TAZEWELL, Va. – Carter Creasy is a student of football.
Just consider where the Tazewell sophomore spent part of his summer vacation.
From June 23-26, Creasy joined 1,200 high school quarterbacks and receivers from across the country at the famed Manning Passing Academy founded by former National Football League great Archie Manning.
“That was a great experience,” Creasy said. “The entire Manning family was there, along with around 50 NCAA Division I quarterbacks.”
Along with Archie, Peyton, Eli and Cooper Manning, Creasy said the VIP list at the Academy included five-star quarterback prospect Arch Manning. The nephew of Eli and Peyton, Arch created a national recruiting stir before finally committing to the University of Texas on June 23.
“There were lots of people watching and crowding around (Arch),” Creasy said. “It was an interesting time. I listened to the Mannings, worked on my footwork and learned a lot about technique.”
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In addition to the Manning camp in the South Louisiana heat of Thibodaux, the 6-foot-2, 177-pound Creasy said he attended five other individual and team camps with his Tazewell Bulldog teammates.
“It was a busy summer,” Creasy said.
Creasy has a tough act to follow. Relying on a quick release and reliable receivers last season, Creasy completed 234 passes for 2,982 yards and 29 scores. That completion mark is the ninth best in Virginia High School history.
What about those pesky nerves and butterflies that haunt all freshman athletes?
“It was a tough adjustment for me at first, but things turned out well once I got into a rhythm,” Creasy said. “My linemen blocked well, and my receivers ran good routes and made catches.”
The Bulldogs must replace the combo of Bridgewater College recruit Jared Mullins and Ethan Mills, who combined to catch 93 passes. But the primary target returns in 6-2, 179-pound senior Cassius Harris, who has verbally committed to play at the University of Richmond.
The son of Tazewell head coach J’me Harris, Cassius set a VHSL record with 104 receptions last season while accumulating 1,423 yards and 11 scores.
“Having Cassius in the offense is a big help,” Creasy said. “We worked together pretty much every day this summer along with our other receivers and linemen. Hopefully, that will pay off this fall.”
Tazewell opens the season Aug. 26 with a home game against Southwest District rival Virginia High. In his varsity debut last August, Creasy passed for 300 yards in a 37-14 loss at VHS.
“Carter came in as a 15-year-old freshman and got thrown to the wolves from day one, but he did an excellent job,” Coach Harris said.
Coach Harris said that Creasy combines a passion for the game with advanced talent.
“Carter is very mature,” Harris said. “He loves to study film, has natural arm strength and can make throws that a lot of guys his age are just unable to make. He also has the benefit of playing with a pretty good receiving corps.”
Creasy received nightly lessons on the rugged nature of coalfield football from his father Frank, who was a running back and linebacker at Pocahontas High School. The historic Tazewell County school, which was closed in 2008 due to low enrollment, is part of the growing ATV tourism industry in Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia.
“My father told me all about Pocahontas and how tough those games were,” Creasy said.
The younger Creasy began his apprenticeship at the quarterback position from his initial practice at the youth level and has been refining his skills ever since.
Creasy played basketball for Tazewell last winter and is considering a return to the baseball field. The signature quick release for Creasy also proved effective when he served as a pitcher in baseball.
“My (baseball) coaches were always telling me that I needed to get my arm back a little more, but that throwing style has always worked for me,” Creasy said. “I throw the same way in baseball and football, so it just comes sort of natural. I’ve never really worked on it.”
With just eight seniors, the Bulldogs (5-6) tied a school record with their third straight playoff berth last season. The recent media day session featured one of the largest turnouts of Tazewell players in recent memory.
“I always came to games here when I was growing up and thought about how cool it would be to be on this field on Friday nights,” Creasy said. “Now, we’ve been part of that change here. That’s something special.”
Following an intensive session of summer school football, Tazewell’s special sophomore is eager for another run.
“I’m going in with the same mentality,” Creasy said. “We’ve all prepared for this.”
agregory@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Greg_BHCSports | (276) 645-2544