Kansas City has always been home for the 2014 Park Hill and 2022 Park University graduate Jakib Jones who is staying in the city at the next level after being drafted to the Kansas City Comets with the 37th overall pick in the 2022 Major Arena Soccer League Draft.
Spending five rememberable years at Park University after four prolific years at Park Hill, Jones will bring experience and talent to the Comets. Being born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jones chose Park University over Avila University to continue his athletic and academic career – where he studied business administration – due to the Pirates’ soccer program and location being closer to home.
The forward is coming off an impressive senior campaign for the Pirates where he led the team with seven goals, while earning a spot right at the top-5 in career goals with the team with 34. Jones had eight assists throughout his career, five of which happened this past season and was also a career high.
Jones had an interesting path in his post-high school soccer career, starting in 2014. In his freshman year, he played in 10 games – starting two of them – and made three goals on just as many attempts.
Jakib Jones, who has ties to Platte County being a 2014 Park Hill and 2022 Park University graduate, will continue his soccer career after being selected with the 37th overall pick in the 2022 Major Arena Soccer League Draft to the Kansas City Comets.
After his freshmen year at Park University, Jones left for five years while he worked at a car repair shop. He eventually returned in 2019 and was able to play up until last season with an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19.
In 2019 and 2022, Jones earned All-Conference honors in both the American Midwest Conference and the Heart of America Athletic Conference for the Pirates as they were 16-13-3 in those two seasons. He was a selection to the 2019 All-American Midwest Conference and 2022 Third Team Heart All-Conference teams.
Before his college days, Jones played for coach Josh Marchbank at Park Hill, which had a winning record all four years. The Trojans won a district title in 2010 and 2011, with a 71-29-1 record in that time frame.
Jones was selected by the Comets in the third round in the draft that took place on Dec. 20. The Comets also picked John Klein from St. Louis University and Arne Neufang from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
So far this season, the Comets have a 3-3 record with plenty of games left that Jones will have a chance to contribute in. Kansas City’s next contest will be against the Monterrey Flash at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, MO, on Dec. 29.