KEY WEST

Going into the 2009 football season, Key West High quarterback Stephen Jones had just one year of varsity under his belt and a lot of expectations.

By the time the season ended, the Conchs' senior owned nearly every school single-season and career passing record and helped lead Key West to its first winning season in five years.

For his efforts, Jones is this year's Citizen Monroe County Player of the Year.

"I didn't know how close I was to breaking the records," Jones said of his mind-set entering the season. "I knew that I was going to have a good season, running and passing, but I didn't think I would break these records. I just went out and played my game."

In doing so, Jones passed several school milestones. His 1,284 passing yards are the most ever in a single season, and midway through the year, he also topped the school's career passing mark of 1,838 yards that had stood for 36 years. He finished with 11 touchdown passes against seven interceptions, while completing 56 percent of his throws, and also rushed for 520 yards and seven touchdowns on 95 carries.

Conchs coach Jerry Hughes said he got a feeling of what was in store during the summer. Following spring workouts, Jones attended the Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State University in Louisiana, where he got a chance to learn from Super Bowl winners Peyton and Eli Manning, as well as some of the top college players in the sport.

Hughes said he was impressed with Jones' performance at the camp, which set the tone for his final campaign with the Conchs.

"He showed some leadership and he played with the best of them," the coach said. "There were guys there a lot bigger who threw some nice balls, but Stephen was right there with them. That showed me that he was very much interested in improving upon his skills and making himself better for his senior year."

Jones said there was one play in particular that stood out for him this season. In a late-season game against Miami Edison, which the Conchs needed to win to remain in the playoff picture, Jones got a chance to show what he could do with his legs. With Key West holding on to a 10-0 second-quarter lead, the 6-foot, 175-pounder found a seam and burst down the Red Raiders' sideline for a 65-yard touchdown with just two minutes remaining in the half. Jones beat the Edison safety, who had an angle, on the play and Key West went on to win, 31-10.

"When I got back to the sideline, everybody was surprised because they thought I was gonna get caught," Jones said. "That made me feel good, that I had out-ran their safety."

Jones may have had extra motivation against the Red Raiders, who topped Key West twice last year, including in a post-season district tie-breaker that kept the Conchs out of the playoffs.

"We were definitely more motivated to play them this year," he said.

He also put together highlight runs and passes against South Dade and Ferguson, a pair of 6A schools on the Conchs' schedule. He accounted for 142 all-purpose yards and three scores in the season finale against playoff-bound South Dade, a 48-23 win that ended the Conchs' season at 6-3, their best record since 2004.

"He's got spurts in all games that show his potential," Hughes said. "I just think he kept getting progressively better, and it all came together in that last game and he put on a great performance."

Jones said he was a lot more sure of himself this past season, his second running the Conchs' offense.

"I knew everything about this offense," he said. "I learned a lot of techniques at the Peyton Manning camp, so coming into the season I felt a lot more comfortable both in the pocket and out of the pocket, just knowing where everybody was going to be pretty much at all times."

Jones next task: Finding a college.

Hughes said he has sent out film to about 15 schools that he feels run the type of spread offense in which Jones could excel. Those schools include Division I FBS programs Tulsa, Bowling Green and Toledo, as well as FCS power Eastern Kentucky, among others. Jones said he has already received an offer from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa, one of the top junior college programs in the country, but he is going to keep that as a backup.

Hughes met with Duke coach David Cutcliffe last month after the Blue Devils' season finale against Wake Forest, and said Cutcliffe was impressed by what he saw from the Key West signal-caller, even comparing him to Wake senior Riley Skinner, who had just torched Duke for 372 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-34 win.

"When I showed him the film of Stephen, Coach Cutcliffe said, 'This is the guy who just beat our tails,'" Hughes said. "When he said that, I told him there couldn't be a better indication of what Stephen can do. Stephen just needs to be in the right offense."

In the meantime, Jones has kept busy by staying in the weight room. He said he works out each day after school, oftentimes by himself if there's no one else around to lift with.

"I put college in my mind when I'm working out," Jones said. "No matter what's going on, I put working out above everything else. Anything else I need to do, I can do after."

He said when he looks back at his Key West career, his only regret will be that it ended too soon.

"I wish I would've played more years, and stepped up earlier and really committed to it," Jones said. "But the two years that I did commit, in my mind they were a successful two years. It's not even just the records, but I'm glad I got a chance to play with my friends that I grew up with and play under Coach Hughes. Basically, Key West football turned my life around. That's what I'll think of when I look back on it in the future."

wjacobson@keysnews.com