Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal
When Kage Walker and Connor Conroy became neighbors six years ago, the two almost immediately took each other. It didn't matter that Conroy was a year older. The two spent a lot of time together and even walked to school and back home together.
The two consider themselves best friends, but that relationship was given one of the biggest tests this year: The two are battling for the starting quarterback spot on the Dayton football team. But don't tell them there's a battle going on.
"It's nothing like that," Conroy said. "It's a friendly competition."
Walker may have the advantage. Not only is the junior the head coach's youngest son, but he has a better familiarity with the offense and is better suited, physically, to operate it. But Conroy isn't ready to just hand over the starting role, in which he served in last year's 3-7 season, and may get the nod at Walker's expense. Walker will serve a two-week suspension to start the season for an undisclosed violation of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association's rules.
"Our JVs kind of run a little bit of the Pistol last year, so Kage actually has more experience than Connor does," Dayton coach Rick Walker said. "So I'm pretty conformable with those guys."
Conroy also admits that the younger Walker is a better running quarterback, which is a necessity for the Pistol offense. But the weakness isn't something that has him worried. Actually, Conroy talks like the starting job is already his.
"I've got to get my team fired up to play this year," Conroy said. "We want to win more games than we did last year, so I've got to get us fired up."
But added: "We're both good quarterbacks. We'll get the job done."
Some of the pressure, though, should be at least put to the side for Conroy while Walker serves his suspension. Dayton, which plays in the Northern 3A, will open the season Aug. 29 at South Tahoe and will follow that up with a home date on Sept. 4 against Pershing Co. The games will give Conroy an opportunity to showcase himself against a bottom-rung 4A team and a chance to redeem himself against a Pershing Co. team that trounced the Dust Devils 55-15. Conroy went just 6-for-17 passing with an touchdown and an interception against the 2A foe.
If an opportunity at redemption isn't enough for Conroy to get excited about, the new offense should do the trick. The Dust Devils ran out of the Wing-T last year, which Conroy surmised as the scheme that is "the same thing (over and over), just swap sides."
"This gives us a lot more," Conroy said. "There's a lot more stuff, a lot more formations that I have to study. At first it was confusing, but (Coach Walker) separated it into odds and evens so you just have to get the numbers in your head, which side is which. As a quarterback you have to know what everyone is doing. You've got to know what the line is doing because if they ask in the huddle, you don't want them doing the wrong thing on the wrong play."
While the two are vying for one position on offense, they will be working together on defense. The duo make up the two safety positions.
But the defense isn't the side of the ball getting the most attention. It's the "battle" and the pressure on the coach's son to earn the starting spot.
"There's more pressure on me, I guess, to perform better," said Walker. "It's nothing like we talk about football at home, it's just that I have to study more, study the plays better, learn plays faster.
"But it's not a big deal if I don't (get the starting the job). It's more pressure on me, not so much him (Coach Walker)."