It’s his turn now.
Junior quarterback Asa Johnson has found his niche this season for Aurora Christian, and his emergence behind center also has been a blessing in disguise for the Eagles.
Three returning starters transferred in the offseason, including standout junior quarterback Jalen Carter, but Aurora Christian hasn’t missed a beat. And much of that credit goes to Johnson.
“I split some time early last year before settling into the backup position,” he said. “I knew the spot was up for grabs this year and worked a lot in the offseason with a quarterback coach.
“I really love the sport, and I love quarterback a lot. I wanted to start.”
Talk about a strong start for the Eagles (3-1). The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Johnson has completed 66% of his passes (68 of 103) for 934 yards and 11 touchdowns with just three interceptions.
It also was his plan from the very beginning.
Johnson came to Aurora Christian for his freshman year after spending all of grade school in Sycamore. His family moved to Hinckley his freshman year and now lives in North Aurora.
“In eighth grade, I was playing like left tackle in Sycamore,” Johnson said. “I was one of the biggest kids, and they were like, ‘We’ll just put you at line.’”
A three-sport athlete who pitches and plays first base in baseball and as a forward in basketball, Johnson soon found an ally in coach David Beebe upon arriving at Aurora Christian.
“He told my dad he wanted me to start learning the quarterback position freshman year,” Johnson said. “I played it freshman year on the JV team and had a lot of fun. I really started to enjoy it and started taking (individual) lessons with Mike Hohensee.”
The former USFL, CFL and NFL quarterback helped Johnson improve by leaps and bounds.
“He put me in a place where I gained a lot of confidence,” Johnson said of Hohensee. “I could definitely see the change in practice.”
Johnson also learned how much more there was to the position than just throwing deep, although connecting on a long ball to receivers Jonan Miceli and Nolan Robertson is always a thrill.
Aurora Christian’s Asa Johnson delivers a pitch against Newark during a nonconference game in Newark on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Jon Langham / The Beacon-News)
He’s even had the chance to work out a few times with Ethan Hampton, Northern Illinois’ quarterback and an Aurora Christian graduate.
“It’s crazy seeing a high school quarterback’s mechanics compared to a college quarterback’s mechanics,” Johnson said. “The college QB seems so calm and looks like it’s slow, but it’s just smooth, not to mention the footwork.
“You don’t just throw the ball and hand it off. There’s so much more there when you get into it.”
Beebe continues to like what he sees in Johnson.
“One hundred percent, he’s a natural quarterback,” Beebe said. “He stands tall in the pocket and he has great poise. Asa’s decision-making is strong and he’s so coachable, a very respectful kid.
“He wants to do the best he can for his teammates and to be a great leader. They voted him a captain as a junior, and we don’t have a lot of junior captains.”
Johnson feels his strength is as a pocket passer.
“I’m not too fast, so I kind of focus on my arm talent, but I’m learning about reading the defense,” he said. “Coach Beebe makes the reads so easy and he gives me the ability to audible out of a play, but I don’t do that much.”
Baseball was Johnson’s first love because he put more time into it, but he’s leaning more toward pursuing football at the next level.
Older brother Jackson, who helped Asa get started in sports, played at Olivet Nazarene and one year at Aurora University for Don Beebe.
David Beebe, Don’s brother, believes Johnson’s future is bright.
“Asa can slide in the pocket and gets rid of the ball really fast,” Beebe said. “The kids respond to him. He’s very, very steady and handles adversity well. I don’t even know how high his ceiling is.”
