‘Ready to take that on’: How Andrew Jackson football will build off banner 2019 season

A brief thunderstorm hovered over a recent Andrew Jackson football practice, bringing a brief rain and forcing players inside due to lightning. A while later, the Volunteers were back on the field, with a bright sun powering through some wispy clouds overhead.

This year’s Volunteer team hopes to be equally adept at weathering storms once the Friday night lights shine on a campaign where numerous questions are just starting to be answered.

The 2019 season was a banner one for the Volunteers, with 10 wins and a second-place finish in Region 4-2A serving as the highlights of the program’s continued resurgence. Twenty-two seniors — led by quarterback Chas DeBruhl, who’s now off playing college baseball; safety/receiver Gavin Blackmon; defensive standout Ty Elder; and more — steered the club to the second round of the 2A state playoffs and the most wins the program has seen in 20 years.

In many ways, last year marked the return of the Andrew Jackson of old — back when the team was among the best in South Carolina 2A and was a source of pride for the football-loving town it sits in.

“2019 was a big year for us, the biggest it’s been in a while here,” Andrew Jackson head coach Todd Shigley told The Herald at a practice last week. “We had a lot of seniors — the biggest senior class that basically anybody can remember at AJ. Trying to replace those guys is gonna be a huge deal.”

Still, Shigley sees a lot on which to build.

“We definitely took a step forward (last year) as a program and as a team,” he said. “We’re really excited about what we did on the field. Anytime you get to 10 wins, it does matter. That’s an awesome year in high school (football).”

Key offensive players for Andrew Jackson in 2020

Senior Bryce Helms takes over for DeBruhl behind center, looking to guide a Volunteer offense that broke the 30-point plateau in eight 2019 contests. Helms and his coach agree that — though different in style than his predecessor — he is equally capable of running the Volunteer offense. Sophomore Hammond Wrenn will serve as backup to Helms.

“He’s ready to take that on,” Shigley said of his senior signal-caller. “Each year, he’s progressed. He’s one of our platoon leaders, and he was last year, too. The guys believe in him, and that’s really what it comes down to, at the end of the day.”

Said Helms: “It’s been a big step up for me, coming from JV to backup to varsity. I feel like I’m handling it pretty (well). Chas was … really good. I run the ball a little more than Chas (did).”

Helms will provide the Vols’ offense with a dual threat, and senior receiver Ojay White looks to be one of the main beneficiaries of his quarterback’s versatility. White (6-0, 190 pounds) snared 62 passes for 935 yards and 12 scores last year, earning All-Region honors for his achievements. White has drawn attention from several prominent FBS programs and looks to finish strong in his final year as a Volunteer.

“I just do what’s best for the team,” said White, who is used in many different roles for the Volunteers. “If I need to be here just for us to win, I’m not going to say (anything). I’m just gonna go out there and do it.”

Helms and White also mentioned DJ Ealey and Ca’Darrius Sowell as potential playmakers at receiver.

White also offers an option at running back, but much of the rushing tally will fall on senior Aiden Hinson (5-6, 140 pounds). Hinson had a breakout game against Lewisville last year, galloping for over 100 yards in a Volunteer victory. The additional running back spots remain open and will likely become clearer with the result of the club’s two scrimmages.

Whoever totes the ball will do so behind a much younger — though larger — offensive line. Gavin Phillips will anchor the line as the lone senior, with two juniors and two sophomores flanking him.

“The speed is a lot different than what they’re used to,” said Phillips, who is adjusting well to his new role as the elder statesman of the unit.

Wyatt Faulkenberry and Wyatt Cassady will be the juniors alongside Phillips, with sophomores Derick Anthony and Devin Clinton filling out the line, Shigley said.

“They’re big,” Shigley said about his linemen. “We thought we were pretty big last year — which was kind of the first time here at AJ we’ve seen some decent-sized linemen — and we look to be bigger across the board this year than we were last year.”

Key defensive players for Andrew Jackson

On the opposite side of the ball, the Volunteers look to blend several new faces with a group of returning stars. The defensive line looked a bit shaky at the beginning of camp, Shigley said, but Shigley also noted that things are coming together in the trenches. Two experienced linebackers will roam the middle of the field, with Fred Elder and Mikeem McClain anchoring the position group.

Elder and Blackmon have departed the secondary, leaving a few open spots. Senior Darius Brice played cornerback and was a special teams standout last season, and will be counted on to lead the defensive backfield from the free safety position this season. Brice came on strong as a junior last season.

“We really didn’t know how good he was until halfway to three-quarters of the way through the year last year, because he transferred to us real late in the summer. We didn’t really know what to expect,” Shigley said. “When we started going and watching film, on special teams especially, he was the guy making a play every time. He might have six tackles for the game and four of them would be on kickoffs.”

The special teams on which Brice was such a standout last season return much of last year’s unit. Senior kicker Jake Vaughn will handle extra points and most placements, with junior Blake Brice handling longer field goal tries and punts.

White will also bring his explosiveness to the return game for the Volunteers after amassing 1,455 all-purpose yards as a junior.

“Return-wise, we’re really excited about that,” Shigley said. “We know Ojay: Anytime he touches the ball, it could be six points for us. The more chances we can give him back there to do that, the better off we are.”

‘Take care of business early’

The Volunteers open the season Sept. 25 and will start right into Region 4-2A play with a trip to rival Central High School. Andrew Jackson drilled the Eagles last season, 35-7, but the team knows it can take nothing for granted in a tough region and abbreviated 2020 campaign.

“We’ve gotta take care of business early. We can’t wait,” White said. “I feel like with us starting in region first, we’ll come out on fire like we did last year. Even though we’re young, they’ll just go ahead and get onto it quick.

“I feel like that starting in region play will be best for us. We’ll already know what we’ve gotta take care of. We don’t have to worry about who’s doing this or who’s doing that. We’ve gotta take care of what’s in front of us now.”

Andrew Jackson 2020 football schedule

All kickoffs begin at 8 p.m.

Sept. 25: Central (away)

Oct. 2: North Central (away)

Oct. 9: Cheraw (home)

Oct. 16: Chesterfield (home)

Oct. 23: Buford (away)

Oct. 30: Camden (home)

Nov. 6: Indian Land (away)

Editor’s note: This story is one of 15 high school football previews The Herald will run prior to the first game of the regular season on Sept. 25. Look out for the next one to appear at heraldonline.com later this week.

This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 7:02 AM.