WILDWOOD — Boyd Manne had to do a double take.
The Lafayette High football coach simply could not believe his eyes.
Manne watched in surprise as Zae Jones — then a freshman — blew past one veteran player after another during a preseason workout three years ago.
So Manne stopped practice and took the newbie aside.
“We brought in a couple of our fastest seniors and had a race,†Manne said. “(Jones) won easily. I thought to myself, ‘Here’s a freshman that’s faster than any of our seniors. This kid might be something special.’ “
Manne was spot on.
Jones, now a senior, is one of the key cogs in a fast-paced offense that has helped the Lancers win seven games in a row.
Lafayette (7-1 overall, 3-0 conference) will try to continue its longest win streak since capturing 12 in a row in 2012 when it travels to Lindbergh (5-3, 2-1) for a key Suburban Conference Red Pool football contest at 7 p.m. Friday.
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The Lancers can nail down their first full-season, outright conference crown in 11 years with a win over the defending league champs.
Jones, a wide receiver and defensive back, uses his blistering speed to shine on both sides of the ball.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder has scored 13 touchdowns in a wide variety of ways.
“He’s got great hands, and he can change direction at any time,†said Manne, a 1987 Lafayette grad. “That’s what makes him so dangerous.â€
Added Lafayette junior wideout Robby Preckel, “It’s hard to find a guy that plays like he does. He can do everything.â€
Jones’ versatility can be seen in his stat line. He has caught 40 passes for 487 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also rushed for 260 yards and five TDs. Plus, Jones has thrown for a pair of touchdowns as the triggerman in strategically used wildcat formation.
In addition, Jones returned a punt 47 yards for a score in a 35-17 win over Parkway West on Sept. 22.
“I figured that I could use whatever talent I have in as many ways possible,†Jones said.
Jones does not recall his freshman display against his senior teammates. He said he ran the 40-yard dash in just under 4.6 seconds that season. He has shaved a few ticks off that time and can now hit 4.52 on a regular basis.
The sprinting showdown certainly turned heads at that practice session.
“He’s always been the fastest player around here,†Preckel said.
Jones, who has recorded a time of 11.2 seconds in the 100-yard dash, spent his freshman season on the junior varsity team but immediately grabbed a starting spot as a sophomore and has been a mainstay since.
In addition to his quickness, Jones possesses an uncanny sense of football knowledge.
“Zae gives us so many options on offense,†Manne said. “He’s part of a group that has really good chemistry.â€
Jones also can serve as a decoy that opens up opportunities for his teammates.
“Our offense gets spread around pretty evenly,†Jones said. “Some games, I get the ball a lot, some games, I don’t. But no matter what, we’re always able to move the ball.â€
Jones has been playing football since he was 7 years old. Even then, he was much faster than his opponents.
He has drawn interest from several colleges. Northern Iowa is at the top of his list, although he intends to wait until the end of the season before going over his options.
For now, Jones hopes to keep the Lafayette offense humming. Junior quarterback Jack Behl has thrown for 2,029 yards and 21 touchdowns. Junior running back Devon Reese leads a balanced running game with 387 yards.
Preckel serves as another pass-catching weapon along with Jones. Preckel has caught 37 passes for 730 yards and three touchdowns.
“I know what I’m capable of doing, it just comes to me,†Jones said. “The same thing goes for the rest of this team. Right now, we’re pretty confident in everything that we’re doing.â€
The Lancers dropped a 13-10 decision to Marquette on the opening weekend. They squeezed out one-possession wins over Eureka and Ritenour the last two weeks.
“We’re winning games and we’re getting better every time out,†Jones said.