Long before he was running away from opposing defenders on the football field, Avery Cano’s rare speed was already drawing attention.
“Before (rec football) I played with my mom (Veronica Mirasol) and she told me my speed was unreal,” Cano said. “We would just go in the backyard, throw the football and I would just run. I was definitely passing her.”
Now a 14-year-old sophomore, Cano’s ‘unreal’ speed already has him in discussion as one of the best running backs in North Jersey.
On Saturday at Lodi, like those early days in the backyard, no one could catch Cano.
Cano took Lyndhurst’s first offensive play of the game 51 yards for a touchdown. Later in the opening quarter, Cano added a 1-yard TD run before adding a 31-yard rushing score in the third. In total, Cano racked up 146 yards on just eight carries and also caught a 37-yard reception as the Golden Bears rolled to a 36-0 victory.
Cano’s performance makes him The Observer Athlete of the Week.
“On the first play of the game, he went and he scored, it was pretty obvious that he was going to have a big day,” head coach Rich Tuero said.
So far in three games, Cano has six touchdowns (five rushing, one on a kick return). Last year, playing primarily at wide receiver, Cano had four receiving TDs and two rushing scores. Of the 12 touchdowns, 10 of them were scores of 26 or more yards, and five of the TDs were for 50 or more yards.
“Every time I see an open field, it’s just take off and just go. No slowing down, no nothing,” said Cano. “This year, when the ball’s in my hands, I feel more comfortable and just do what I do.”
“He’s got the speed, he’s got the shake, as they say,” Tuero said. “He’s a damn good player, man. We probably haven’t had a guy like that in years.”
Tuero’s known and followed Cano since he first started playing rec football at the age of 9. Cano’s play and speed also gained the attention of several of the nearby non-public schools, he elected to stay home and play football and basketball at Lyndhurst.
“I have great coaches surrounding me and it’s just like a brotherhood,” said Cano, who averaged 14.9 points per game as a freshman and plays AAU basketball for NJ Beasts. “The connection with us is really good and that’s really what brings the team together.”
All the while, Cano was able to gain additional muscle to his 5-foot-11 and now 160-pound frame to help transition back to running back.
Those gains paid immediate dividends in Lyndhurst’s season opener against perennial group 2 power Westwood. Facing an early 14-0 deficit, Cano helped get the Golden Bears back in the game with an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, followed by an 80-yard TD run to tie the game.
This season, Cano is averaging an eye-popping 9.6 yards per carry (37 attempts for 355 yards). Eye-popping numbers for sure, but according to Tuero, these numbers may prove to be just the beginning of what Cano is capable of doing as he continues to get older and stronger.
“He’s young and he’s missing plays here and there,” Tuero said. “But when I tell you that Cano is going to get and it’s going to be a problem (for other teams).
“When he figures out a couple little things and fixes a couple of little mistakes, He’s going to figure out a couple little things and fix a couple of little mistakes, Avery’s going to be the one of the best to ever do it here at Lyndhurst.”
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)