Following one of the best seasons of Winston Academy football in 15 years, the Patriots are getting some postseason recognition.
WA will have three players competing in postseason MAIS All-Star Games this week. Junior offensive and defensive lineman Hayes Caperton played in the Futures Game on Thursday at MRA and athlete Bryson Wright and running back Omar Scott will be competing in the Class 4A-5A-6A All-Star game on Friday night.
For coach Pat Byrd, it’s always special to see his players get a chance to compete against the best in the state and to get some extra exposure in front of college coaches.
“It gives you a chance to play against really good competition and to compete against some good guys in practice for the week,” Byrd said. “There will be college coaches there to see some of these players and it will be a good opportunity for guys to get some exposure.”
After transferring over from Louisville High School as a big part of the Wildcats’ plans, Caperton was set to make an immediate impact as a sophomore last year with the Patriots, but a knee injury ended his season prematurely. This year, he was an absolute force on both lines of scrimmage.
At tackle, Caperton paved the way for a monster year offensively on the ground for the Patriots. On defense, he was a game wrecker and made 47 tackles and 8.0 tackles for loss while taking on constant double teams.
“At noseguard, he’s just such a big presence. He plays a little high, but he’s so athletic for his size, he kind of creates a problem in the middle of the line,” Byrd said. “When he blocks down at offensive tackle, he literally caves the line down. He’s so quick out of his stance.”
While Caperton competes in year two of the Futures Game, his two teammates got a chance to make history and play in the Inaugural game a season ago. That game was a springboard for success this season for Wright and Scott and they were invited back to the All-Star game after coming through with huge seasons to help the Patriots to an 8-5 record and a semifinal appearance in 4A.
The 6’5, 170-pound Wright has been a star on the basketball court, the baseball diamond and the football field for many years. This year was his best season as a Patriot as he hauled in 25 catches for 458 yards and three touchdowns at wide receiver, had 23 tackles and two interceptions on defense and averaged 32.9 yards per punt with a long of 70 yards as a punter.
“Bryson is such a big frame and runs good routes,” Byrd said. “In junior high he played defensive end for us and then as he got older, he was a huge weapon for us at corner. As a punter, he was as good a weapon as anyone I’ve been around when he hits it right.”
Scott was a true gem for the Patriots since his freshman season. He made the journey down from Ackerman and transferred from Choctaw County several years ago and he leaves his mark at WA as one of the greatest running backs in school history with over 4,000 yards over the course of his four-year career.
As a senior, Scott had 243 carries for an incredible 2,244 yards and 29 touchdowns. He even helped out on defense with 14 tackles, 2.0 TFL and 1.0 sack on the season.
“He’s got things that you can’t coach,” Byrd said. “Every time he got the football he had a chance to score. This year, I thought he became a more complete running back. His blocking was better, he caught the football better and some of his better runs were four of five-yard runs. Learning to set blocks up and be patient was something he had to work on and that’s something that he did a great job of doing this year.”
While Caperton’s ball game took place after press time, fans can check out Wright and Scott playing the All-Star game at Jackson Prep on Friday night at 5:30 p.m.
