PARKER CITY, Ind.--- Ball State football will have a new player joining their team in the fall.
Located at Monroe Central High School, you will find plenty of senior leaders. One of these leaders is a multi-position player, Luke Jones. Jones is committed to Ball State as a wide receiver but is in the process of playing quarterback for his senior season.
“Made the transition to wide receiver going into my freshman year. Jackson Ullom was our quarterback, and I wouldn’t have had the chance to play,” Jones said. “So, I just wanted to be on the field. So, I took that chance and it worked out for me. I played that for three years and now I'm back at quarterback for my last one.”
No matter what position Jones has played, he has always made an impact on the Golden Bears team.
John Hochstetler is in his eleventh season as the head coach of the Monroe Central Golden Bears. He explained how important Jones is to their offense this season.
“Luke is special,” said Hochstetler. “A lot of times the best football player on the field. That’s why he’s going to have the chance to do some more when he’s done here at the collegiate level.”
Cole Munchel is also a senior who plays tackle and defensive line for Monroe Central. He has played with Jones and has enjoyed his leadership every single game.
“He’s a monumental player,” said Munchel. “If you need something done, you know who will get it done. If something breaks down in the pocket, he can get out of there and get 20 more yards.”
For many high school athletes, deciding where to play college football is a task in and of itself. However, for Luke Jones, the answer is 13 miles down the road in Scheumann Stadium.
“The biggest thing was being able to stay home close to friends and family,” said Jones. “And like I said, I really love the staff there. Every time I visited, it felt like home so it was an easy choice for me.”
And after every single whistle, Jones continues to lead among his peers. He describes how easy it is to assert himself as a leader.
“Stepping into a leadership role, it’s been easy. I’m a vocal person, it’s in my personality to be a leader so it wasn’t that hard of a transition for me.” Monroe Central has two more games left in the regular season. And led by Jones, the Golden Bears look to accomplish something for the first time in school history, compete for a state title.
Contact Zach Greer with comments at zcgreer@bsu.edu
