDs. It was the fifth 300-yard passing game of his career.
With 3,817 career passing yards, Reese is believed to be Senior High’s all-time leader with at least eight games left to play.
“He is becoming the player I envisioned he would be,” Bradley said. ““He’s more than just a quarterback. He’s a leader and he’s an extra coach on the field.”
Reese also turned recruiter to help convince a trio of Senior High’s high-profile basketball players, Donovyn Benson, Mario Davison and Robert Jones, to join the football team for their senior years.
“We’ve been working on them for a while,” said Reese, a sharp-shooting swingman and the son of Senior High basketball coach J.T. Reese. “We got (All-Ohio point guard) Keon Johnson to come out last year and that worked out well. Me and some of the other guys started trying to convince them as soon as football ended last year.”
Jones has four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown and is one of six Tygers with at least one TD reception this fall.
“Quarterback is a hard position to play and Jalen makes it look easy,” said the 6-foot-7 Jones. “He doesn’t get enough credit. He knows where every player is supposed to be on every play.”
With Reese leading the way, Mansfield Senior should be in the hunt for another playoff berth. The Tygers are tied for six in the Division II, Region 5 standings. The top eight teams in each region advance to the postseason.
“As crazy as it sounds,” Bradley said, “I think his best football is still ahead of him.”
Follow Curt Conrad on Twitter @curtjconrad.
