CLARION, Pa. (EYT/D9) — There are times when Jase Ferguson looks back at the player he was just two years ago as a freshman and doesn’t recognize him.
Ferguson, now a junior at Clarion-Limestone and entering his third season as the starting quarterback for the Central Clarion football team, was just a shadow then of who he has become now.
And…who he can be.
(Pictured above, Jase Ferguson)
“Those two years definitely helped me get a lot more confidence going into this third year,” Ferguson said. “I feel like I understand the pace of the game. It definitely, definitely took a while to get adjusted to that.”
And it showed, especially early in his career.
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But as a sophomore, Ferguson made a quantum leap forward, completing 132-of-235 passes for 2,727 yards and 33 touchdowns in helping the Wildcats to a 10-2 record, a District 9 Class 2A championship, and a state playoff berth.
After rushing for a mere 24 yards as a freshman, Ferguson gained 521 yards on the ground and scored seven TDs last year.
On defense, he was also a star, leading the ball-hawking Wildcats with six interceptions.
Ferguson is poised to make yet another big leap this season.
Bad news for Central Clarion opponents who are already wary of him.
“It’s quite a luxury to have a third-year starter as a junior,” said Wildcats’ coach Dave Eggleton. “Everything he does, you almost take it for granted. When he does make a mistake, you’re just kind of shocked by it because he just doesn’t usually make mistakes. He makes the right read. He finds the open receiver. He knows where the receivers are and he can get to not just the first or second progression, but the third progression. You don’t see that very often in high school football.”
Even more, will be placed on Ferguson’s broad shoulders this season.
He knows the playbook inside and out. He has also developed a feel for the run/pass option plays that Central Clarion went to more and more as the season progressed last year.
Ferguson can read a defense.
He also knows how to exploit one.
“It’s a lot to remember. You definitely have to watch film and study that stuff,” Ferguson said. “I feel like I’m doing pretty well at it this year. I feel like we can open the playbook up a little more with my years of experience and the trust the coaches have in me. I feel like I’m going to try to rush the ball more this year and still spread it around to everyone.”
Eggleton said he is eager to unleash Ferguson and his unique skill set even more this season.
“We put a lot on him with the RPOs,” Eggleton said. “We did that some last year and we’re probably going to expand it this year, put the ball in his hands, and just let him make decisions and good things will happen.
“He got a lot bigger. He got faster,” the coach added. “He’s gonna be more of a threat running the ball. He’s one of those rare kids.”
Part of the reason why Ferguson is so rare is because he’s been around football all of his life.
His father, Mike, is an assistant coach under Eggleton.
“(Mike Ferguson) coached with me long before Jase got to the varsity level,” said Eggleton, who took over the Central Clarion program in 2021 and served as the head coach at Clarion-Limestone from 2013-2018. “I remember Jase running around when he was probably five or six years old. Football is in his blood. It’s kind of a cool thing, watching him grow up around football and it just being a part of his life.”
Jase Ferguson’s high football IQ certainly gives him an advantage.
It allows him to play free and loose and not think too much.
Or as he put it, “Just go out there, run around, and play the game that I love.”
Eggleton identified Ferguson’s game-changing ability early.
But the coach said what sets Ferguson apart is his work ethic.
“It comes so naturally to him. It really does. And on top of that, he works really hard,” Eggleton said. “You know, a lot of time you don’t see that, where a kid that is that naturally gifted in something actually really goes out and puts a lot of effort into it, too. That’s why you see a kid like Jase become a phenomenal football player because not only is he gifted, but he works hard at it.”
It also puts Eggleton in something of a conundrum.
Ferguson is so good on defense as a safety that the coach is compelled to put him out there on both sides of the ball, despite his huge importance as a quarterback.
“He can play that cat and mouse game sometimes with a quarterback,” Eggleton said. “He likes to bait him into that throw and we see those crazy, one-handed diving interceptions from last year. He knows he can make plays that other kids can’t make.”
Ultimately, though, beyond personal statistics and accolades, Ferguson wants to win.
“We’re definitely looking for the D9 championship, stuff like that. But our bigger goal this year is those teams like Westinghouse and Southern Columbia, those team and focusing on getting to their level. We want to go pretty far.”
Central Clarion football coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Redbank Chevrolet and DuBrook.
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