On paper, Brookhaven Academy and Wayne Academy looked to be a nearly even matchup based on how the teams finished last season.

The MAIS 5A Cougars went 2-8 under former head coach Reggie Lea while the 4A Jaguars went 6-6 against a more forgiving schedule.

However, the Jaguars from Wayne Academy have seen their roster bolstered recently by some key transfers from Wayne County High School that have improved their team.

OnFriday to open the 2024 MAIS football season for both programs, the Jaguars dressed out twice as many players in Waynesboro as the visiting Cougars from Brookhaven, who had 24 players in uniform.

That depth advantage for Wayne Academy made a difference as BA jumped out to a 7-0 lead but saw the homestanding Jags control the rest of the game to win 34-7. The Cougars (0-1) will host Hartfield Academy next Friday on R.M. “Red” Stuart Field. The Jaguars (1-0) and coach Todd Breeland are off next week.

The game was the debut for new Brookhaven Academy head football coach Ryan Ross and those familiar with Ross from his time as the head coach at Loyd Star earlier in his career know that his split back offense is one that’s about ball control and putting yourself in third-and-short situations.

The first drive of the game was the type of one that Ross and Cougar fans will hope to see replicated plenty of times in 2024.

Starting their first drive at their own 25-yard line after a 30-minute weather delay, the Cougars steadily chugged down field against the Wayne defense.

Facing a 4th-and-1 after the first three plays of the drive, BA senior quarterback Braden Revere drew the Wayne Academy defense offsides with a hard count that picked up the first down.

Revere, Walt Smith, and Trace Garrett alternated carries on the opening possession for Brookhaven and when the Cougars faced a 4th-and-3 in Wayne territory, it was Smith who picked up the first down.

Sophomore Cooper Carr got his first carry of the game and scored from the 4-yard line to cap the drive. In total, BA held the ball for the first nine minutes of the game as they covered the 75-yards to the endzone with 15 straight running plays.

It would take just one play for Wayne Academy to tie the game up as the Jags hit a 61-yard scoring pass on their first snap to make the game a 7-7 affair. The touchdown pass went to Jaylen Jones, a 6-foot-2 senior wide receiver and one of those aforementioned Wayne County transfers.

Ross and his Cougars again went for it on a 4th-and-short on their second drive, but the Wayne defense stuffed the attempt and took over on a short field and quickly scored again to go ahead 14-7 when Jones hauled in a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Will McRee.

WA added a score with two seconds left in the second quarter to go ahead 21-7 at the halftime break.

Wayne had won the opening kickoff and deferred to the second half and their drive to open the third quarter ended with McRee running in for a touchdown via the ground. The final score of the game came when running back Michael Jordan scored for Wayne Academy in the fourth quarter.

Brookhaven Academy had some promising drives ended via fumbles as they put the ball on the ground twice in the second half. The Cougars also threw one interception as they went 1-of-4 passing in the game. The BA defense did generate a turnover of its own when junior Wilson Calcote picked off a pass in the second half.Hartfield Academy, the defending MAIS 6A state champions, beat Heritage Academy 49-7 on Friday to open the season.