There’s a big difference this season in junior quarterback Mason Atkins for West Aurora.
Not in terms of talent — that was never in question. But being in complete command of the offense for an entire offseason has provided a substantial boost for the Blackhawks.
He had to win a three-way battle for the job as a sophomore. This year, there’s no doubt.
He’s in complete command.
“It was a lot easier being able to work with receivers and not having to split time,” Atkins said. “Just going all out with my receivers every day and working with them after practice led to better reps.”
That has shown in the results during the early going. Atkins had another efficient game Friday night in West Aurora’s return to the Upstate Eight Conference with a 56-0 win over Elgin.
Atkins misfired on his first pass of the night but that was it. He connected on his next 10 passes, four for touchdowns, before taking a seat for the rest of the evening. He finished with 121 yards passing and 27 yards rushing, including an 8-yard TD run for the Blackhawks (3-0, 1-0).
Atkins threw two TD passes apiece to Reece Powers and Iowa commit Terrence Smith. Powers went for 43 and 15 yards, while Smith went for 1 and 7 yards. Michael Williams also ran for 84 yards on six carries, including a 25-yard TD run.
Darin Ward threw for 45 yards to lead Elgin (0-3, 0-1).
In addition to building chemistry with his receivers on the field, Atkins said that knowing he was the clear starter helped in other ways as well.
“I have taken on a bigger leader role this year definitely than last year,” Atkins said. “I’m a lot more vocal out there with my guys.”
West Aurora coach Nate Eimer has been impressed with the jump that Atkins has taken.
“He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the state,” Eimer said. “He showed it (Friday). I couldn’t be more proud of him. He’s a tremendous leader, and I’m excited to see him as the season goes on.”
West Aurora lost a fumble on its first possession, but the Blackhawks scored on their next seven possessions of the first half to cruise to the win.
Blessed with good field position all night, Atkins and Co. didn’t waste time putting away the Maroons. He had his TD run and both TD passes to Powers during the first quarter.
His first TD connection with Smith came on the first play of the second quarter. After an interception by the Blackhawks, Atkins found Smith again from a yard out to make it 35-0.
“It built a lot of chemistry between me and him,” Smith said of Atkins’ offseason as the starter. “We were already close before that, but it’s great having that connection with me and him. It’s been fun.
“We click real easy on and off the field, so it’s really easy in the game.”
Atkins loves having the 6-foot-4 Smith as a safety valve.
“It’s great knowing that any ball I put up he can catch it,” Atkins said. “It doesn’t matter if he’s single covered or doubled, he can go make a play.”
Smith knows that with his Big Ten commitment comes increased attention from defenses. He’s more than happy to let Powers and Kewon Marshall help with the workload.
“I’m a team player, so I know my dogs on the other side and next to me can do it,” Smith said. “That’s what happened. Reece was open the whole game. I know Kewon didn’t get as much.
“But we can do it too. We definitely have a nice receiver room this year.”
The Blackhawks also have an experienced quarterback who is confident he can get them the ball.
“The sky’s the limit for him,” Smith said. “There’s definitely going to be some bigger colleges knocking on his door pretty soon here.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
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