E&H Football Dominates an Unusual Season & Looks Ahead

The+football+team+celebrates+after+an+impressive+season.

Steve Reedy

The football team celebrates after an impressive season.

Guest Contributor, Quatez Walker

Despite competing in an unusual football setting this spring, playing only four games including the chance to compete for the first ever Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC title), Emory and Henry’s football team found success this season.

Jaylyn Kreimes, a defensive starter, talked about being on the field after the long wait due to pandemic related concerns. “As far as playing with the team again, it felt great. It was a little different because we were playing in the spring, but nevertheless it felt good.”

E&H opened the spring season on the road at rival Ferrum College. The Wasps defeated the Panthers 17 – 0. The offense continued their dominance, scoring 94 points over the next two games. Throughout the season the Wasps offensively averaged over 433 yards per game and over 30 points per game. Defensively, the Wasps did their part and held teams to an average of eight points per game and only allowed a little over 200 yards per game.

Offseason also looked different for the Wasps this year. E&H football made the addition of a new lifting coach and increased the level of training and expectations.

Deonte Geddis, another defensive returner, talked about the pressures of playing for the ODAC title this season. “Knowing that we could compete for a championship pushed us even more. We just treated every game like a playoff game, if we lose one then we are out. The energy at practice was more over the top than usual because we all knew what we were capable of as a team. We treated the championship game like any other game.”

Following the ODAC title game, the Wasps will expect a decision from the NCAA pending division alignment with the move up to Division II and a switch to the South Atlantic Conference (SAC). If approved, the Wasps could start their first provisional/ trial season Aug. 2021. The Emory & Henry Wasps would not become full members of the SAC until Aug. 2024 if accepted.