Solomon’s Matt Hamm-Jones gets the final opportunity this season to suit up alongside teammates who have become like family throughout his high school career.
As he enters his senior season at Solomon High School, Hamm-Jones is motivated by the relationships he’s built and the chance to help the Gorillas continue moving forward.
“I’m most excited about it being my senior year and playing with my teammates who I’ve gotten so close to over the past couple years,” Hamm-Jones said.
Determined to make the most of his final campaign, Hamm-Jones spent the offseason improving both his strength and athleticism. He competed in powerlifting, earning a second-place finish at the state meet in the clean, while also dedicating time to agility training after suffering a minor injury during the first round of the playoffs last season.
The combination of powerlifting and mobility work has helped him prepare for the physical demands of the upcoming season.
“Out of season I’ve been doing powerlifting that I ended up getting second in the state for my clean and a lot of agility drills,” Hamm-Jones said. “I really wanted to be more mobile after a minor injury the first round of playoffs last year.”
Hamm-Jones has also focused on becoming a more explosive athlete. His goal has been to improve his acceleration and ability to separate from defenders once he reaches the second level.
“I have been wanting to improve on my fast-twitch muscles so I can speed up fast and try to get through or away from defenders down field,” he said.
That extra work has fueled ambitious individual and team goals heading into the fall. Personally, Hamm-Jones is aiming to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark, a milestone that would reflect the effort he has invested throughout the offseason. More importantly, he wants to help Solomon take another step as a program.
“I want to try and get 1,000 or more rushing yards this season, and I want to at least win six of our games as a team this year,” Hamm-Jones said.
