By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — In the fall of 2022, Emmanuel Asare was a superb jayvee running back for the Salisbury Hornets, getting two or three touchdowns every Thursday.

Touchdowns are in his past, but as a senior inside linebacker he turned in a dominant season for the Hornets. He was the Central Carolina Conference Defensive Player of the Year and he also is the Rowan County Defensive Player of the Year.

Asare remembers that when he was a freshman in 2021, Mike Herndon, who was the defensive coordinator for former head coach Brian Hinson, was the first to recognize that his future might be at linebacker.

“Emmanuel definitely could have played both ways for us,” said Clayton Trivett, who became the Hornets’ head coach prior to Asare’s sophomore season. “He was a great linebacker, but if we had needed him at running back, he could have been really good there, as well. Hez Krider had a strong season running the ball for us, so we were able to let Emmanuel use all of his energy on defense.”

Asare is not exceptionally big at 5-foot-9 and about 190 pounds, but he is strong and quick. He hits hard and covers a lot of ground.

“I think speed is my biggest asset as a linebacker,” Asare said. “I have quick reactions. I also have good awareness.”

Asare was credited with 95 tackles as a senior. He had double-digit tackles in all three of Salisbury’s playoff games. He had two forced fumbles and three interceptions.

One of those interceptions was Salisbury’s biggest defensive play of the season. With Salisbury clinging to a 10-6 lead late in the second-round playoff game against Walkertown, Walkertown had pushed the ball inside the Salisbury 10. That’s when Torian Brown deflected a pass, and Asare intercepted.

“It was an RPO play, and I was reading the guard, and then I realized they had thrown a quick pass on the other side,” Asare said. “The pass was tipped and the next thing I know I see the ball in the air. Then it was in my hands.”

Asare believes that rematch with Walkertown — Walkertown had beaten the Hornets (11-2) in early September — was his best game of the season, along with an early win over a talented Person team.

Trivett wasn’t shocked at all by Asare’s success.

“There was a game his sophomore year when we had a linebacker get sick before the Brevard game in the playoffs,” Trivett said. “We put Emmanuel in there,  and even though he didn’t know he would be playing until right before kickoff, he did great. So we were always confident he could do the job at linebacker. He’s just a guy who’s been waiting his turn to shine. He played behind good players as a junior, but he got a lot of reps. As a senior, he was outstanding. Hard worker. Great attitude. Always a smile on his face.”

Asare may sound like an unusual last name, but it is a very common surname in Ghana, a country in West Africa. His father’s side of the family came to America from Ghana, while his mother’s family is from Liberia, another West African nation.

Asare plans to continue to employ his unusual speed and athleticism for the Hornets in indoor and outdoor track, sports where he probably will jump as well as sprint.

His dream senior season in football is behind him now, but he walks away from it with a number of accolades as a leader of a stout defense. The other leader was Ny’Gel Elliott, who was named CCC Lineman of the Year.

Salisbury has had a host of recent defensive players of the year in the county, including linebackers Jabril Norman (2019) and Jalon Walker (spring 2021 and fall 2021). Defensive end Jaden Warren was a co-winner last season.

“I didn’t see any of this coming when the season started,” Asare said. “Right now, it all feels unreal.”