Trip to Somerville is chance for Plainfield to get signature win in first season with new coach

Just ask Donald Jones how his first year as head coach of his alma mater is going and he’ll tell you about all the ups and downs. “It’s been a rollercoaster,” he says. “We’ve had our highs, and we’ve had our lows.”

Staring down the final two games of the regular season, the Plainfield Cardinals (3-4) have been an enigma. They’ve either won by four or more scores, or lost by two or fewer.

At times, like a one-score game in the fourth quarter against Woodbridge – which is now 7-0 and ranked No. 2 in the Bellamy and Son Paving Big Central Top Ten – Plainfield has looked as good as anyone in the Big Central. Other times, it’s been a challenge.

“We have a young team, so you kind of expect those highs and lows,” Jones said. “We’ve seen it all; everything that you’d expect in year one as you try to build a culture.”

Many, if not most, of the bright moments have come courtesy of senior quarterback Devin Thomas and junior wide receiver Tymir Huff.

In his first year as the starter, Thomas has thrown for almost 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns. Accounting for almost half of that is the star receiver Huff, who has gone for 100 receiving yards and two scores on three different occasions this season. The duo has been one of the most potent in the Big Central.

Thomas and Huff will look to help the Cardinals reach a high they have yet to reach in Jones’s first season: beat a ranked team. Plainfield will have a golden chance to do so Friday night when they visit No. 7 Somerville (6-1).

You can hear Friday’s game right here on Central Jersey Sports Radio (click here to listen) with kickoff set for 6:30 in Somerville. Pregame is at 6:15 with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe on the call.

Click below to hear Plainfield had coach Donald Jones talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe: