His name isn’t at the top of the stat sheet whether on offense or defense. At 5-foot-9 and 172 pounds, considering the size of so many of his teammates, maybe he gets a bit lost in the ruckus. Still, there hasn’t been a critical game that Louisa County has played in where Rayshawn Jackson hasn’t made his mark on the contest. If there is an unsung hero for the Lions, Jackson is it. He plays every down for Louisa, and there’s nobody happier about that than his coach, Mark Fischer.
“For his whole career he’s always seemed to have been overshadowed by somebody,” Fischer said. “He’s always played that second fiddle for us, but he’s great at it. He’s that mysterious right hook that you don’t see coming. He’s that guy that all the sudden — bang — there he goes.”
As far as playing in the shadows goes, Jackson truly is underappreciated by opposing teams when he’s on defense. While he plays outside linebacker, he has the speed and the smarts of a safety which allows him to be one of the most versatile defenders the Lions have, which says a lot considering their 3-5-3 scheme. Against Monticello three weeks ago, defensive coordinator John Meeks used Jackson to attack the backfield and the senior piled up the sacks. In last week’s Region II Division 4 quarterfinal against James Wood, Jackson dropped into coverage and had a pair of critical interceptions that the Lions converted into points.
His diverse nature doesn’t come by chance though. Fischer notes that Jackson is one of the most devoted players on his team when it comes to breaking down game film. In practice he’s one of the most attentive players the Lions have, making him one of the favorites throughout the coaching staff.
“You can’t measure that boy’s heart,” Fischer said. “He’s a heck of a football player, but what no one understands is what a great human being he is. I hope that doesn’t get lost because he might be the coolest kid I’ve ever come across.”
Running with heart is probably the best way to describe Jackson’s style. There’s no question that fellow running back Anthony Hunter’s big play ability inspires fear in the Lions’ opposition. Yet while Jackson doesn’t rack up the 60-yard touchdowns in the same way as his senior classmate, he’s as good in the redzone as any Louisa runner. When he gets a carry, Jackson wears down defenses as he pops off one tackler to the next, grinding out hard yardage. Yet don’t be fooled, when he hits the edge he’s fully capable of taking it all the way in from 25 yards out. On third down out of the backfield, he’s a reliable pass catcher and as Wood saw last week, when Jackson gets the ball in the flat, it takes every single defensive back to bring him down, and that’s never soon enough to stop him from moving the chains.
Now as the Lions stare down Broad Run in the Region II semifinals, seniors like Jackson become more and more valuable. Having played since he was a freshman, he’s seen just about everything. But that experience isn’t something he or his other senior teammates plan to rest on before Friday’s game against one-loss Broad Run, potentially their last in a Louisa uniform and in front of the Lions’ rabid fan base.
“Practices are a little longer, a little harder and more focused right now,” Jackson said. “On Mondays it’s a new team in Louisa.”
On Friday night no one will be surprised if Hunter piles up 160 yards and two touchdowns on less than 20 carries. Few will be shocked if Brandon Ornduff amasses more than 15 tackles or if Chris Colvin forces a pair of fumbles and blocks a punt. And the very same should be true if its Jackson’s quiet play winds up making the winning difference. The Lions don’t care how — or even if — Jackson shows up in the stats. If he’s on the field, that’s usually more than enough for everyone.
