2021 Season Preview: Aynor Blue Jackets

Ian Guerin July 28, 2021 @ 10:18 AM

Aynor’s Hammer offense is a new-age twist on an old-school formula. Mixing in a shotgun formation into double-wing set was no easy task. And, at times, it’s a bear for the players who are asked to run it to perfection. “It’s a grind for the running back,” fourth-year head coach Jason Allen said. “To run it 15 times a game isn’t unheard of. But to do it 20-30 times a game with 20 dudes around you is tough.” It’s why Allen spreads the wealth in his own way. Last year, 12 different Blue Jackets carried the ball. A heavy dose of those went to the now-departed Noah Jones, who had 146 carries for 891 yards and 12 touchdowns. But so much of the Aynor offense is back and ready to just keep doing what Aynor does. Tailback Ahmad Gerald (77 carries, 564 yards, nine touchdowns last year) and quarterback Garrison Gasque (76 carries, 503 yards, three touchdowns) (pictured) are expected to carry the load. Fullback Chris Kerby and Adam Graham will bolster the attack after combining for more than 200 yards between them in 2020. The commitment to the running game won’t change, if for no other reason that it continues to work more often than not. Even in seven games last year, the Blue Jackets rushed for more than 2,600 yards while averaging 6.52 yards per carry as a team and reaching the end zone 35 times. And over the last two seasons - last year’s pandemic-shortened campaign and the 11-game 2019 run that included an undefeated regular season - Aynor has piled up 6,566 yards and 82 rushing touchdowns. They can put up those types of gaudy numbers because of an ever-solid nucleus of players returning up front. This time around, it will be tight end and guard [player_tooltip player_id="119436" first="Cade" last="Lewis"], tight end Dawson Johnson, left tackle Jackson Glasgow and tight end Emmanuel Deas, a core group who know this scheme extremely well. Unlike last summer, they’ve had a full offseason to acclimate to some new faces who will be joining them in what Allen calls the “phone booth”. Many of them, as well as the skill players, will be lining up both ways. Obviously, with the clock in mind, it stands to reason that most of that will be on offense. Will it be enough to challenge the big boys on the block for the Region VII-3A title? “I don’t know about Dillon,” Allen said. “But we’ve got some experience with people like Ahmad and Garrison who have been in the fire.”