When the soft-spoken Belton sophomore - who said his teammates sometimes can’t hear him in the huddle - lined up under center to take his first snap as a varsity quarterback, more than the normal jitters were rolling through his head.

“I’m pretty sure I fumbled the first snap,” he said, recalling the play in Belton’s season-opening 43-8 loss to Ennis. “I remember the first sack I took. I didn’t even see the guy and he was right in front of me.”

While the internal jitters may somewhat remain, Ash has looked less like that nervous rookie and has become a playmaker, steadily progressing through the first five weeks.

His performance - 268 passing yards, 148 rushing - against Killeen Shoemaker last week gave the Tigers, who play at College Station A&M Consolidated at 7:30 p.m. Friday, their first victory of the season.

Not bad for someone who got a late start in learning Belton’s system.

A Belton resident, Ash attended Class 2A Academy as a freshman, but ankle injuries limited his playing time. He transferred to Belton and went through spring practices with the Tigers, and until two-a-day practices in August everything had been new for the 16-year-old. According to Belton coach Rodney Southern, Ash has started to find his niche.

“As far as understanding what we do and understanding what people are trying to do to stop it, I think he’s on track,” Southern said.

His offensive numbers definitely suggest it. Ash is 81-of-134 passing for 1,073 yards, second in the area, and eight touchdowns this season, throwing for more yards in each successive game.

Against Ennis, Ash entered on the Tigers’ second series in place of junior Kevin Thornton, now his top receiver. He finished 11-of-17 for 129 yards, but a costly interception and three straight sacks on a key third-quarter drive helped the Lions seal the win.

He went 13-for-29 for 196 yards against Round Rock McNeil but also had two interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown.

The second half at Mansfield Timberview might have been the turning point in Ash’s development. After completing just two of eight passes in the first half for 5 yards, he went 16-for-21 for 220 yards and three touchdowns in the second half, leading Belton to 25 fourth-quarter points before the Tigers eventually lost 34-33 on a final-minute touchdown.

At Harker Heights, Ash picked up right where he left off, completing 15 of 23 passes for 146 yards in the first half. He finished with a career-best 24 completions - including a school-record 14 to new favorite receiver Thornton - on 37 attempts for 255 yards.

Then, with his confidence growing, Ash delivered his most consistent outing of the year last week, leading Belton past Shoemaker. His 148 rushing yards nearly matched the team’s output of 195 for the season. He completed nine of his final 10 passes and also accounted for five touchdowns.

“They were in man coverage and putting five people in the box,” said Ash, who is also Belton’s punter. “Coach (offensive coordinator David) Brewer was calling some really good plays that we didn’t practice a lot, but they turned out to work in the game because they were open.

“The coaches do a real good job of getting everybody to step up,” he added. “Each week the receivers have stepped up and run better routes. The line (Patrick Carney, Cooper Smith, Cody Gangloff, Nick Trent, Conner Middleton) has blocked and pass protected better. I just try to keep working hard and do the best I can. It’s a whole group effort is the reason why we’re becoming more and more successful.”

Most important against Shoemaker, Ash didn’t throw an interception for the first time all season. That has the detail-oriented Southern very optimistic about not only his quarterback’s improvement but also the direction of his team.

“Early, he got a little bit rattled and held on to the ball a little too long,” Southern said. “Once he settled down, other than one time when he threw into double coverage, he made the right decisions, especially on the option. As far as decision-making and the things he needed to do, he did a good job."

cmeister@temple-telegram.com