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SPORTS
Wayne looks to tighten grip on Class AA
WAYNE -- After beating James Monroe handily in Lindside, W.Va., last week, the Wayne Pioneers have another tall task awaiting them this week as they get ready to take on Herbert Hoover.
Not only do they have to beat the Huskies on the field, they have to avoid beating themselves by having an emotional letdown.
"I hope our team is mature enough to understand it is about getting better and winning in the process," Wayne coach Tom Harmon said. "If we let our eyes wonder past Friday, we could certainly get nipped."
The situation is eerily similar to last season when the Pioneers opened with convincing wins over Mount View and Chesapeake before taking on a winless Herbert Hoover team.
Despite Wayne being expected to roll in the contest, the game -- played on a Thursday at Laidley Field due to the bleacher issues last season -- was nip and tuck the entire way with the Pioneers pulling out a 20-13 victory after Scottie Fry grabbed a last-minute interception in Wayne territory.
This season, Herbert Hoover (0-2) once again comes into the matchup seeking their first win after lopsided losses to Ravenswood and Chapmanville, but Harmon said his team will have to remain focused throughout the entire contest.
"It's a very similar situation to the one we had last year with them and the game came down to the last play," Harmon said. "Their kids play for the entirety of the play and they play with the same intensity until the final whistle."
Last season, Jason Thompson had a breakout game against the Huskies as he filled in for injured starter Justin Gilkerson, and this year Thompson returns but it has been fullback Corey Damron stealing the headlines.
Damron has 346 yards rushing and five touchdowns in two games. While those numbers jump out at you, almost silently, Thompson has averaged more than 100 yards per contest in the first two games and has a pair of touchdowns of his own.
It is all part of a rushing attack that amassed 831 yards on the ground in the first two weeks of the season.
"We are fortunate to have a lot of guys that care about the team doing well," Harmon said. "One week, someone might get their name in the paper and the next week, it might be someone else. None of it works if you aren't getting a push up front."
Wayne (2-0) used 12 rushers to gain 419 yards last week against James Monroe, just one week after using 13 different running backs to gain 412 yards in a victory over Chesapeake.
The key is an offensive line that to this point has pushed around the opposition to the tune of 8.8 yards per rush.
"It takes a lot of different factors to put together an offensive play and (the offensive line) has certainly been holding up their end of the bargain so far," Harmon said. "A lot of our guys are in competitive struggles to contribute. Their performance has shown that."
