Minooka’s Jackson Miranda prepared to dominate on both sides of the line

Jackson Miranda stands out on a football field.

That happens when you are listed on the roster at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds.

Miranda will be a prominent fixture on both offense and defense for Minooka’s football team this fall as it tries to advance to the Class 8A playoffs for the eighth straight season. Most 8A teams try to limit their number of two-way players, but Miranda is a special case. Not only does he have the size to start on the defensive line, but also the agility and hands to be the Indians’ starting tight end.

During last week’s joint practice with neighboring Morris, Miranda made his presence known on offense and defense. The Minooka offensive players wore dark jerseys, and the defense wore white. But when the Indians had their starting defense on the field, there was one dark jersey – the 87 belonging to Miranda.

“Jackson has come a long way for us,” Minooka coach Matt Harding said. “He was a defensive lineman his freshman and sophomore years. Last year was the first time he had played tight end, and he did a great job. He has been a baseball player since he was a kid, and he has great hands and agility for his size.

“He’s almost like a cheat code for us.”

Miranda showed that ability several times when Minooka had the ball. When the Indians needed to pick up 5 to 8 yards in order to keep a drive going, quarterback Zane Caves needed only to throw a quick pass in Miranda’s direction and the necessary yards were gained. He and Caves are two of nine returning starters on offense for a Minooka team that finished 8-3 last season.

“When he gets the ball, he’s dangerous,” Harding said. “He is so big that he’s a mismatch for most high school linebackers, and he is very difficult for a defensive back to bring down on his own.

“He has also gotten more aggressive this year, so that makes it even harder for the other teams to bring him down. He and Zane work really well together, and Zane is very comfortable throwing it in Jackson’s direction.”

Although he started his career on defense and will play on that side of the ball this year, as well, Miranda said he prefers the offensive side.

“When I am playing D-line, the offensive linemen are firing out and hitting me first,” he said. “I prefer to play offense so I can deliver the hit instead of taking it. Even when I have the ball, I try to be the one initiating contact.

“Zane and I have really great communication. He knows where I am going to be, and I know where he is going to put the ball.”

Miranda has begun to attract the attention of college scouts, including such schools as Division II McKendree, NAIA’s Olivet Nazarene and FCS schools Eastern Illinois, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois and Sam Houston State in Texas. His hope is that his play this year will lead to both team success and larger colleges developing an interest.

“We should have a great year,” he said, “especially in our passing game. Zane has a whole year under his belt and really knows the offense. We have good receivers and a good offensive line, and our running game will be good, too, so that should help open up the passing game.

“We feel like we can do well in the [Southwest Prairie West] Conference and make a good playoff run.”