Jesse’s journey
- Updated: June 6, 2025
Jacksonville Christian’s Gannaway parlays multi-sport success into chance to play football, basketball for Sterling College.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
Jesse Gannaway’s high school journey took him from 11-man football to eight-man football, and it will take him all the way to Kansas and a return to 11-man football with a bonus
He’ll also play basketball.
Gannaway, the standout Jacksonville Christian wide receiver who teamed with quarterback Noah Lee to bring home an Alabama Christian Athletics Association title last fall, signed Friday to play for Sterling College.
Sterling is an NAIA school located in Sterling, Kan., about an hour northwest of Wichita. It’s a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association.
Sterling was Gannaway’s first offer, he said.
“They were always going to be one of my options, no matter what,” he said. “Me and my mom and dad sat down and talked about it.
“Sterling was always adamant. They always stayed on me. They were always texting me and calling me.”
Gannaway starred in football, basketball, baseball and track for JCA after stays at Pleasant Valley and Jacksonville.
The 6-foot-2 Gannaway caught 88 passes for 1,657 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior. He averaged 18.6 yards a catch and 165.7 a game. He also had 57 tackles, five interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
He was all-conference as a wide receiver and defensive back.
A averaged 24.6 points and 2.9 assists a game in basketball. He also had 60 steals and 24 blocks and passed 1,000 career points. He was a first-team All-Calhoun County pick and second team all-state.
He also made all-county in baseball.
Getting the chance to play in college after two seasons in 8-man ball “really just says it doesn’t matter what kind of football you play,” Gannaway said. “If you’re good enough, you’re going to get looked at and get recruited.
“People around here think 8-man is an easy sport. It’s really not. It’s harder, in my opinion, because you have to cover more ground.”
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