BENTONVILLE — On three of Bentonville West star Jadon Jackson’s touches Friday night, the Little Rock Central defense was able to limit the junior wide receiver to just two total yards.
Problem was the Philadelphia area native’s five other touches resulted in 217 yards.
Jackson (6-1, 180), who has an Arkansas offer, caught 5 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns and ran 4 times for 49 yards and two more scores in Bentonville West’s 48-14 home win.
“He is just so special and we do as many things as we can to put the ball in his hands in as many ways possible,” noted Wolverines head coach Bryan Pratt, whose team lost 37-14 to Central last season. “It usually works out well for us when we do.”
Two of Jackson’s catches were of the spectacular nature as he got the ball at the top of his leap and over defenders, including one of them one-handed on a 33-yard TD strike.
“If it gets anywhere near me, I feel like I can catch it,” Jackson said. “I’ve been blessed with great hands and athleticism and I just try to attack the ball. I had a couple tonight that I did that and it worked out for us.”
Jackson, who has 9 catches for 313 yards and has scored five touchdowns this season, has offers from Arkansas, Arizona State, Memphis, Missouri and Tulsa as well as interest from Alabama, Notre Dame, Penn State and numerous others.
“I’m very young, just a junior and I’m not really worried at all about recruiting because of that,” said Jackson, who moved to Bentonville in the ninth grade. “I’ll get to all that later. Right now I’m just concentrating on doing my best to help our team win.”
Jackson, who had four catches for 143 yards and a touchdown against Pryor and Wolverines linebacker Hunter Swoboda took in Arkansas’ 28-7 home loss to TCU on Saturday.
“I really like the coaches at Arkansas and I’m very interested in Arkansas,” Jackson said. “But I am open to anybody who recruits me and am not thinking about recruiting.”
Pratt believes Jackson’s list is going to grow.
“He’s already been to see Arkansas and Alabama and Notre Dame is really wanting him to come to a game,” Pratt said. “He keeps having nights like this and they are going to come from everywhere trying to get him.”
Bentonville West (2-0) is off to a fast start in the high school program’s second year of existence after opening with a 49-13 road win at Pryor, Okla., and then routing Little Rock Central to avenge two losses last season.
The Wolverines were 3-7 last season but still qualified for the state playoffs, where they lost to Cabot 62-34.
“It helps when you have been together for awhile as we were as a ninth grade team and the last two years,” Pratt said. “It’s also a big help when you have talented players like Jadon and we have so other great players that are playing well together.”
Bentonville West travels to face Muskogee, Oka., (1-1) on Friday.
The Roughers fell to Midwest City 26-20 in their opener before hammering McAlester 54-0 in week two.
“It’s not going to get any easier for us as we go along, but we have a lot of things that we can clean up and get better at,” Pratt said. “That’s a constant goal, get better every day.”