As if being the featured running back for the two-time defending state champion wasn’t cause for enough pressure, Westfield running back Eugene Asante started his off-season training for the 2017 season with one more responsibility added on his to-do list.
The way the rising junior handled the pressure, coupled with a season that saw the Bulldogs pull off the three-peat for the 6A state title, with Asante’s 1,866 rushing yards playing a large role in their perfect 15-0 season are grounds for his selection as this season’s Northern Virginia Player of the Year.
Asante’s rise to a leadership role started in 2016, soon after Westfield had defeated Oscar Smith 35-28 for its second championship.
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| Photo by Joe Barnes |
“We were into off-season workouts, and Coach (Kyle) Simmons said that he was looking for someone to step up.,” recalls the 6’1” runner, who bulked from 175 to 202 as part of his own personal training. “Every team that I have been on has a coach that has looked for leaders on the team.”
It was a role, and a challenge, that the young back eagerly accepted.
“I felt like it was my responsibility to hold everyone accountable.”
The Westfield offense, in particular, was going to be much younger. Rehman Johnson graduated and was going to be replaced by a sophomore, Noah Kim, who had seen limited playing time as a freshman. Receivers Sean Eckert and Ivory Frimpong were also college-bound, and would be replaced by a pair of fellow juniors in Taylor Morin and Bizzet Woodley. Senior linemen, such as Harmon Saint Germain and tight end Nolan Cockrill were returning, but the Bulldogs were going to be young at the skill positions, and Kim needed a veteran back to rely on while he adjusted to the starting role.
But as the winter turned into spring, another event, this one tragic, gave Asante a new outlook on what it meant to be a team player and a leader.
On April 13th, Samuel Kwarteng, a 20-year-old VCU student, who majored in electrical and computer engineering, was shot and killed during an altercation in the Carver neighborhood of Richmond, adjacent to the campus. The assailant, Emmanuel Jordan, was charged with involuntary manslaughter as he had never met his victim before the incident, and the gunfire was deemed to be accidental. Kwarteng, an Alexandria resident and graduate of Mount Vernon High School, was more than Asante’s friend – the two were cousins, and the older cousin was someone he looked to for advice and encouragement.
“I was able to do what I did because of my dedicated cousin,” said Asante, in a thoughtful recollection. “I’d see him at church, and he was surprised that we had already won two (titles). He motivated me to go out (to train) last year. Sometimes, it’s hard to get motivated for an 8 AM workout.”
Asante decided to dedicate the season to his late cousin, and he continued to train, with the assistance of another cousin, Nana Marfo, a personal trainer, and assistant football coach at Hayfield. As the season started, Westfield got off to another good start, but not without challenges. In Week 2, South County took the Bulldogs to the hilt, before Westfield escaped with a 28-27 decision. A 46-33 win in Week 5 against a tough Patriot team saw Asante gain 195 yards with two touchdowns, but it was in their next game that the junior realized his team might be in contention for the 6A title once again.
It was the following week, with a hard-fought 10-6 win over Madison, that he began to see the possibilities.
“It was after the Madison game that we knew we could complete. They were similar to us, and a tough defensive team. After that game, I realized that we could be special.”
The Warhawks defense did hold strong, keeping Asante out of the end zone, but he gained 130 yards on 31 tough carries.
“The defense had our backs,” said Asante. “Coach (Defensive coordinator, Jon) Shields plans some vigorous stuff during the week for them.”
West Potomac provided a scare in week 9, but Asante’s 184 yards and a score helped the Bulldogs eke out a 21-14 win. Entering the playoffs, Westfield carried a perfect 10-0 record, and the realizations of another 6A crown started to take form.
There would be some stiff competition along the way. The first two wins against Battlefield (28-14) and Patriot (35-6) led to a matchup against the powerful offense of South Lakes, led by Spencer Alston and Albert Mensah, one which was accustomed to scoring 40 points a game. Against the Bulldogs, they only managed a single touchdown, as Westfield rolled to a 27-7 win. With the region championship in hand, it was on to the state semifinals, and Woodbridge, a team that had held USA Today Virginia Player of The Year Ricky Slade to just 34 rushing yards the week before.
As per custom, each team exchanged six or seven films from previous in-season games, but Asante was only interested in one.
“I didn’t watch any of the other films, except their game against Hylton. I wanted to see if there was any way we could exploit their defense. They are very fast and have some athletic guys, who are physical against the run. I figured that I’d be OK with four or five-yard gains, and just hoped I could break one.”
Asante didn’t break any long runs, but provided both touchdowns in the second half on ten and one-yard runs to propel the Bulldogs from a 7-6 halftime deficit to an 18-7 win. For the game, he gained 140 yards on 23 carries, 106 more than Slade had gained the week before. Still, Asante gave credit to the Penn State commit.
“Ricky is the best running back in the state,” said Asante of Slade, who scored a receiving touchdown in the Under Armour All-American game on Wednesday.
The opponent for the championship game would be a familiar one – Oscar Smith, the same team Westfield had defeated in both previous title games. The Tigers had beaten previously unbeaten Colonial Forge to earn their third berth to the final, and now had a collective chip on their shoulder.
It’s hard enough to beat the same opponent twice, but three times? Proper planning would be the key.
“We have great coaching and great preparation,” said Asante, who also noted that while the Bulldogs didn’t stray far from the conservative and methodical game plans that had helped Westfield win 42 of their previous 44 games, there was always room for a tweak. “Playing against Woodbridge was a big help because they are like Oscar Smith on defense. Looking at the film, I saw some things I could use.”
That information didn’t help immediately, as the Tigers contained the back, who gained only 11 yards on seven carries in the first half. However, Kim’s two touchdown passes – one to Morin and the other to Joe Clancy, gave Westfield a 14-7 lead. More importantly, establishing the passing game started to open up the Smith defense.
“We made an adjustment at halftime. Their corners were in man coverage and they put an extra guy in the box.”
Less than four minutes into the second half, Asante got his break, taking a Kim handoff and rambling 44 yards into the end zone, to give the Bulldogs a 20-7 lead. Although the Tigers retook the lead, an 88-yard pass from Kim to Gavin Kiley, followed by a two-point conversion provided the winning points at 28-21 with 3:42 left in the game.
“Two years ago, we won in triple overtime. Last year, it was double overtime. I was really happy that it didn’t go to overtime this year,” added Asante in a classic understatement.
Recruiting has been a slow process for the Bulldog runner so far, but several schools do have Asante on their radar, including ODU and West Virginia. Army and Navy have also expressed initial interest. Rutgers appears to be the early front-runner, as Asante’s cousin Kofi Marfo currently plays for the Scarlet Knights, and the family has made the trip to New Brunswick on several occasions for games.
“I’ve met most of the coaching staff, and plan on heading up there again this winter.”
For now, there will be more work with his trainer, as Asante looks to improve on his 4.59 40-yard speed and bench press of 325. Soon, the questions about a possible four-peat will vocalize and with Kim, Morin, Woodley and himself returning, the challenge will begin again.
Asante, and the Bulldogs, plan to be ready. Again.
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