All-Area: Santa Ynez' Logan Ast selected as Offensive Player of the Year

Jul. 3—Not too long after the 2019 football season ended, Santa Ynez coach Josh McClurg started campaigning for Logan Ast.

McClurg saw great potential in his budding running back, touting the youngster's abilities.

It's clear McClurg knew what he was talking about.

Ast had a breakout spring season this past spring for the Pirates, putting up a season's worth of stats in just five games.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound tailback carried the ball 90 times in those five games, gaining 726 yards and scoring 10 times. He averaged over eight yards per carry.

Ast has been selected as the All-Area Offensive Player of the Year by the sports staff at the Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record and Santa Ynez Valley News.

Before the 2021 spring season, Ast had floated between various positions with the Pirates. He played quarterback, receiver, some running back and defensive back.

But in 2021, McClurg had Ast focus solely on offense. That moved paid off.

Ast, though, didn't just play running back this spring.

He also worked from the wide receiver position and caught 18 balls for 338 yards and four more touchdowns.

That's 1,064 yards of offense and 14 touchdowns in just five games. The Pirates went 4-1.

Ast broke out in the Pirates' win over Santa Barbara, rushing for 163 yards and four touchdowns while also catching eight passes for 121 yards.

He followed that up with a school record 327 rushing yards and four more touchdowns the following week against Dos Pueblos. That's the fourth-highest mark in Santa Barbara County history.

In the season finale, a 67-0 win over Cabrillo, Ast rushed for 71 yards and caught four balls for 110 yards and three more scores. Ast even threw a touchdown pass in that game, his only pass attempt of the year.

Ast rushed for 275 yards on 48 carries with two touchdowns as a junior in 2019. He caught 11 passes for 131 yards and another touchdown. He had five sacks and 61 tackles on defense that year. He also had two interceptions.

But McClurg felt Ast would best help the team if he focused on offense for his final season with the Pirates.

"I was a different player from last year," Ast said. "I got a lot bigger, just a lot better. That's thanks to my coaches, teammates and hard work. I definitely had a chip on my shoulder. I wanted to prove people wrong."

Ast signed with Cal Poly as a preferred walk-on after his stellar senior season this past spring.

McClurg said then that he expects Ast to find the field and success with the Mustangs.

"I know with his work ethic — the kid is a workhorse — he will not give up," McClurg said. "He's not your typical superstar who takes breaks in practice or anything like that. As long as he carries the work ethic he's shown here for the last four years, I think Cal Poly is going to notice that and Logan will find his way onto the field."