The Wayne County Yellow Jackets have experienced some extreme highs and lows in their history, including an undefeated season in 1926, two state championships, and one season with no victories at all. The latter came in 2021, just three years removed from a perfect regular season and a second-round playoff appearance. Now, with Jaybo Shaw beginning his second season as the Wayne County head coach, the Yellow Jackets have turned things around again, having racked up 10 victories in 2022.
Shaw’s predecessor, Ken Cribb, brought hope to an eager fanbase in his first season, leading the 2017 Wayne County team to nine wins, which was three times the Jackets’ win total in each of the two previous seasons. Wayne went undefeated in the 2018 regular season, but the success then began to taper.
The COVID-hindered 2020 season marked a return to just three wins, and that was followed by the winless 2021 campaign. A sunny outlook for the Yellow Jackets had suddenly morphed into the worst single-season performance in the program’s 100-year history. That offseason, Cribb was let go and Shaw was hired at Wayne County.
Shaw had spent his first three seasons coaching at Rabun County in northeast Georgia. With future UGA quarterback Gunner Stockton under center, he led the Wildcats to three straight quarterfinals appearances and 35-5 record. He maintained the standard of excellence set by his predecessor, Lee Shaw, and developed talent recognized nationally. Wayne County acknowledged these achievements and selected him to lift their program from the depths of despair.
It didn’t take long for the Yellow Jackets to announce their return to championship contention. After falling to Brooks County in a sloppy performance, Wayne County bounced back, shutting out Class 2A’s third-best team, Appling County. That was followed by victories over Statesboro, Jenkins, Islands, and New Hampstead. A region loss to eventual champion Benedictine was quickly overwritten by an upset of sixth-ranked Burke County.
It was in the second round of the 2022 playoffs, though, when the Yellow Jackets truly put the state on notice. Facing a Perry offense that had averaged more than 41 points per game, the stellar Wayne County defense held explosive quarterback Armar Gordon, Jr. to just 98 passing yards while intercepting him twice. The Yellow Jackets won 14-7 before falling to North Oconee the following weekend.
It was a feat worthy of recognition: Wayne County had gone from 0 wins to 10 wins in just one season. The overlooked defensive excellence of Jaybo Shaw at Rabun County was on full display in Jesup. However, it was the contributions of one Matthew Fuller that propelled the Yellow Jackets to their stunning 2022 campaign. He rushed for nearly 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns and led the team in tackles and sacks on the defensive side.
Fuller, along with quarterback Andy Peel and a deep, yet productive linebacker group, all return for the 2023 season as juniors and seniors. An already suffocating defense has had an offseason to work toward becoming the classification’s best, and the Fuller-led offense is on pace to set school records.
For a fanbase yearning for consistency, Jaybo Shaw and Wayne County are ready to establish the Yellow Jackets as Class 4A’s formidable power.
