Hazen quarterback Luke King played like an upperclassman, not a freshman while leading the Hornets to a 10-2 record and the Class 2A quarterfinals in 2019.
Coach Joe Besancon met with King and his parents before the season about the unusual move of him playing as a freshman. The Hornets wanted to be able to showcase Blayne Toll, who had played quarterback the year before, as a tight end.
Toll is now a freshman at Arkansas.
“I knew I needed to move Blayne around a lot to help with the running game and I know he was capable doing the things we needed him to do,” Besancon said. “He did better than what I thought he would do.”
King (6-1, 185 pounds) passed for 1,020 yards and 17 touchdowns with 4 interceptions. Besancon had to remind himself and his staff of King’s youth.
“There were several times I talked to coaches and said ‘We have to remember guys he’s just a ninth grader,'” Besancon said.
King's work ethic and football IQ helped him overcome his inexperience.
“That makes him so much further ahead than other people,” Besancon said. “He’s a student of the game. He watches game film.”
King, who attended an Arkansas camp last summer, carries a 4.0 grade point average.
“I don’t think he’s ever made a B in his life,” Besancon said. “Not only does he work extremely hard on the field, but he works extremely hard in the class room. I think he’s what makes him such a good leader because he’s going to set the example in everything.”
He is strong for his age with a 315-pound bench press. He puts in extra work in the weight room after team workouts.
“And 30-45 minutes later, he’s still in there doing his other stuff that he wants to do,” Besancon said.