Players of the Pine Belt: Wayne Academy WR Daxton West

Published: Aug. 5, 2022 at 7:26 PM CDT

WAYNESBORO, Miss. (WDAM) - A state championship appearance from Wayne Academy back in 2020 was enough to convince basketball and track star Daxton West that he might also belong on the football field.

“My tenth-grade year Wayne Academy went to the state championship. You know, I kind of missed out on it,” Wayne Academy wide receiver Daxton West said. “I was like dang, kind of messed up I didn’t get to play.”

The motivation to make it back to the championship game along with the efforts of Head Coach Marcus Davidson was enough to get Daxton West suited up for the Jaguars.

“We might go back my junior year so I got hyped up. I was ready to play,” West said.

“When I came here last year, I had met him at the previous track meet the year before. It’s a state meet and I talked him into playing,” Wayne Academy head coach Marcus Davidson said.

“He does a great job for us on both sides of the ball. He can play receiver. He can play slot. He can play running back. He can play quarterback.”

West, a versatile weapon, uses his background on the basketball court to better his game on the football field.

“It does translate. I like wide receiver more than any other position on offense because of how I can step and try and beat the guy or having to jump up, go get the ball and high point it.”

The wide receiver is one of 14 seniors under Davidson in his second year. The head coach depending on leaders like West to coach up some younger players.

“You want to set a good example for the young ones because they look up to us,” West said. “If they don’t know what to do, you want to go down and pick them up. You don’t want to drag them down. "

The Jaguars enter the 2022 season with not only a big senior class, but a larger than usual roster as well. So as for what Davidson wants to see out of his team as the summer winds down...

“We just want to see continued growth and learning while we’re doing it from a mental standpoint and team unity. It seems that we’ve got that a little bit better this year and they guys are sticking together,” Davidson said.

Wayne Academy opens up its season at home on Aug. 19 against Choctaw.

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