Roosevelt Builds on Adewale

The folks at Roosevelt High will try to tell you this season was supposed to be a return to mediocrity, with only three starters returning and a host of question marks on the offensive and defensive lines.

But new faces are keeping Roosevelt in a similar place--winning a lot of games, the latest a 37-13 victory over Jordan in an Eastern League game Friday at Roosevelt.

Jody Adewale ran for 199 yards and five touchdowns in 27 carries, and although he didn’t match his eye-popping average of 10.1 yards a carry entering the game, he carried Roosevelt (6-0, 2-0 in league play) to one of its best starts in school history.

The Roosevelt offensive line had two starters that never played football until this season, but Adewale had room to run. A lot of it.

“I’d get to the hole and I’d see 10 yards in front of me,” he said.

Adewale, a 6-foot, 220-pound junior, scored three touchdowns in the final 7:01 to help Roosevelt turn a 17-13 lead into a blowout.

Jordan (2-3, 1-1) had produced a rally to overcome a 17-0 deficit, but it wasn’t enough to topple Roosevelt, a team that takes football just as serious in the off-season.

Roosevelt players took part in a training regimen borrowed from Nebraska. It’s safe to say it is working.

“Winning begins from January to June, not September,” Coach Jose Casagran said. “All we did during the off-season is lift and train.”

Despite starting two sophomore defensive tackles, the Roosevelt defense contained elusive running back Dell Hester and forced five turnovers.

“We can’t win with that many turnovers,” Jordan Coach Doi Johnson said.

Hester had 36 yards rushing in his first two carries, but finished with 90 yards in 16 carries.

Jordan played without quarterback Naquan Walker, who sat out with an ankle injury.