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An early morning car crash claimed the life of a standout Southern Guilford High School football player Saturday.

Cameron Scott "Scotty" Wayne was killed on Interstate 85 in Davidson County after the car he was riding in left the road and struck several trees.

Wayne's teammate and best friend, Darren Garcia, was injured in the crash. Garcia was in fair condition Saturday night at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

The driver of the car, Deandre Thomas, and another passenger, George Kevin Washington, were also taken to Wake Forest.

Washington was listed in critical condition and Thomas was listed in good condition Saturday night.

Southern Guilford football coach Darryl Brown said Saturday that Wayne's death "will affect the entire Southern Guilford family."

"He was the best player I ever coached," Brown said about the running back for the Storm. "There was nothing he couldn't do on the football field."

A 17-year-old senior, Wayne had committed over the summer to play football for East Carolina University, Brown said. While Wayne certainly will be missed on the field, he also will be missed in the school halls, his coach said.

"He carried good grades, and he was well-liked by his peers and his teachers.

"He could talk and relate to everybody."

Brown said Garcia, also a senior and Southern Guilford's quarterback, "is going to be OK; he's just in a lot of pain.

"My heart goes out to him, because he and Scotty were like brothers. You never saw one without the other."

According to the Highway Patrol, the car driven by Thomas was traveling on Interstate 85 three miles north of Lexington at 8:33 a.m. Saturday when it left the road.

The report indicates that Thomas fell asleep while driving. Wayne was not wearing a seatbelt. He was rushed to Lexington Memorial Hospital, where he died.

Brown said he and the assistant coaches at Southern Guilford plan to meet with the rest of the team this afternoon to talk to them before they go to school Monday.

"This is a time when we're going to need to stick together," he said.

Contact Tiffany S. Jones at 449-4731 or tiffany.jones@news-record.com