Wayne County is taking a different approach to the lack of spring football availability. Rather than constantly monitoring his players, coach Ken Cribb is giving them freedom to hit the reset button and focus on themes like “health, family and faith.”
The players received a workout plan before school was dismissed, but there are no online meetings or video conferences on the schedule. There are no mandatory weight training sessions that to be video and submitted for approval.
“We set a workout and leave it to them,” Cribb said. “I’m more excited that they’ll come back with a new perspective on what family really means.”
In three seasons, Cribb has elevated the Yellow Jackets back into relevancy. Wayne County is a combined 28-6 and has reached the second round of the playoffs each year since his arrival. Last year the team went 8-3 despite losing 37 seniors and having a four-star prospect move away.
This year the team is loaded again and ready to complete against an extremely difficult schedule.
The offensive line got a boost when four-star recruit Weston Franklin returned home after spending his junior season at IMG Academy. Franklin (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) has offers from the likes of LSU, Arizona, Louisville, Michigan and Miami and Georgia Tech. He is being recruited as a guard, but can play anywhere on the line.
The other big recruit on the roster is Trevor Wallace (6-2, 215), who will play wide receiver and safety for Wayne County but is being recruited as a linebacker by NC State and Illinois.
Wayne County also got a boost from the addition of 6-foot-8 wide receiver Daequan Wright, who caught 32 passes as a sophomore at Perry last season. Wright is a versatile athlete; he also played quarterback and running back and starred for the school’s basketball team, where he averaged 13.5 points and 8.4 rebounds.
That means the Yellow Jackets have only one spot on offense without a designated starter – and there are five contenders for that position on the offensive line.
The offense is led by second-year quarterback Trey Pierce, a senior with 4.4 speed and playmaking ability. He’s blessed to have a deep group of running backs led by Kaliz Hadley. “We’ve got five really good running backs,” Cribb said.
Wayne County will operate behind an experienced line that includes Franklin, center Miles Starling, guard Jake Trebil, tackle Camden Williams (6-2, 285) and tight end/H-back Jaden Miller. Terrell Wright moved from corner to wide receiver last year and will play both positions this season.
Returning kicker Presley Cain has good range and gives the Yellow Jackets another offensive threat.
The defense, which has seven returning starters, is led by middle linebacker Gray Davis (5-11, 180) and Sam linebacker Tavoris Wilkins.
Other returnees include defensive backs Desmon Hartzog and Roger Jones, who both played as freshmen in 2019, and linemen Demetrius Everett and Carlas Kincade.
It will beneficial to have all the experience, since Wayne County is part of the new Region 1 alignment that includes old rival Ware County (which beat Wayne County for the Region 2 championship last season), Class AAAAA runner-up Warner Robins, Veterans and Coffee, which dropped down from Class AAAAAA after reaching the quarterfinals the last two years.
“It’s a great challenge,” Cribb said. “The four that make it to the playoffs all have a chance.”
Wayne County’s non-region schedule isn’t easy, either. It includes Statesboro in the Erk Russell Classic, Class AAAAAA semifinalist Richmond Hill, Region 2-AAA champion Pierce County and runner-up Appling County and Class AAA semifinalist Jenkins.
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