At 6 foot 4 inches and 230 pounds, senior Alijah Wayne has found himself on the football field and has had a great four-year career experience at Central.
Wayne has played several positions including wide receiver, tight end and defensive end. He is currently positioned at wide receiver and prepares by staying healthy and hydrated.
Wayne has been playing football since eighth grade, but really stepped up his junior year of high school. Sophomore year was a bit challenging for him, however, that “unique summer” was when he really found his football identity. He came through with his first interception of the year.
Junior year was a big year for Wayne, getting five sacks. The Central vs. Prep game in 2023 was a big game for him, and he played well defensively.
This year Wayne beams with confidence looking into his biggest season yet.
“I mean senior year, it doesn’t really feel real that it’s here, everything happened so fast,” Wayne said. “Seems like freshman year was yesterday.”
Wayne has had two head coaches throughout high school. Jay Landstrom was his coach his freshman and sophomore year, and Terrence Mackey is now the current head coach, moving on to his year two with the program.
Landstrom said Wayne has improved immensely, he has gotten bigger and stronger, he’s smart, a great leader and a good teammate. Not only is he someone you want on your team, he cares about the team.
He has paid the price. He always works hard and puts in the time, and Landstrom thinks he will have a big senior year. “[I will] definitely miss coaching him, it was a great opportunity for me to be able to work with a kid like him,” he said.
Mackey said Wayne has matured and gotten stronger. He trains four times a week, on top of what he does at school. He is a big leader on the team. But all the seniors have really stepped up and taken charge, including Wayne, he said.
Looking forward into this year, Mackey expects to see leadership and development and him continuing to mature to an outstanding young man.
“Wayne does well, he is always ready to come in, and always willing to put in the work,” Mackey said.
