Player: John-Luke Asbury Position: QB Height: 6' 1" Weight: 180 lb Academic: Junior School: Richlands

By BRIAN WOODSON

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

RICHLANDS, Va. — It was a simple slant pattern that developed when the run option wasn't available.

John-Luke Asbury threw a strike to Cody Howie, and he did the rest, scoring from 86 yards during Richlands' 45-30 win over Bluefield last Friday at Mitchell Stadium.

"It was just a slant route and Cody Howie just turned on the jets," Asbury said. "He is a wonderful athlete, he really is, he just turned on the jets and blew past everybody."

Talk about a quick upsurge on the stats.

"That definitely does help," said Asbury, with a smile. "That is a high percentage throw and he just takes it all the way to the house, that is great."

That was just one of many big plays that came from the left arm of Asbury during the Blues' second straight win over the Beavers. He completed 17 of 26 pass attempts for 377 yards, five touchdowns — three to Howie and two to Scottie Ball — and no interceptions.

Good numbers, but nothing Asbury didn't think was possible.

"I wasn't really surprised because I knew we had the talent around us to do that," Asbury said. "With Cody Howie and Scottie Ball, and then Austin (Atkinson) and Chace (Collins) and Bryce Farris in the slots, and then in our line, we have potential all-state linemen, they are great.

"When they give you that much time to throw the ball, just magic things happen, especially with receivers down field like that."

That magic act was led by Asbury, who is the Pocahontas Coal Association/Bluefield Daily Telegraph Player of the Week.

"I feel blessed but once again I couldn't do it without the players like Cody Howie, Scottie Ball, Chace Collins, we have so many people on our team like this and our line is great, you can't do it without everybody ," Asbury said. "It is just another thing. I feel great, I am very honored to get this award, but I couldn't have done it without my team."

In his first season as a starter, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound junior has been solid for the Blue Tornado (5-1), completing 65 percent (89-137) of his attempts for 1,519 yards, 20 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

"Things are going great, I am getting more comfortable with the offense every week, our defense is playing great, just the whole team is playing together," Asbury said. "We still haven't played as good as we will, but we are doing great and just having a blast right now."

All those numbers for Asbury, and he has only seen significant second half action in an overtime loss to Union and the win over Bluefield.

"John-Luke is really understanding the grasp of the offense, what the defense is giving us and he has just done a tremendous job," Richlands head coach Greg Mance said. "If you look at his stats, it is phenomenal...

Credit that loss to Union for opening Asbury's eyes to what mistakes can do to a football team. He threw for 292 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but also had three interceptions in the 42-41 overtime setback.

"I just learned in a hostile environment— that was a great place to play, it was loud — that is when you have got to keep your composure," said Asbury, who is also working to eliminate some fumbling issues he has had on occasion. "You have got to play and just go through your reads and go through your keys and just stay settled and do what you were taught to do."

He has learned well. Over the last four games he has completed 72 percent of his attempts, resulting in for 15 scores and no picks.

"He is really growing as a quarterback, he worked his butt off this summer. I think he put on 25 pounds during the offseason, has gotten so much stronger," Mance said. "Physically he is one of the best we have had. We knew it would take some time mentally to adjust to the pressure and to get things that we ask him to do accomplished and he is growing each week."

He has plenty of help. He has six receivers with at least 10 receptions, led by Ball (21-369, 5 td), Howie (19-361, 7 td) and Austin Atkinson (14-271, 4 td). Nick Blankenship has 10 catches of his own, and is also the Blues' running back, having run for 696 yards and 13 scores this season.

"They are all athletic, I just goes to show that we are not a one-dimensional team," said Asbury, who has also completed 11 passes apiece to Farris and Collins. "When you shut down our run we can come back and throw on you, and then that will open up the run game.

"It is just wonderful playing with these guys and they all work their heart out every day and it is just great."

All that and don't forget his offensive line, which includes Landon Mance, Danny Anderson, Richard Compton at center, and a pair of talented sophomores in Jason Medley and Neili Carini. Tight end Landon Lowe is also a blocker who also figures into the passing game.

"That is a great thing when you play as a team, somebody has got to get the alcolades and I guarantee when you talk to John-Luke he is going to talk about his offensive line, he is going to talk about his receivers." Mance said. "That is the way we teach our kids, nobody can have success without each other. It takes everybody for one person to shine and he has done a great job."

