MORRISTOWN — Union Local junior running back Hayden McCrate and the rest of the Jets have been preparing for takeoff for several years.

McCrate missed half of last season due to OHSAA transfer rules and he also dealt with a slew of injuries, while Union Local had just two wins in the past two seasons combined.

Now, the skies look to be clearing up. The Jets are flying high to start the campaign with a 3-0 record and are coming off a 41-18 victory at Harrison Central.

In that win, McCrate ran wild for 210 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.

“It’s been a long ride and a long time coming,” McCrate said. “This is what we expect of ourselves and I’m so happy just to be playing and for our team to come together as brothers.”

While the speedster has certainly put in the work, he credits the success to outstanding blocking from his teammates.

“Coming out of track last year helped with my speed and agility and I’ve worked on my spin move and balance in the offseason but our line has opened up some big gaps and our wide receivers do a great job of blocking down field for me,” McCrate said. “I have to credit them.”

McCrate’s athleticism makes those around him better, as well, with the defense being forced to key in on him.

“Hayden makes our offensive line better, our quarterback Carter Blake better and our wide receivers better,” UL coach Bernie Thompson said. “When he is clicking and doing his thing, it gives them the ability to get open. He is a tone setter, he’s extremely fast, he’s a weight room guy and he’s just a good kid.”

When McCrate joined the Jets, he also joined fellow junior Jaksan Price in the backfield. The two have become great friends but an injury to Price has forced him to watch from the sidelines. Nonetheless, they have still continued to support each other through thick and thin.

“We have our talks on the sideline,” McCrate said of Price. “There is a lot of communication with him during a game. He will tell me what he sees out there and I’ll tell him what I see and I love the relationship between us. I can’t wait until he is able to come back.

“When I first came to UL there wasn’t really any competition between us. We just wanted to see each other succeed.”

The camaraderie between the two hasn’t gone unnoticed by Thompson either.

“It kills me that Price isn’t out there,” Thompson said. “It was a great thing that we saw in camp. They both made each other better and they are best friends, too. They push each other. Even with Price out, he’s on the sidelines and shows up at practice. He has taken it upon himself to be more like a coach to help Hayden, as well.”

McCrate also tries to learn from another running back on Sundays.

“I’m a huge Cleveland fan and I love watching Nick Chubb,” McCrate said. “I love his running style. He’s a hard-nosed, downhill runner who can make yardage out of anything. I’m not much of a juker so I enjoy watching him play.”