Danny Who? One of 12 national finalists, that's who

Bet you didn't know Danny Jones of Goddard High until this month. At a school assembly on Nov. 13 in Goddard, Jones, Goddard High's male nominee for the Wendy's High School Heisman award, was introduced as one of the state of Kansas' finalists. The assembly, which had the flavor of a football pep rally with the school band, cheerleaders and students in attendance providing Friday night-like hoopla, was cast by administrators as an event to honor Jones as a state finalist. But Wendy's Vice President of Marketing, Jim Cook, who presided over the assembly, had something extra to say after Jones was introduced to a full gymnasium. Jones, Cook revealed, had been selected as one of 12 national finalists for the Wendy's High School Heisman award. Goddard's gymnasium erupted with applause upon hearing the news, and students broke out with chants of "Danny! Danny!" for a good 20 seconds. Jones, a tennis player at Goddard who was south central Kansas' top placer in singles at the Class 6A state tournament last spring, clinched his fists and gave a little jump when Cook made the announcement. It was the realization of Jones' hunch going into his most unusual day of school. He was a finalist for an award from among 34,000 applicants nationwide. "Last night they told me to make sure that my parents would be available to attend today's assembly," Jones said afterward, as television cameras gathered around him after the assembly adjourned. "So I figured something was up - more than they had told me." Jones' story is an unlikely one. Readers don't know his name like they know those of recent local prep greats like Logan Watkins, Bailey Gee, Jordan Cyphers or the Brown brothers. But now he is a south central Kansas athlete receiving more national exposure than any other. After speaking with school counsellors in early October about the Wendy's Heisman program, Jones applied for the school nomination online. Two weeks later on October 22, he found out he had been chosen as Goddard High's nominee. (Every school in the state nominates a male and female for the awards process.) On November 7, he was announced as a state finalist. Now, he's headed for New York City, where he will participate in the Heisman weekend activities December 12-14. Two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin will present Jones with a gold medal at the December 14 Heisman ceremony, and the national winners will be announced to the nation that weekend, broadcast on ESPN2. On the Monday following the pep rally in honor of Jones, he was already national television subject material, as he was shadowed by an ESPN camera crew during the school day. Whew. "This is the greatest acheivement of my high school career," Jones said at the end of the Nov. 13 assembly, bright red with excitement. As Jones is honored on the national stage over Heisman weekend, the prep basketball season also will be under way. Starting on page 34 of this month's issue, we preview all area basketball teams from Class 6A through 3A. Good luck, hoopsters, and congraulations again to Danny Jones.