An average day for Jones County Junior College freshman Michael Godley starts around 6 a.m. and ends around 9:30 p.m.
“Every day is a long day,” Godley said. “It’s a sacrifice, but it is also a love. I really love what I am doing. It’s hard to get started some days and the nights run long, but I wouldn’t trade a thing. It has been a wonderful experience so far.”
Godley played football and soccer at Starkville High School. He is continuing that trend at JCJC. While it appears almost impossible to play two sports in-season at the same time, Godley has found a way to get it done. He isn’t alone, either. Former Tupelo High School product Zach Ellis also plays both sports at Itawamba Community College.
“This has been the biggest challenge I have ever undergone,” Godley said. “Football pays the bills. Soccer is my play time. I really enjoy kicking (for football). I really enjoy soccer, too. It is great being out there with all of those guys. That is my release from football and school in general.”
While at Starkville High, football season took place in the fall and soccer season took place in the winter. While both sports required conditioning and practice, the time demands could be staggered. The same doesn’t hold true in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC), where each sport will hit the stretch run at the same time.
“Each morning starts with football at 6 a.m.,” Godley said. “Each night ends with soccer conditioning which goes to about 9:30 p.m. For football practice (Monday), I was out there for three-and-a-half hours. There is no time for socialization or school work. My weekends are spent making sure all of the school work is caught up.
“You knew when the sports were played and how big a challenge this would be. It has worked out well because I always like to stay busy and stay on the go. If nothing else, I don’t have free time to fill. Fortunately, the coaches work with me and I stay on top of my school work, so it eventually all works out.”
Both JCJC teams are looking to make a run at South Division championships. In football, Jones, which was ranked nationally in the preseason, is 2-2 and 2-0 in division. Jones lost to Northwest Mississippi C.C. (42-21) and to Itawamba C.C, (21-20) before defeating Southwest Mississippi C.C. (27-14) and Pearl River C.C. (34-6) to open division play.
“There are no weak teams in the league, especially in the South Division,” Godley said. “(Copiah-Lincoln C.C.) beats East Mississippi (C.C.) but has to go into overtime to beat Southwest. We were within one point of beating Itawamba. Itawamba throws an interception at the end of a loss to Northwest.
“We are really right in the fight for the playoffs. It will be come down to who is better coached and who plays better in the big games. Pearl River and Gulf Coast are our two biggest rivals, so we are trying to finish a sweep of those two. If we can win this week, we will be in better shape. Still though have Hinds (C.C.) and Co-Lin upcoming, so it’s never easy.”
JCJC will play Thursday at Mississippi Gulf Coast. JCJC also will play host to EMCC on Oct. 1.
“The biggest thing that stands out to me is how many good players are in the league,” Godley said. “I went to the Starkville-West Point game and you see the Division I players such as A.J. Brown, Lorenzo Dantzler, and Kobe Jones. You also see a bunch of players for both teams that are going to play junior college ball. They are the ones that help make this league really great.”
Godley is 6 of 8 on field goals and 8 of 10 on extra points. His longest field goal of the season is a 46-yarder.
Godley is a defender on the soccer team. JCJC (4-4, 3-2 in division) also is fighting Gulf Coast and Pearl River for a division title in soccer.
“We have a lot of young players on the soccer team, but we are getting better with each match,” Godley said. “We lost a couple of close matches to Gulf Coast and Pearl River the first time around. We will have to play better and get by those teams the second time around to have a chance at the playoffs.
“It is really a close team, and I enjoy being out there battling with those guys. Football is always a little different when you are the kicker. You are not as actively involved as some of the other players. However, soccer is my chance to bond a little more. I really appreciate those guys taking me in and letting me be a part of something special like that.”
Godley’s challenge extends past the two playing surfaces. In the classroom, he is majoring in biomedical engineering. This semester, his 21-hour class schedule includes biology, chemistry, calculus, psychology, and western civilization.
“I am hanging in there pretty well,” Godley said. “I have a 4.0 (GPA) and it is really important to me to keep that up. When you play college athletics, you have to be highly motivated. You have to be motivated on the field and in the classroom. Fortunately, I have always embraced challenges. It is hard to get it all done. At the same time, it is very rewarding.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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