Jayden Slater, Boys Ranch football, Sr.
On the field: After nearly five full years of winless football, Boys Ranch finally broke into the win column last week by defeating Booker 38-14, ending a 49-game winless streak and giving second-year head coach Aaron Wampler his first career victory. Slater was a huge reason why, as he had a career night catching the ball. He was the biggest offensive weapon for the Roughriders, catching 11 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns in sparking Boys Ranch to a 38-0 lead after three quarters, making breaking the streak a mere formality by the fourth quarter. Slater also played defensive back for the Roughriders, helping them shut down Booker from the outset.
Coach Aaron Wampler: “Any time you put up those numbers it’s impressive. The crazy part about the stats is (Slater) did have a drop on a play which might have gone another 60 and might have resulted in another touchdown and then he had a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown that was called back. He’s capable of even more than that. He’s a big kid so we always knew his potential to go be a big play threat as a receiver. He didn’t have the opportunities to make as many plays last year just because of fundamentals and understanding the offense. He got bigger, got faster and got stronger and you’re starting to see all that.”
Slater: “I feel really good about it and I’m hoping we can start a new image here at Boys Ranch that’s a winning image. I do feel really accomplished about that game and I know the rest of the team does too. I was going into the game focused and ready to catch balls as soon as the game started. I definitely hope they’ll be ready to throw more balls my way.”
About Slater
Favorite band or musician: Bruno Mars
Favorite social media platform: Snapchat
Favorite athlete: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bet you didn’t know: Likes playing with Legos
Parents: John and Peggy Slater