One of the most feared scorers in the Lancaster-Lebanon League delivered his first goal before he weighed 100 pounds. Being small was never a problem for Andrew Jones. He was a problem for his opponents.
Conestoga Valley boys soccer coach Dave Hartlaub was running the youth program when he first crossed paths with the Buckskins’ standout of the future. Jones was 9 or 10 years old.
“He was half the size he is now,” Hartlaub said, “which is kind of difficult to imagine.”
Jones said he stands at 5-6, 125 pounds today.
“You’re up to 125?” Hartlaub asked him.
CV’s striker has heard all of this before. The senior has walked through every day of his athletic life as the little guy who could not be stopped. He scored 14 goals from the wing last season.
“My whole life I’ve been undersized,” Jones said. “So I’ve learned to use my body more and get lower to the ground, which has helped me a lot.”
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Jones, who most people call Drew, is a marked man for rival defenses. His quickness, foot skills and ability to maneuver through traffic can potentially turn each possession into a must-see moment.
One L-L coach said Jones is the best player in the league. CV defender Caleb Whetzel said trying to stop No. 7 in practice is not his favorite task.
“Some players you want to get close to and make sure they can’t turn,” Whetzel said. “Some you want to give some space because they will turn you. He does both.”
Whetzel usually chooses to give Jones the space. But the back concedes that’s far from a foolproof plan.
“There’s no one way to defend him,” Whetzel said. “You don’t want to be by yourself. You can’t defend him as one person. You’ve got to work with other people.”
CV finished second to Cocalico in Section Two, reached the L-L semifinals and qualified for the District Three Class 4A playoffs last season.
Jones’ presence at either striker or the wing is one reason the Buckskins have a chance to repeat those achievements. Or win Section Two themselves.
Hartlaub said Jones has matured as a leader since making his varsity debut and scoring on a memorable header against Manheim Township as a freshman.
Jones was a Section One second team all-star as a sophomore, when CV tussled with Warwick, Hempfield and Township twice a season. He was a first team pick in Section Two as a junior.
The Lancaster FC member is an all-state candidate and “a major threat,” according to his coach.
“He has a good touch,” Hartlaub said. “He passes the ball really well. But his 1v1 moves and his ability to elude defenders is something, as much as coaches want to teach it, that’s innate.”
Part of the beauty of soccer is it rewards skill and guile as much as size and strength. That’s how Jones has managed to overcome the big, physical center backs who try to stop him.
If the senior gets a free kick within 30 yards, he can provide some magic.
“Some people, you think there’s a very small chance it goes in,” Whetzel said. “With Drew, you think there’s a pretty good chance it goes in. It’s always fun to watch those shots.”
Jones started playing at the rec level at age 5. What was a fun activity became a passion as his childhood progressed. He started playing club and became one of the top players by middle school.
The pitch fit CV’s striker perfectly.
“It’s my quiet place,” Jones said. “When I’m on the field, everything turns off. There’s no stress on me. It’s a place where I can just play and be free.”
CV’s little guy will loom large in the L-L during the coming weeks.
“I hope his senior year is his best year,” Hartlaub said. “That would be tremendous for us.”
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