INLAND FIELDHOUSE

I covered the Victorville Silverado-Rubidoux Patriot varsity playoff football game for the Riverside Press-Enterprise on Friday, Nov. 21, and came away thinking Silverado really has something in junior QB Jemeryn Jenkins.

Jenkins (6-2, 205 lbs) is the best prospect I’ve seen all season, even if his play looks a little like that of Tennessee Titans QB Vince Young. Jenkins completely dominated Patriot in their CIF Inland Division First Round game at Rubidoux HS. He averaged more than 10 yards every time he touched the ball against Patriot. He completed 22 of 27 passes for more than 250 yards and a touchdown, and also had more than 120 rushing yards and two second-half touchdowns on 10 carries.

To put it simply — Jenkins was Silverado’s offense. And baring transfer or injury, he will be the hottest desert commodity since sand. Hopefully, for him, his grades are intact and are good enough to garner intrest from college recruiters.

On the other side of the field, Patriot High School was playing in its first ever playoff game, though I wouldn’t have known it by the halftime score (Patriot led 28-20). Coach Kevin Corridan seemed to really have his guys prepared for Jenkins in the first half and were even commanding the line of scrimmage on offense.

Senior QB Kyle Sullivan (5-10, 160 lbs) completed two passes on two attempts for two touchdowns and senior RB Ken Braden (6-1, 230 lbs) recoved a fumble in the endzone to tie the score and seemingly change the game’s momentum. Patriot was efficient, if anything.

But the Warriors (the Patriot Warriors? Really?) couldn’t ever have done enough to prepare for what Silverado’s Jenkins was going to do in the second half. He was the best player on the field, hands down, and would have given any prep team fits with his ability to make plays.

Corridan, a former defensive coach at Riverside Community College, said Jenkins was a “special player” and that he knew Patriot’s chances hinged upon his defense’s ability to stop him. Given the results, I wonder if he would have schemed differently on defense. Maybe have someone spy Jenkins on every play? The way the Silverado QB played on this night, it wouldn’t have mattered.