Duncanson proves he can do it all well
By Matthew Welsh
MDJ Sports Writer
The first time Ayden Duncanson
KICKOFF ‘22 163
touched a football in a game
he scored a touchdown, streaking
down the sideline on a designed
quarterback run. He still
remembers the play call, Arkansas
Right, which he said helped
establish himself, then in the
sixth grade, as a self-described
football fanatic.
“It was kind of a surreal moment,
and ever since then it’s always
been about football,” Duncanson
said. “My dad always told
me that when you’re on the field,
your mindset should be that you’re
the best player on the field. That’s
j ust how I play. I feel like that gives
me a competitive edge.”
Duncanson’s growth as a football
player has already established
himself as an eye-opening, twoway
player at Whitefield Academy.
In his high school career, he has
played a combination of quarterback,
safety, receiver, cornerback
and running back.
Last season he finished with
37 receptions for 6 20 yards and
three touchdowns. As a defensive
back he logged four interceptions.
This fall, he’ll be taking over as the
full-time quarterback in addition
to starting at free safety.
Although he already has significant
experience under center,
having played quarterback
since middle school, Duncanson
transitioned from quarterback
to receiver during his
sophomore season, in which he
threw for 747 yards and nine
touchdowns. After an almost
two-year hiatus, he’ll be taking
starting quarterback reps
for the Wolfpack.
He said regaining the confidence
needed to guide the team’s
offense takes significant offseason
dedication.
“It j ust comes with a lot of mental
preparation,” Duncanson said.
“You need to be able to lead the
offense and know what everyone
is doing, from the lineman’s responsibilities
to reading the defense.
It just comes with a lot of
responsibility and there is some
pressure, but you have to be able
to handle that.”
As a rising senior manning
the game’s most focal position,
Duncanson said he has taken
increased responsibility within
the team during the offseason.
He said he pushes his teammates
to engage in offseason
workouts in the weight room
and on the field.
Confidence in his teammates
and their abilities was a common
theme when discussing how
he believes the team has progressed
since last season. But
his own consistency was at times
questioned. He indicated mental
toughness is now an area of
emphasis in his game.
“I struggled a lot as a freshman
and sophomore with not being
able to get over mistakes, but I’ve
grown in that area,” Duncanson
said. “You need that emotion,
but you have to have control over
them, and that was something I
had to work on.”
Part of Duncanson’s mental
j ourney is a result of injury. As a
sophomore, Duncanson tore his
ACL in the fifth game of the season,
forcing him to to miss the remainder
of the season and part of
the next. In the latter half of his
j unior campaign he was hindered
by a hamstring issue.
Both injuries tested his commitment
to the sport and the
team. He said he is as driven
as ever.
“It was hard to be on the sideline,
especially in games that we lost,
where I felt I could have impacted
the game,” Duncanson said. “You
have to think about what you can
do in the moment, not what you
could’ve done.”
His roles were reduced to aiding
signal calls during games, running
mental reps during practice, and
rehabbing from injury. Although
strenuous, he said the path to recovery
helped him build character
and patience.
Now, fully healthy and slated
to lead the Wolfpack on both
sides of the ball, coach Coleman
Joiner believes Duncanson’s impact
on the game will be as apparent
as ever.
“He’s j ust a guy that wants the
ball and wants to be the one that
makes the play when we need
it most,” Joiner said. “When
you’ve seen both perspectives
offensively and defensively, it’s
helped him know what to do in
certain situations and has given
him an edge.”
/www.whitefieldacademy.com