Wes Luquette rolled to his right, looking downfield at a go route and a shorter out route during Tuesday's practice.

He threw long, completing a pass to the receiver deepest down the field.

“That’s nice to know you can throw the long route, but how about we take the short route on that one,” Newman head coach Nelson Stewart suggested to his third-year starting quarterback.

“Now you know why we call him the blond bomber,” Stewart joked with a visiting reporter.

Photo by Bradley Handwerger / WWL-TV.com

Newman quarterback Wes Luquette has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards, 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions in leading the Greenies to a 5-0 record. He has committed to play baseball at LSU next year.

All the “blond bomber” has done this season is throw for nearly 1,000 yards, record 17 touchdowns to only two interceptions in leading the Greenies to a 5-0 record.

And to think, Luquette already has committed to play baseball at LSU.

“At the time, when that offer came, his dream has always been to play at LSU,” Stewart said. “He’s a tremendous baseball player. He’s got a lot of talent. I don’t know how it’s going to end up. I don't know what’s going to happen.

“He has the ability to play college football and be very successful in college football. Whatever he does, I’ll support him 100 percent.”

According to Luquette, it’s not all said and done that baseball is his only route. LSU baseball coach Paul Manieri contacted the Newman senior Monday to give him some good news – football isn’t necessarily out of the question.

Luquette said Manieri told him that Les Miles, LSU’s football coach, passed along word about a new, little-known NCAA rule allowing baseball players to practice with the football team. Once the baseball player is put in a football game, however, he must go on football scholarship.

In other words, Manieri is OK with Luquette practicing with the football team to make sure he has football out of his system.

“That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard of a head college or even high school coach doing,” Luquette said. “Just allowing their players to have no regret so they don’t think about football while they’re on the baseball field – I respect that a lot. It’s really awesome.”

But for now, it’s about Newman football and trying to lead the Greenies to a District 10-2A title. In Luquette’s and Newman’s way are St. James and Curtis, the former which the Greenies host Friday night at Lupin Field.

Photo by Bradley Handwerger / WWL-TV.com

Newman head coach Nelson Stewart, left, coaches quarterback Wes Luquette during practice earlier this week. Stewart said Luquette's experience is making the difference in the quarterbacks standout season.

You can expect Luquette to have made adjustments from mistakes that led to Newman’s 41-14 loss to St. James a year ago, a loss that snapped a 6-0 start for the Greenies.

“I’m just taking what they give me rather than force a read when it’s not there,” Luquette said. “If I think a read is there and it’s not there, I used to force it. Now I have a pre-read in my head and if they don’t do that, I know I’m going to my short route. If they blitz, I know I’m going short rather than trying to read the defense.

“And composure in the pocket. I’m not getting flustered if I get hit. I’ll just stay calm and run the offense.”

It’s something Luquette’s favorite receiver has noticed.

“He reads the defense pretty well and knows where to put it,” said Jeffrey Hampton, who has caught 16 passes for 349 yards and seven touchdowns.

A lot of that comes with maturity and the fact that this is his third year as the starter.

“The biggest difference with him this year is he’s a senior,” Stewart said. “He really understands the offense. He understands defenses. Experience plays the biggest part.”

And there’s one more thing that sets Luquette apart from others.

“No one has higher expectations on Wes than himself,” Stewart said. “He continues to put the team first. With Wes, it’s not about the limelight and the stats – it’s about winning and losing.”