Nick Jones

Belleville East PE/Drivers Ed Teacher - Asst Football and Track Coach

[Nick Jones @NickJones_75]

@thesouc Any way to follow this?

[Corey Miller @corey_miller5]

“He’s a coach’s dream.”

@BTHSEastLancers have their first wrestling state champion in heavyweight Jonathan Rulo.

Rulo is an astounding 105-3 in his career! And as just a junior, he’s not done yet.

@JonathanRulo54

[Nick Jones @NickJones_75]

@BradPowers7 @CircaSports What’s your number?

[Ohio State Football @OhioStateFB]

I-O‼️

[Tony Shiffman @CoachShiffman]

Spread versus Flexbone

[Will Buxton @wbuxtonofficial]

Lando at last. Superb drive. What a performance. Utterly brilliant.

[Belleville East High School Broadcast Club @broadcastclubBE]

BELLEVILLE EAST KNOCKS OFF O'FALLON FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2021 IN A 3 SET WIN!!! August Werner finishes off in a 3 set battle ending a 9-game losing streak for East versus O'Fallon. Here's how the final point looked and sounded: @BTHSEastLancers @BELancerBVB

[Freeburg Athletics @FCHS77Athletics]

All state for @FburgFootball and now for hoops! What a great career!

[LANCER FOOTBALL @BELancerFB]

Congrats @JonathanRulo54!!! Proud of you. #BEAST // #BeAboutIt // #DEFENDTHESHIELD

[Will Buxton @wbuxtonofficial]

No two ways about it. For me it’s the single biggest driver transfer in the history of the sport. An incredible story.

[LANCER FOOTBALL @BELancerFB]

Appreciate @Locklyn33 and @oregonfootball for stopping through today to recruit our guys... Take care of your business and the opportunities will come. #BEAST // #DEFENDTHESHIELD

[LANCER FOOTBALL @BELancerFB]

Great having the Michigan State Spartans visit campus today! Appreciate @DLCoachLegi Coach Suiaunoa coming to recruit our guys. @MSU_Football // #BEAST // #DEFENDTHESHIELD

[Tony Holler @pntrack]

I am frequently asked about my criteria for our track “tryouts” at PN. (PN is a school of 2300 kids and I only coach boys.)

We have tryouts for sprints and throws. We’ve never cut a distance runner. If you aren’t a sprinter or thrower, you can still be on the track team, running distance.

Reasoning…

➡️ As 🏈 coach, if 30 guys wanted to play QB, 3 of them would play QB, the other 27 would be moved to a new position.

➡️ I once asked a no-cut track coach why basketball teams don’t have 60 guys on a team. He said, “60 would be hard to manage.” I said, “Hard to manage and IMPOSSIBLE to coach.” I refuse to *manage” a track team. Class size matters… especially with a sprint or throws group, and especially indoors with limited space AND time. Our D-Crew runs outdoors in the winter. Coaching a big group can be done (and because endurance training is hard and winters are cold, the D-Crew is somewhat self-limiting).

➡️ Another reason why 🏀 teams don’t keep 60 kids is that 50 of those kids would never get to play in a game. Track is similar. 80% of our meets have limited entries. Why keep 200 kids when only 40 kids go to meet? We have 4 meets with unlimited entries. Is 4 meets in a 19 week season good enough for 100 kids on your team? 🤔

➡️ Too many track programs are more recreational than competitive. My track teams are every bit as competitive and serious as a varsity 🏈 or 🏀 team.

Criteria for making the *sprint* team ⤵️

Legit speed or speed potential. (Or potential in jumps, vault, or hurdles).

Freshmen who run 19-20 mph typically make the team.

Sophomores running 20-21 mph typically make the team.

Juniors running 21-22 mph and seniors running 22-23 mph typically make the team.

But there’s no published criteria. ✅

If a junior is running 21 mph and has not shown improvement and signs of high potential, he may not make the sprint group.

If a senior is the 15th fastest guy on the team, he may not make it. I refuse to keep kids that won’t have a good experience.

Obviously we would keep an 18 mph senior if he could high jump 6’6” (happened in 2018).

We keep 18 mph junior hurdlers hoping they run 21 mph as seniors (happened in 2023).

I once cut a freshman who went to the distance group and ran the mile in 4:20 three years later.

I don’t like absolute standards to make a track team because I want to use my professional judgement. If I have an 18 mph freshman whose brother was our varsity 🏈 star RB and ran 22 mph, I would keep him based on potential. That slow freshman, Tyler Hoosman, ran 23 mph as a senior and made it to the final cut with the LA Chargers last August.

I also want to factor in coachability, work ethic, and competitiveness.

Track starts Tuesday at PN. https://t.co/AqvgO4adXP

[Belleville East High School Broadcast Club @broadcastclubBE]

What a thriller as @East_Basketball knocked off top state-ranked Collinsville in Overtime. Here's how the last possession looked and sounded with @MattClarkMizzou and Steven Stock on the call:

[Keithen Jones @KeithenJones]

Junior Season!
https://t.co/ua6drtGo0g

[Gateway Sports Venue @GSV_STL]

FINAL (OT)
Belleville East 63 (6-4)
Althoff 58 (8-3)

Lancers executed their stuff and played great defense in overtime to earn big road victory over #5 ranked small school Althoff in an always intense city rivalry.

[B-East Athletic Trainers @BEAthTrainer]

Competitive rehab today in the ATR. @BTHSEastLancers @ColdBrew_er is undefeated in ‘Hallway Stool Races’ @SSMHealthSM

[Belleville East High School Broadcast Club @broadcastclubBE]

Tough loss for the Lancers tonight but how about this half-court buzzer beater 3 to end the 1st half tonight from Kaleel Waller!!! @BTHSEastLancers @East_Basketball @WallerKaleel @STLhssports @GSV_STL

[Ashlynn Samson @Samson_Ashlynn]

I’ve been part of Belleville East Football and AT staff for three years and I could not be more grateful for the support and opportunities these programs have done for me ! THANK YOU #senioryear

[Riggs @RiggsBarstool]

Yep. This is it. This is the guy. This is the move. We’re back.