Last season

Record: 5-6, 1-3 in Four Rivers 3A/4A conference (fourth)
Playoffs: Lost in 4A first round to Red Springs

2026 preview

Last year, Jordan-Matthews took flight and caught a whiff of the air from its old days.

After starting 2025 on a four-game win streak, the Jets ended the season with their most victories and their first playoff appearance since 2013. It was a sign of better days ahead for a program and a community that has longed for a return to success. Now that the future is now, the Jets are looking to do what they used to do prior to the last decade — sustain, or even exceed, the momentum.

“There’s a lot to build on,” Jordan-Matthews coach Kermit Carter said. “We’ve got a lot of guys coming back. We’ve got some young kids coming to the fold, and we’re just trying to just get better every day and try to win a few more games this year.”

A significant factor for Jordan-Matthews’ desired success will be its depth and how many players it can rely on.

“Our numbers are not up, but our quality at depth is better,” Carter said. “We might’ve had one through five that’s ok, now we might be one through 10 or 11.”

Last year, Jordan-Matthews put many freshmen and sophomores in starting roles, allowing them to gain valuable varsity experience. In team sessions this offseason, that group, especially the rising sophomores, has impressed the coaching staff with its work ethic and its ability to make plays.

“They really want to be good,” Carter said. “They push each other. They’re coachable (and) play hard. They like to compete. They don’t like to lose.”

From the skill positions, the Jets are hoping for a big season from rising sophomore wide receiver and defensive back Jayden Fisher, who has the ball skills to grab just about any pass thrown in his vicinity. Rising sophomore CJ Crutchfield, a shifty receiver and defensive back, will look to add more speed to the offense. JJ Alston, another rising sophomore, will be another key target alongside rising senior Namir Wiley in the receiving corps, and he’ll be expected to strengthen the linebacker room next to senior Omar Sanford.

Rising junior Kamorie Foxx and rising sophomore Brycen White, who were both linemen last year, will take the reins at running back after the graduation of Jakari Blue. Carter expects White to be one of the team’s most vocal leaders this season.

“Them two guys are tough,” Carter said. “They played offensive guard last year not because they wanted to, but just kind of out of necessity. Kamorie, his freshman year, ran the ball. And so, we needed a guard, and he stepped in. He’s like he wants to play, and that’s what we had open. He did it to the best of his ability. And so now, he’s got the opportunity to carry the ball and maybe play some linebacker. Same thing with Brycen. Brycen wasn’t crazy about it, but (with) the style of offense we’re going to run, those two guys, it’s perfect for them.”

Yet, the skill group holds the biggest question mark for the Jets.

With the graduation of Kamarie Hadley, who played quarterback for the first time last year, Jordan-Matthews will turn to rising junior defensive back Lennox Mordecai to lead the offense. Mordecai hasn’t played quarterback in high school, but he’s working to provide a passing element to the Jets’ run-heavy scheme.

“I just give Lennox props,” Carter said. “We needed somebody to do it, and I asked him, and he said, ‘Coach, I haven’t (done) it in a long time, but I’ll give it a try.’ That’s what I expected him to say. Lennox is a team guy. He’ll do whatever for the team.”

However, there is another interesting option with incoming freshman Khalil Sherrod, who Carter describes as a “natural thrower of the ball.” He wowed some of the coaching staff with solid reads and accurate throws down the field in a July 7v7 session, yet the likelihood of him seeing varsity action is in question.

In the trenches, the Jets are hoping a solid offseason of work translates to Friday nights. On the defensive line, Carter is hoping rising seniors Urijah McSwain and Devin Miller and rising junior Jose Patino can have a productive season, especially with the loss Deantaye Smith, the Jets’ best rusher in 2025, due to graduation.

Rising juniors Quoren Headen and Preston Smith are expected to be key contributors to the offensive line.

“The big guys were the ones a lot the time showing up because they didn’t play winter sports,” Carter said. “Coach (Marcus McSwain) did a good job of getting them in the weight room.”

Jordan-Matthews will play a similar schedule to its 2025 campaign. The Jets feel like they’re on the climb, and this season is a chance to show they can keep ascending.

Schedule
*conference game

Aug. 21 — vs. Carrboro
Aug. 28 — vs. Chatham Central
Sept. 4 — at North Stokes
Sept. 11 — vs. Wheatmore
Sept. 18 — at Providence Grove
Sept. 25 — at East Chapel Hill
Oct. 2 — vs. North Moore*
Oct. 9 — vs. Northwood*
Oct. 16 — at Southwestern Randolph*
Oct. 23 — BYE
Oct. 30 — at Eastern Randolph*