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ECHS newcomers show their skills in Wayne Co. scrimmage
Tucker Perkins
Junior quarterback Tucker Perkins threw for 105 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead Effingham County past Wayne County 24-14 in a scrimmage Aug. 9. (Mark Lastinger for the Effingham Herald.)

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

SPRINGFIELD – Some unknown Effingham County High School football players made it known Aug. 9 that they have potential to make a big impact on the 2024 season.

First-year starting quarterback Tucker Perkins threw for two touchdowns – one to newcomer Trayvis Hunter – and ran for another score.

Junior running back Junior McKenzie, who had just 16 carries a year ago, led the team with 65 rushing yards and placekicker Michael Deien, a soccer goalie making the transition to another type of football, booted a field goal and three extra points.

It added up to a 24-14 win in a scrimmage against Wayne County at Rebel Field and provided optimism that ECHS can overcome the void of graduated quarterback Nate Hayes (the region’s Offensive Player of the Year) and running back/linebacker AJ Butts (the region’s overall Player of the Year).

The Rebels, 7-4 a year ago, will kick off their season Aug. 23 at Houston County. 

“We have some new pieces filling in for guys from last year and we feel good about what they did,” Coach John Ford said. “We have to keep working to improve. I tell the guys, the level of success you reach is going to be what you work for.”

During the last three seasons, ECHS played for the region title in the final week of the regular season. Last season, the Rebels avenged three-point losses to Brunswick in 2021 and 2022 to beat the Pirates 31-28 and claim a championship for the first time since 1995.

John Hicks
ECHS linebacker John Hicks (No. 46) chases Wayne County running back Quez Shaw (No. 1) during the Rebels' scrimmage with the Yellow Jackets on Friday night. ECHS won 24-14. (Mark Lastinger for the Effingham Herald.)
A new group hopes to repeat. ECHS started slowly against Wayne, a squad that went 7-4 last season. But the Rebels made it a rout when the first-teamers scored on four of their final five possessions.

“We didn’t come out too hot but we worked through it,” Perkins said. “I was nervous at first. Everyone is going to be nervous, but it was fun.”

Perkins, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior, completed 10-of-15 passes for 105 yards and ran eight times for 35 yards. Perkins broke several tackles en route to his six-yard TD run to begin the scoring in the second quarter.

He hooked up with Ryan Wells on a perfect fade pass to the back of the end zone for a 12-yard TD in the third quarter. About four minutes later, Perkins made a quick toss to Hunter, who made a quicker burst to the end zone for a 22-yard score.

“Once Tucker settled in, he showed he had a chance to be really, really good,” Ford said.

ECHS’ first-string defense also played well during its seven possessions while holding the Yellow Jackets scoreless. Wayne scored twice in the final 5:24 against the backups.

“We had a good turnout the whole game,” senior strong safety Damion Gordon said. “We didn’t let anything get behind us. The D-line did their job. The linebackers did their job and the D-backs did their job. I feel great. I think we’re going to have a great season.”