Preston Jones would probably attest to the power of positive thinking, based on something he did the night of Oct. 20 against Ruskin in varsity 11-man football.

With the score tied, the Excelsior Springs senior booted a field goal with 55 seconds left in the Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference-Blue Division meeting to help Excelsior Springs claim a 25-22 road win. The victory put Jones and his teammates at 1-8 entering district play.

“The only thing going through my head was that I was going to make it,” he said. “And after seeing it on the tee, I knew the ball was going through (the uprights).”

The field goal wasn’t the only time Excelsior Springs called on Jones to score against the Eagles. After Jason Starchman’s 7-yard run, he booted an extra-point kick to help give Excelsior Springs a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

There were ties and lead changes in the second half before the game-winning field goal. Ruskin (2-7) used an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown and a point after to make it 7…