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For an athlete, nothing is worse than sitting on the sideline watching your team compete without you.
“Having to sit down and know that you can’t make any difference other than to keep everybody hyped and ready to fight, yeah that was terrible,” said Thayer senior Jayce Haven.
It was reality for Jayce to begin Thayer’s football season. The all-state Bobcat missed five games with a broken collarbone.
“Just the first couple steps back on the field was amazing,” Jayce said. “There’s not a real thing you can compare it to.”
Jayce re-joined a 4-1 Thayer team and promptly helped the Bobcats beat Ava.
“It did take a little bit of adjustment but after that adjustment it was like a wildfire, it really caught and we’ve played really well since,” said Thayer Head Coach Billy Webber.
Thayer has played so well that it has outscored opponents by more than 32 points per game since Jayce’s return.
They’ve done that on their way to winning a sixth straight district title.
“Knowing how much we’ve had to overcome with injuries and the whole COVID thing, this one was just really special. It’s at the top of the list there,” Jayce said about the district championship.
Yet, that district win is just one step toward a bigger goal for these Bobcats.
“You’ve got to respect everyone, fear no one, and got to stay focused,” Webber said.
Now that focus is on the quarterfinals. It’s the same round in which the Bobcats lost to eventual state champion Valle Catholic last season.
“That’s just been eating at us ever since and we’ve been ready to go back out there and do what we’re supposed to,” Jayce said.
As a senior, he knows this is his last shot to do just that.
“I’ve been relishing every moment I’ve had and knowing that I’ve lost half the games, so I’m just trying to get every single one back that I can,” Jayce said.
Tuesday, Jayce was named conference Back of the Year in the South Central Association. He was also named First-Team All-Conference quarterback.
Billy Webber was named SCA Coach of the Year.
Thayer plays at South Callaway on Saturday.
