Nice article in the VaPilot today about the Smith Sophomore QB.
757TEAMZ FOOTBALL
Oscar Smith quarterback Ethan Vasko is just a sophomore, but he’s rewriting records, trying to win a title
By LARRY RUBAMA 757TEAMZ
DEC 05, 2019 | 2:08 PM
CHESAPEAKE
It was the season opener for Oscar Smith and the Tigers were taking on four-time defending state champion Highland Springs.
More than 4,000 fans packed the Virginia Beach Sportsplex ready to see two of the top programs in the state battle.
It also was the first start for new Oscar Smith quarterback Evan Vasko. The North Carolina transfer, just a sophomore, handled the big moment with poise and never seemed rattled as the Tigers came up short to Highland Springs.
And while his numbers weren’t earth shattering, his play impressed many, including first-year Oscar Smith coach Chris Scott and Tigers quarterback coach Lafonte Thourogood.
“I just told him to have fun and play ball,” said Thourogood, a former star quarterback at Ocean Lakes and Division I player. “He made plays with his legs. I think the more that he made plays and the guys around him on defense made plays, it gave him more confidence.”
Vasko, who 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, said he never felt nervous in the season opener.
“I’m pretty calm in a game, and I trusted everyone around me,” said Vasko, who will lead the Tigers against Colonial Forge on Saturday in the Class 6 state semifinal at 2 p.m. “And I knew that coach would lead me and get me in the right situation."
That’s the way Vasko has played all season. Several weeks after that game he helped the Tigers beat Indian River 42-10 in front of another huge crowd. He finished the game with 190 passing yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 79 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
He finished the regular season fourth in passing yards and led Hampton Roads with 33 touchdowns.
Since then, he continues to rise up the South Hampton Roads single-season and Oscar Smith record book.
Heading into Saturday’s game, Vasko is second on the South Hampton Roads single-season passing touchdowns list with 41, trailing Landstown’s Terry Mitchell, who threw 46 in 2003. That means he’s already passed legendary Oscar Smith quarterbacks Phillip Sims, J.J. Williamson and Shon Mitchell.
Vasko also is 11th on the South Hampton Roads single-season passing yardage list with 2,786. He trails Sims by 255 yards for 10th.
He’s accomplished this while not playing the equivalent of two games because of blowouts.
“He’s definitely grown up beyond his years,” said Scott. “I think that’s attributed to the talent that he has that’s been shaped and molded. And I couldn’t be more proud of him and what coach Thourogood has been able to do with him. They have really gelled. And he’s kind of been a sponge and he’s soaked up everything that coach has told him.”
Thourogood said Vasko’s biggest thing is he’s a fast learner and picks up things quickly. That helps when he has to make checks on the field. Thourogood said Vasko not only has command of the offense but has become a field general, too.
“He’s very different from what you’re used to seeing in a sophomore,” Thourogood said. “Usually I’m more hands on, but for him it’s more what we teach him and what we practice, I’m confident that he’s able to get it done. He’s shown me week after week that he’s able to get it done.”
Vasko also has impressed some of the Oscar Smith greats. Sims got a chance to see him during a 7-on-7 passing league and left impressed. Earlier in the season, Mitchell got to see him and also was amazed.
Vasko played last season in North Carolina before moving to the area. .
“We knew a little bit about (Oscar Smith), but my family moved here to Chesapeake, and we made a family decision to move,” he said. “So we just got into this area.”
He thinks the key to his success is that he doesn’t really think about the moment but instead just goes out there and plays.
“I just go out there and play football, just like when I was younger,” he said. “That’s something that I’ve always done. I just like playing football.”
The future definitely looks bright for the Tigers with Vasko at the helm.
Vasko, who already has received interest from numerous colleges, said he just wants to concentrate on getting better and knows he will continue to develop under the tutelage of Thourogood.
“He’s helped me a lot with reads and reading defenses and helping me with my quick release and making sure that everything is on time,” he said. “But I think I can grow and get better with everything like decision making, my throws and my arm strength.”
Scott and Thourogood believe Vasko could be one of the great ones to come out of Hampton Roads.
“When he’s done,” Scott said, "he could turn out to be the best ever.”
“I believe he can be the best that we’ve ever had,” added Thourogood. “I said that after having him a few months. If he’s not a four or five star when he leaves here, then I put all the blame on me. With his intangibles and the way he works, there’s no way he won’t be there.”
Larry Rubama, 757-446-2273,
larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
