5 Takeaways: Jones Rolls Past Seminole for Second Straight Year in Legacy Classic

Miami commit Dereon Coleman and Nebraska Commit Larry Miles account for four touchdowns

Jones senior quarterback Dereon Coleman, a Miami commit, helped the Tigers roll up mor than 300 yards of offense on Saturday in leading the Tigers past Seminole, 42-0, in the ninth annual Legacy Classic at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. / Dereon Coleman

If anybody had any questions about Jones making another state title run in high school football, the Tigers more than answered them on Saturday.

Getting superb contributions on both sides of the ball and even special teams, Jones routed Seminole, 42-0, on a hot Saturday afternoon in the ninth annual Legacy Classic at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. It marked the second straight year that the Tigers blew out Seminole in this preseason game, having won 43-21 last year.

Jones, which last season finished with a 14-1 record and as Class 4A state runner-up, entered the game ranked No. 8 in the High School on SI Florida preseason rankings. Seminole ended 2024 with a 10-2 record and a Class 7A regional finals berth.

High School on SI followed the game online and spoke to players and coaches afterward. Here are five takeaways from what we observed.

Larry Miles showcases superb all-around game

One of Central Florida’s most dynamic athletes put on a show from the very start. Miles, a Nebraska commit, got the Tigers going with a 3-yard TD run with 7 minutes, 41 seconds left in the first quarter.

Approximately, four minutes later, Miles ripped off a 60-yard punt return that pushed Jones ahead 21-0 with 3:39 left in the first quarter. That score was preceded by a 53-yard TD pass from Dereon Coleman to DJ Hicks with 5:12 remaining.

Miles then scored his third touchdown on a run to give the Tigers a 28-0 lead with 10:31 left in the second quarter.

East River transfer Elijah McCluster finds the end zone for the Tigers

Junior speedster Elijah McCluster made the most of his new digs when he scored on a TD run with 4:25 remaining in the first half, giving Jones a 35-0 lead.

McCluster, who has been clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.41 seconds, is expected to give the Tigers an extra weapon on offense – a needed one since Jaquail Smith graduated after rushing for 1,805 yards and 22 TDs in 2024.

Last year, McCluster ran for 523 yards and four TDs, and caught eight passes for 86 yards for the Falcons, who finished with a 6-5 record.

“Definitely put my best foot forward considering this was my first game here,” said McCluster, who already has an offer from Syracuse, “but I’m here to continue to grow, develop and be an impact player on the team.”

Miami commit Dereon Coleman continues to make big plays at quarterback

Jones’ star senior signal-caller’s knack for making big plays continued Saturday. He helped the Tigers roll up more than 300 yards of offense, including a 53-yard TD to Hicks for the Tigers’ second score of the game.

Folks may remember that Coleman turned in a spectacular performance against powerhouse American Heritage Plantation in last year’s Class 4A state title game, rushing for 128 yards and three TDs and passed for 143 yards in a 40-31 loss.

Coleman is looking for more of the same this season after passing for 3,412 yards and 28 TDs with only four interceptions, and rushing for 455 yards and four scores in 2024.

“He was elite,” said Baylin Trujillo, who trains Coleman. “Very poised, calm and collected in the pocket. He was extremely accurate with the ball and he was smart on the run, not taking hits by sliding and running out. Very efficient.”

Jones’ defense shines in shutout

The defensive stars were numerous for the Tigers, who recorded only their second shutout – first since a 48-0 romp against Evans in 2018 – in the Legacy Classic.

Junior defensive back Reggie Harris was one of the players who shined, recording a 38-yard pick-6 to close out the scoring with less than 3:00 left in the first half.

Harris figures to be one of the leaders in the secondary this year after the Tigers lost three key players to graduation: Courtney Patterson, Christian Robbins and Isaiah Simpson, all of whom made two interceptions last year. Harris had two interceptions and 44 tackles in 2024.

Jones, Seminole kick off season openers on Aug. 22

Jones visits Winter Park, a Class 7A school, to open the 2025 season. The Tigers shut out the Wildcats, 22-0, in 2024.

Seminole, meanwhile, hosts Creekside (Fairburn, Ga.), for its opener. Creekside went 10-3 and advanced to the Georgia High School State Class 4A semifinals last year.

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Jeff Gardenour can be reached via email at jgardenour1962@gmail or X @JMarkG1962