Strawberry Mansion edges Comm. Tech for Public C title

Jamal Jones looks in a mirror and sees a lot more of himself than he used to.

That's what happens when your best friends are burgers and candy bars.

"Look at me. I'm definitely fat," Jones said.

Not really. But he does now carry 200-odd pounds on his 6-4 frame and if a football recruiter happened to stumble into Strawberry Mansion High, which doesn't even offer the sport, he might himself be offering the kid a scholarship. Position to be determined.

Jones prefers basketball, thank you, and wasn't able to play it. That's why he began adding pounds.

Talk about frustration . . .

"I should have done more to stay in shape. Should have worked harder," Jones said. "My legs aren't where they should be. Can't jump like I used to . . . But it was looking like this wasn't going to happen."

Since early January, upon transferring from Imhotep Charter, Jones has been enrolled at Mansion. Although this is his fifth year of high school, he was granted an extra season of eligibility by District 12 honchos, based on family difficulties, and has been back in action since Feb. 2.

Yesterday? Glad you asked.

As Mansion edged visiting Communications Tech, 71-65, in a spirited battle for the Public C regular-season championship that featured all of the annoying and all-too-commonplace negatives (disputes over score, fouls committed, operation of clock, etc.), Jones proved to be an inside force with 12 points, 16 rebounds and two apiece of steals and blocks.

Alas, he fouled out with 5 minutes, 13 seconds remaining, and could only watch, and fret, as the Knights' lead, an 18-pointer just a few minutes beforehand, dwindled all the way to two with 90 seconds left.

"I was cheering for my teammates," Jones said. "I couldn't believe I fouled out. I thought I only had two in the first half."

Jones is behind 1 year because he failed his first crack at ninth grade while enrolled in a cyber charter school. He then popped up at Imhotep, fared well in the classroom and by last year was an important sub for the Panthers' Class AA state championship squad.

But this year, as Jones readily admits, there were behavior issues and he was told the school would not seek an extra year of eligibility until those were resolved. Never happened. In fact, it was suggested that a parting of the ways would benefit both parties.

Jones lives at 19th and Susquehanna, not far from Mansion. The school took him in and the Imhotep folks, at his eligibility hearing, even spoke up on his behalf.

"I want to thank Brother Andre," Jones said, referring to Imhotep's coach and athletic director, Andre Noble. "He backed me even though I went to a good basketball school in his same division.

"Basketball isn't everything. I know that. But I'm really thankful to be back out here playing. A lot of people had my back in that eligibility hearing. I was only in the room about 5 minutes."

As much overall talent as it boasts, Mansion has no true center. That's where Jones comes in. Hey, at least he's a power forward.

"I'm so excited to be back out here playing," he said. "I feel I help this team. I add intensity and rebounding.

"Sometimes teams like to play us zone because we give them matchup problems for man-to-man. Most of the forwards can't stick me. And if I have to stick a much bigger guy, no problem. I can do it."

Guard Devonte' "DJ" Newbill, who recently committed to Marquette, was a Mansion monster, witness his 26 points and 14 rebounds, along with three assists and steals. Khalil Meadows added 11 points and eight boards, and Eric Jefferson, after Jones fouled out, scored six of the game's last eight points (while upping his carom-clutching total to eight).

Shaquille Shannon (22) and Sherman Blanford (18) led CT in scoring. The same two topped their team's rebound list - Blanford with 17, Shannon with 15 - and the latter had six assists, as well.

Jones, now on target to graduate, is hoping to gain college interest as Mansion heads into the playoffs.

"I've learned from my mistakes," he said. "That's for sure. And to take nothing for granted."