"I knew we were going to do it": 4-star Miami Hurricanes QB commit Dereon Coleman leads his high school to their first-ever undefeated season

Miami Hurricanes commit, four-star quarterback Dereon Coleman led his high school to a 28-6 victory over Wekiva on Friday to seal an undefeated season. Coleman, a junior quarterback for the Jones Tigers, was instrumental to the feat, gathering more than 2,200 passing yards for 21 touchdowns in nine games

The quarterback spoke after reaching the milestone on Friday, expressing how much the team believed it could achieve the record. He said,

“I knew we were going to do it since the start of the season. We just had to put our head down and work. But we're not done. We are focused on the big prize.”

The Tigers go on to the state championship with the No. 1 seed for Class 4A, Region 2. They will open their post-season campaign against Lecanto on Friday, Nov. 15, hoping to go all the way and earn their first state championship.

The program has been pushing for a state championship title since former Florida Gators and Atlanta Falcons defensive back Elijah Williams became coach in 2016. It reached the 2019 state championship game where it fell to a 34-17 loss to a superior Miami Northwestern team.

Jones High School winning team ft Dereon Coleman

Jones has played in three straight state semi-finals since 2021, losing all three by close margins. However, boosted by its undefeated record this season, its first in the modern era, the program may finally go all the way.

In addition to Dereon Coleman, Williams has at his disposal top talents who have worked as a team to get this far. Senior wide receiver Vernell “Trey” Brown III has been pivotal for the Tigers. Brown, a Florida commit, had 63 receptions for 945 yards and six touchdowns in the first nine games of the season. Brown is also convinced the team can reach the ultimate goal of the state championship.

He said:

“We have worked hard for this, and it's a blessing to be the first ones to do it. Now it's time to finish what we've started.”

Junior wide receiver Larry Miles also has a great partnership with Dereon Coleman, making 42 catches for 782 yards with eight touchdowns. Senior running back Jaquail Smith was no less important for the team's offense, rushing for 1,085 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games.

Coleman, 55-ft-11 and 160 pounds, announced his commitment to Miami (FL) in July. He chose the Hurricanes over other top options like Oklahoma, USF, Texas A&M, and South Carolina.