54 NOVEMBER 2017 Arc A d A News By Nick Smith When Luke Ashworth went out for football during his freshman year at Arcadia High School, he wasn’t trying to set records or become a star. He was just trying to make the team. “Honestly my favorite sport coming into that year was basketball,” said Ashworth. “That was where my focus was. I didn’t know how much I was going to love football.” Four years later, Ashworth is winding down his senior season as the Titans starting quarterback, a role he has held since the beginning of his sophomore season. For fans who have followed Arcadia for the past three seasons, the very idea of someone other than Ashworth under center is a foreign one. Ashworth had played tackle football when he was younger on a team called the Arcadia Storm, but began to commit himself to the game fully during his freshman year. “I loved the feeling of accomplishment after making a completion, or scoring a touchdown,” said Ashworth. “I also really enjoyed helping other people and trying to be a leader on the field. I feel like that fits my personality.” During the summer between his freshman and sophomore years, Ashworth decided to go all out for the varsity team. He got a quarterback coach to help him with his on-field decision making and footwork, and gained 20 pounds by lifting weights. His hard work would eventually pay off, as he won the job as the Titans starting quarterback. “I remember being pretty nervous before that first game,” said Ashworth. “The coaches called a quarterback sneak for the first play and I got cracked pretty hard. I remember thinking, ‘oh that’s not so bad’ and then I settled down.” During his sophomore and junior years, Ashworth played under former head coach Lenny Abt, whom he called a friend as well as a coach. The team won eight games in 2015, making the playoffs, before falling to two wins in 2016. Abt was replaced as the Arcadia head coach by Tony Stillings after that season. Coach Stillings brought in an entirely new offense for the 2017 season, calling for more wide receivers and more passing plays. Ashworth suddenly found himself playing a completely different style of quarterback. “I was never really a running quarterback during my sophomore and junior years,” said Ashworth. “I would sit in the pocket, make my read and that was that. The new offense calls for me to be more of a dual threat guy, who can pull reads and run when I need to.” The stats back this up, as Luke has more rushing attempts in just seven games than he did in the previous two seasons combined. The growing pains for the new offense have been tough though, as the Titans were still looking for their first win at the end of October. Ashworth knows that the team he will leave behind at the end of this season is struggling. He has seen great success and hard times during his three-year tenure as the leader of the Titans. As he plays his final games in an Arcadia uniform, he hopes that the community is able to look at the long view of what is happening with the program. “I know Arcadia football doesn’t look good right now,” said Ashworth. “But I think what we are putting in place right now is going to help turn the program around in a few years. I hope that is how I’m remembered, as a player who helped leave a foundation that made the Arcadia football program become better.” Arcadia 3-year starting QB hopes to build foundation for future Arcadia High School quarterback Luke Ashworth. PHOTO BY RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY PLAY LOCAL. PLAY BALL. REGISTER online for the 2018 Spring BASEBALL and SOFTBALL Season – Boys & Girls Ages 4-14 PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND REGISTER TODAY www.ArcadiaLittleLeague.com Tryouts for upper divisions will be held Saturday, January 20 and Saturday, January 27 at Ingleside Middle School Practices Begin February 5 – Spring Season Runs Early March through End of May Take advantage of EARLY BIRD PRICING through December 31, 2017 Re gister at www. ArcadiaLittleLeague.com

The Arcadia News has been audited by the Circulation Verification Council and the numbers are in… VERIFIED DISTRIBUTION 93.4% VERIFIED READERSHIP 79.1% READERS READY TO BUY 74.7% There is no better way to reach Arcadia and the surrounding area. (Other direct-mail marketing options have an average response rate of 5.26%**) **Source: 2015 DMA Response Rate Report (based on Standard Mail advertising solicitations) The Arcadia News is direct-mailed to 13,000 households via USPS and distributes 7,000 via racks each month. The Circulation Verification Council (CVC) surveyed Arcadia News readers in the primary market areas indicated in the publication’s audit report. The CVC reviewed the printing, distribution, circulation, technology and general business records of this publication. For a copy of this report call the Arcadia News at 602-840-6379 or e-mail: greg@arcadianews.com. For information about the market we reach: arcadianews.com/advertise or roni@arcadianews.com. of 20,000 copies per month reach our readers of area households regularly read Arcadia News regularly purchase products or services from ads seen in the Arcadia News AWA R D W I N N I N G N E I G H B O R H O O D N E W S S I N C E 1 9 9 3 *Source: September 2017 CVC Publication Report Audit. AWA R D W I N N I N G N E I G H B O R H O O D N E W S S I N C E 19 93