Don’t let Thomas County Central’s 6-5 record in 2015 fool you: the Yellow Jackets return an impressive wealth of talent this season and could be ready to take a significant step forward.
Central came within seconds of a wire-to-wire upset on the road of ranked Jonesboro in the playoffs last season, a game that is further evidence of the Yellow Jackets’ capabilities.
Head coach Bill Shaver’s team will return seven starters on both sides of the ball, led by 2015 All-Region quarterback Kelias Williams, who rushed for 1,076 yards on just 173 carries during his breakout season. Williams will be aided in the backfield by running back Tyrice Cloud, who had a stellar 2015 in his own right. Cloud carried the ball 171 times for 1,077 yards, statistics that are nearly identical to Williams’. The fact that the Jackets have two rushing weapons as opposed to just one should keep opponents off-balance enough to keep TCCHS dangerous.
“We have a real veteran team,” Shaver reiterated of his team’s strength entering the new campaign. “Williams is a great runner and a great thrower, so that is going to be a definite strength.”
“In our system it’s always very valuable to have a veteran signal caller returning because our offense goes off the quarterback,” the Jackets’ head man continued. “Then we are returning another 1000 yard rusher in Tyrice Cloud, three offensive lineman, and both key wide outs from last year.”
Shaver’s squad posted an average of 313 rushing yards per game in 2015, but the team’s defense simply couldn’t keep opponents out of the end zone often enough for Central to post a better record. Seven returning defensive starters could bode well for improvement in that category, however, as the Yellow Jackets will seek to turn in the type of season that TCC fans have become accustomed to over the years.
“Defensively we have a lot of guys back, but everything is new, so we switched a lot of guys around to fit the new style of defense that our coaches are bringing, but I think that our guys have adjusted well,” Shaver emphasized. “Every time we got on the grass it’s been a good thing for our defense.”
As always, a successful season for Bill Shaver and company will be defined by how the team performs versus Thomasville, Cairo, and defending region champion Bainbridge. But the Yellow Jackets have the potential to be competitive in every game on the team’s 2016 schedule. Expect Central, led by Williams and Cloud, to light up the scoreboard once the new season begins.
Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets
Williams Leads Potent Central Rushing Attack
Written by Jacob Dennis
Photo by Hubby Brooks
