Central coach Major Wright gears up for 1st year
It’s back to rebuilding for Major Wright – kind of.
The veteran Shelby County coach will be at the helm of the fourth team in his career when the season opens. But the situation he inherits from the retired Lynord Crutchfield at Central is light years removed from his last stop on the carousel.
“You’re always trying to get a new system in, get acclimated to the kids and do a lot of stuff off the field to kind of get a kick-start,” Wright said.
But after four seasons turning around what had been a minefield of a program at Raleigh-Egypt, taking over the Warriors will be a piece of cake.
“In terms of changing the culture I don’t have to worry about that,” Wright said, “Coach Crutchfield left the culture here in a really good state, so I’m just trying to piggyback off that positive momentum. It’s a great mix of kids and you’ve got a little bit of everything here.”
The Warriors stumbled a bit last year, going 5-6 with a Class 6A second round loss to Whitehaven. The team averaged eight wins a season the previous four years. And the Spartans have several elite prospects to help anchor Wright’s first squad.
Defensively, Central will be anchored up front with Memphis commitment Trevis Hopper at defensive tackle, Eric Gregory and Isaac Green at defensive end. He believes Micah Boyland, a 230pound junior, will draw considerable Division I interest this season surrounded by experience.
Green said the bond is forming quickly with Wright and his staff. “Everything he says he’s going to do he’s done. New locker room, new uniforms … every day he doesn’t stop working with us, helping us become better men, not just football players.”
Green said he enjoys playing the role of team leader helping to develop the younger players – and they can’t develop fast enough.
“If they don’t come along, you’ve got to play the whole game yourself,” he said.
The big question for this team could be at quarterback where senior Sylvester Donerson and sophomore David Poree II are competing for the chance to throw to targets like LSU commit Darin Turner. Wright also likes what he’s seen so far from what he hopes will be a deep pool of running backs.
“If we don’t turn over the ball, and don’t go backward on drives, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win,” he said.
After stints at White Station and Briarcrest, Wright took over a RaleighEgypt program that had endured nine losing seasons and forfeited one game because it didn’t have enough players to put on the field.
Four years later, the Pharaohs went 12-0 before losing to perennial power Covington in the Class 3A quarterfinals. And running back Kalyn Grandberry earned Mr. Football honors.
“The most fulfilling part of my time there was having the kids reap the benefits of the work they were willing to commit to doing. And in a setting like Raleigh-Egypt that kind of fulfillment for kids is a little harder to come by.
“But they have seen some concrete evidence now that commitment and hard work pay off. I also had the pleasure of developing some tremendous relationships with those kids. Relationships that will last a lifetime.”
When Wright signed on, Central not only got a football coach – but a basketball scorekeeper as well.
“Everywhere I’ve been my mother has kept the book at basketball games,” he said, “and I imagine it will be no different here.”