CARLTON JACKSON
Gaining respect with each victory
Carlton Jackson has thrived in Willie Snead's new passing offense and has Ely two wins from another state title.
BY FRANK E. DeMARZO
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Friday night, the Ely football team was in the situation of having to win a game in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive week.
Instead of buckling under the pressure of having to anchor two straight wins in the final period, quarterback Carlton Jackson simply did what he has done his entire high school career and rose to the occasion.
''I've been waiting for a long time to be the leader. I want to be the player they look for to make plays,'' said Jackson. ``If my number is called, I'm ready. No butterflies and no jitters.''
That composure came through for the senior as the Tigers scored 21 fourth-quarter points to beat Palm Beach Lakes.
A week earlier, he anchored a nine-point comeback win against Palm Beach Gardens.
Two years ago, Jackson, then a sophomore, was thrust into the starting job when Jerrold Tolbert was injured. Jackson took to his role immediately, helping the Tigers claim the 5A state title.
Now, his poise and experience have come in handy for the Tigers during this playoff run.
With Jackson leading those two fourth-quarter victories, the Tigers are now only two wins away from another state championship.
''His senior leadership has been tremendous,'' said Ely coach Willie Snead.
``The fact that he started in the state title game as a sophomore and he has that playoff experience is great. He's done a great job running the offense.''
Jackson, who's played quarterback since his days in youth leagues, said at first he was a little bit nervous when he took over the starting job two years ago.
''There was some pressure, but with players like Tyrone Moss and Clint Session and the offensive line, that took a lot off,'' he said. ``My team was there behind me. They wanted me to lead the way.''
In the previous two years Jackson has been the quarterback, Ely relied heavily on its running game, paced by Moss in 2002 and Norris Smith a year ago. This year, Snead brought in a whole new style, opening up the passing game a bit more.
He said Jackson's performance at quarterback has made it easier to mix it up.
''It's been a great addition to the offense. It's made it difficult for teams to defend us,'' said Snead.
``Our philosophy was not to be one-dimensional.''
And apparently, Jackson had no trouble adjusting to the new system. He's thrown for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns. Jackson said this entire year for him has been about gaining respect.
''At the beginning of the year, what fueled me was I felt like I didn't receive the recognition,'' said Jackson. ``After starting as a sophomore, then last year throwing for 1,100 yards in a running offense. . . Everyone said I couldn't be a passer. They made a mistake.''
Snead said the kind of experience Jackson brings to the table has made it much easier for the rest of the offense to gel.
''It's extremely important for what we do offensively. He's kind of our coach on the field,'' said Snead.
``He's a big part of the decision-making. He keeps the offense under control. These last two weeks in the playoffs, we were down against Gardens and we were tied against Lakes. He just really stayed focused.''
But with the role of team leader means having to bear responsibility for what happens on the field.
Jackson said he recognizes that with success comes adulation, and with failure comes blame.
''There's good things and bad things,'' said Jackson. ``When you win, everybody loves you. But when you lose a game, you're the worst player in the world.
``I just have to be humble and make plays. I can't do it all.''