Asbury certainly enjoyed being in Bluefield last week to tangle with the talented Beavers. Three of his touchdowns went to Howie from 86, 35 and 24 yards, while Ball caught his from 43 and 35 yards. His final two scoring passes were to Howie in the fourth quarter that helped stretch a 23-20 lead.

"It was wonderful, it was just another one of those atmospheres," Asbury said. "It was just great to play in, Bluefield was a great ball team. Carlos Reed and Mookie (Collier), they had the athletes, they had it up front.

"They were really a good ball club and it was just a fun game to play in."

Up next for Richlands is a visit to rival Tazewell, which hasn't beaten the Blues since the Bulldogs' 1-9 season in 2003. A win, and Mance would pass Ernie Hicks for the most wins in school history with 168.

"We approach it as just week by week, it is Tazewell," Asbury said. "We will take it like anybody else. We will prepare for them as well as we are going to prepare for Bluefield and we are going to prepare for Grundy as well as we are going to prepare for anybody we have played so far.

"We practice with intensity no matter whoever we play. We have just got to be ready to play each week."

They will be. There are goals to achieve.

"Personally I want to limit my mistakes, I have fumbled a lot and I can't have that, that is really going to hurt us once we get down later in the postseason," Asbury said. "Team goals, it is the same, we just want to go to the state championship, and I think if we play well for the rest of the year and we eliminate some of these mistakes we are making now, I think that is very possible."

It will take hard work. Not a problem. That is what they do at Richlands.

"I am going to work hard for my brothers out there because I can't fumble the ball like I did against a good team," Asbury said. "That is really going to hurt us so I am going to work really hard this week and I am going to work really hard for the rest of the year.

“I know my brothers are going to do the same thing for me."

bwoodson@bdtonline.com

/ Twitter @bdtwoodson

Player of Week Honorable Mention

Week Six

Bland County (42-12 over Montcalm): Isaiah Boyd, 6-57, 2 td rush, 1 td kick return; Brian Arnold, 10-77, 2 td rush;

Bluefield (45-30 loss to Richlands): Mookie Collier, 18-112, 1 td rush; Carlos Reed, 12-89 rush; Jordan Smith, 3-5, 89 yards pass, 13-45 1 td rush; Zac Springman, 3 field goals.

Giles (35-24 over Galax): Brian Mann, 185 yards, 3 td rush, 1 td pass; Patrick Beidleman, punt return for td, 1 td catch.

Graham (57-47 loss to Abingdon): Jamorya Cousin 22-176, 1 td rush, 1 td catch; Roman Workman, 200 yards, 3 td pass, 72 yards, 3 td rush; DeQuan Booker, 2 td catch.

James Monroe (21-6 win over Nicholas County): Grant Mohler, 36-200, 2 td rush, fumble recovery; Evan Beasley, 16-72 1 td rush, 41 yards pass; Connor Moore, 2 interceptions.

Montcalm (42-12 loss to Bland County): Christian Carper, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 for td.

Princeton (22-16 win over Liberty): Zach Standifur, 15-172, 1 td rush; Jordan Jones 14-89, 1 td rush; Garrison Hartwell, 7 solo tackles; Cole Cochran, 6 tackles; Jared Hamm, 1 kick return for td.

Richlands (45-30 win over Bluefield): Scottie Ball, 4-101, 2 td catch; Cody Howie, 8-228, 3 td catch; Nick Blankenship, 18-57, 1 td rush; Nick Barrett, 6-6 extra points.

Summers County (40-13 win over Webster County): Matt Ryan, 22-301, 5 td rush; Greg Shrewsbury, 9-85, 1 td rush, 2 interceptions. /

Tazewell (27-7 win over Marion): T.J. Kitts, 173, 2 td rush, 1 td scoring pass; Dakota Griffith, 1 td catch, 1 interception on defense.

2015 Player of Week

Week 1: Evan Beasley, James Monroe

Week 2: Brian Mann, Giles

Week 3: Mookie Collier, Bluefield

Week 4: Zach Standifur, Princeton

Week 5: Matt Ryan, Summers County

Week 6: John-Luke Asbury, Richlands