Jaxon
Craven
John RaffelEVART – Many players contributed in unique ways to Evart’s championship success in football this season and among those performers on defense was sophomore Jaxon Craven.
He was moved up from the JVs this year after the first game.
“I was really excited,” he recalled. “I felt I had a really good opportunity to seize the moment, being on varsity my sophomore year.”
The biggest adjustment, Craven recalled, “was staying low and making sure I’m taking knees.”
Craven was frequently among the top tacklers for a team that finished 10-2 and was district champs for the first time in school football history.
“Jaxon has had a tremendous season at linebacker,” Craven’s dad and coach Pat Craven said prior to the regional title game at Iron Mountain. “ He is a very cerebral player who has tremendous anticipation skills and is always around the ball. He has 89 tackles on the season along with one sack and two fumble recoveries.”
As an inside linebacker, “the key is to follow my assignments, do my reads, and stay low,” Craven said. “Reading and wrapping are probably my best things along with getting low. I really liked it when we got a fumble recovery (against East Jordan in the regionals finals).”
Owen Craven, his younger brother, played wide receiver during the postseason. The win over Lake City during the regular season may have been the team’s best performances, Craven said.
He wrestles during the winter and plays baseball in the spring but lists football as his favorite sport.
THE JAXON CRAVEN FILE
Favorite athlete: Bo Jackson
Favorite food: Chicken noodle soup
Favorite subject in school: Math
Favorite movie: Star Wars
Favorite singer: Stevie Wonder
Favorite activity outside of sports: Watch YouTube.
