The Wayne High School football team achieved a remarkable comeback, defeating Centerville 63-60 after trailing by 24 points at halftime during a game last Friday. This comeback marks a significant moment in the team’s history, according to Warriors coach Roosevelt Mukes.
“I’ve been a part of a few big comebacks, but nothing quite like that,” Mukes said following the game.
Despite their substantial halftime deficit, the Warriors had a playoff berth already clinched and were looking to earn a share of the Greater Western Ohio Conference title. They required Northmont to defeat Springfield for that possibility; Springfield won the game decisively 41-6. However, the emotional significance of facing Centerville—especially on the Elks’ senior night—motivated Wayne to push through.
“When it’s Wayne-Centerville, you can kind of throw records out the window,” Mukes noted. “There’s a lot of emotion, a lot of grit on their part, they did not want to lose their senior night.”
In the first half, Centerville capitalized on its opportunities, scoring 25 unanswered points in the second quarter, which included three touchdown runs by senior A.J. Taylor and a 28-yard field goal from Ty Rohrer, to lead 38-14 at halftime.
Despite the grim situation, Mukes encouraged his players to focus on individual plays rather than the scoreboard. His message resonated as the Warriors mounted a comeback in the second half. Junior quarterback Kye Graham played a critical role, scoring on runs of 8 and 4 yards to narrow the margin to 10 points.
However, shortly thereafter, Centerville’s Chase Carlson scored on a 75-yard fumble return, extending the Elks’ lead to 17 points. The Warriors countered with an 8-yard touchdown run by Akim Shabazz, but Centerville responded again with a 66-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Alex Keely to junior Josh Walker, pushing their advantage to 52-34.
At this pivotal moment, Graham threw four consecutive touchdown passes to turn the tides in favor of Wayne. His connections included a 37-yard touchdown to Jayden Nalls-Oliver, followed by two passes to Ohio State commit Jamier Brown and a long 69-yard completion to Delante Johnson, which ultimately provided Wayne a 63-52 lead.
Centerville managed to score again with a 23-yard touchdown pass, but Wayne retained possession, running out the clock to earn the victory. Mukes credited his team’s resilience. “They deserve credit for just not panicking and showing that anything’s possible,” he said.
Wayne’s performance was historic, with the team setting a school record for total offense with 658 yards, surpassing the previous record of 656 set in 1964. Graham also set a record with 458 yards passing, while Brown tied the school’s mark with 224 receiving yards.
With a week off, Wayne will prepare for the postseason, facing the winner of the matchup between Hilliard Bradley and Beavercreek in a Region 2 quarterfinal on Friday, November 6, at Heidkamp Stadium. Mukes reminded his team, “We just have to continue to stack good days on top of each other and continue to get better.”
