Way Out Wayne

by Todd R. Marcum

Things don’t change much in Wayne, West Virginia, but there hasn’t been this much excitement in years. The high school football team looks like a genuine state championship contender. That was before the Plymale situation...

Senior Scott Plymale isn't the biggest star of the Pioneer team, but his grit and presence are a key to the Pioneer's success this season. Coming off an injury that ended his junior season, all is going according to plan until a bizarre on-field incident threatens to jeopardize the Red and Black's dream season while it throws his personal life into chaos.

Genuine, funny, and unvarnished, Way Out Wayne is a fictional account of one team and one town’s quest for a football championship while it explores growing up in modern Appalachia.

Way Out Wayne is suitable for most audiences; however, readers should be aware that it features some strong locker room language and underage drinking.

202 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2022

Reviews

[Jim Sargent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way Out Wayne is both an unusual and an interesting fictional novel centered on high school football from a remembered era in small towns of West Virginia. Football, similar to other team sports, engenders a unique camaraderie among players and coaches that outlasts the team’s life. Todd Marcum, the author, who hails from Wayne, has written a tale about a championship football season years ago that was nearly derailed by an unfortunate incident. After taking a hard hit, a dazed Wayne player tackled the opposing team’s student manager, a non-athletic senior who had been substituted into the game to run unopposed for a touchdown.
The story is unusual because rather than penning a single narrative, Marcum melds together the views of characters ranging from students to players to coaches to parents who saw or heard about the seemingly brutal play, and drew every conclusion imaginable. The book is interesting because the author has woven into a colorful fabric the thoughts, comments, and passions of affected individuals so readers can see the magnetic appeal of high school football in communities across America.
In the end, Way Out Wayne is a good read for anyone interested in a football season complete with locker room language that encompasses small town life, teenage growing pains, and the joys and pains of friendships. Having played high school football and baseball in Michigan many years ago, I found the tale pulling me to the championship game, and beyond, even causing me to reflect on my own high school years and the lasting memories.

[Masi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way Out Wayne is a heartfelt and funny coming-of-age sports story that captures small-town life, football dreams, and the chaos of growing up in Appalachia. With grit, humor, and genuine emotion, this novel is perfect for readers who love underdog stories, community spirit, and the messy path from high school to adulthood. Highly recommended for fans of sports fiction with heart.

[Jan Lawhon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wayne football

Decent story, I did not like a lot of the language and the book. It's a shame that 17 and 18 year old kids swear like sailors, and don't think about it. I don't think it should have been in the book. That's just my opinion.

[Tammy Mixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Local author, gave it a shot. Just not my cup of tea. If you want to read about what it was like growing up in WV, this might be the book for you. Very little to the actual storyline, but a lot about everything else.

[Morgan Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story well told. Entertaining and easy to read.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. Does a great job of conveying a sense of what it's like to live in West Virginia. The ending was kind of anticlimatic, but still a good book.