Neither team had anything one the line, but the Wayne County Yellow Jackets sure put on a show for their home fans as they piled up 560 yards of offense in knocking off the Statesboro Blue Devils 44-14 Friday in Jesup.
The Blue Devils fate was determined last week with a 28-17 loss to South Effingham as their postseason chances were ended.  The Yellow Jackets were on the other side of things as a 28-14 win over Ware County gave them the region tite regardless of what they did against Statesboro.
Any questions of whether or not Wayne County would ease up on the gas and play their bench players was answered early on as they came out firing.  Quarterback Garrett Overholt marched the Yellow Jackets down the field completing passes and capping the scoring with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Ashby Cribb.  That was just the start of a huge night for Overholt who was 24-38 through the air for 394 yards and four touchdown passes.
“We played a very good football team,” said Statesboro head coach Jeff Kaiser “We did some good things early, then kind of fell to pieces in the second half, kind of the way our season has gone.”
The Blue Devils actually answered the Yellow Jackets in the first quarter.  Trailing 7-0 Statesboro scored on their first play of the next drive as Tupac Lanier took off avoiding tackles and went 57 yards for the touchdown.  Wayne County responded with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Overholt to MJ Fuller for a 14-7 lead, Statesboro respond after a couple Davis Wiggins pass completions Lanier tied the game at 14-14 with a 2-yard score.
From there it was all Wayne County as they reeled off 30 unanswered points.  Overholt threw for two touchdowns in the second half and had two receivers go over 100 yards.  Cribb had 168 yards receiving, while Shamar Taylor added 106.
“I am proud of our seniors and what they have done for Statesboro High School,” said Kaiser, “We will meet with them over the next few weeks and make sure they have a plan for their future.  Defeat is a part of it, we don’t accept it, they are all struggling with it but we have to keep on keeping on.”
This wraps up Kaiser’s first season as Statesboro High head coach and he says there are many things he has learned this past year.
“I learned we have some great kids who are suoer human beings, I also learned we are very immature,” said Kaiser, “We as a coaching staff, we as a community, we as a football team we have got to stop making excuses when we don’t get our way.  Our kids are not going to survive doing that.”
Kaiser admits he changed his coaching style a bit this year but is not willing to change his expectations. “We have to keep pushing, we have to change the mentality and we need to get a little tougher, that’s mentally, emotionally and physically,” said Kaiser, “Winners look in the mirror and take the blame, that’s what winners do and that’s what we are aiming for.