Kersey steps down as Royals’ Football Coach
Jay-Jay head football coach Melvin Kersey has stepped down as Jay’s football coach. Kersey has lead the Royals for the past 5 years and had a 19-32 record. Kersey, a JHS alumni, took the job in 2016 when then JHS head coach Kent Smith took the head coachingĀ job at Pace High School.
After his first season as Jay’s head coach, Kersey has lead the Royals to four playoff appearances in a row (The FHSAA didĀ allow all teams to make playoffs in 2020 due to scheduling problems that Covid 19 caused for many schools).
Some of the high points of Kersey’s career as head coach include the following:
*Beating Northview in 2017. This was the first win for the Royals over the Chiefs since the 2004 season.
*Jay making playoffs in 2017 by defeating Freeport, 40-21 in 2017. This was the Royals’ first playoff appearance since the 2007 season when Jay lost to Mayo (Lafayette, 14-13).
*2018-Jay made first back-to-back playoff appearances since the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
*2018-Jay won first playoff game since 2002 by defeating Panama City Bozeman 49-0. (Jay defeated Cottondale at Merle V. North in 2002 for the Region 1A Championship.)
*2019-Jay made third straight playoff appearance for first time in school history.