DAYTON - The opening game of any football season is cause for excitement for any player. For Dayton's Eddie Morales, it's huge.
The 5-foot-8 145-pound Morales missed his entire sophomore season because he was academically ineligible, so he's a little more excited for today's opener (7 p.m.) at Lovelock.
"I've been talking to all of my friends," said Morales after the Dust Devils' Wednesday practice. "My mom is excited, too.
"It's been hard. I missed it. I got angry, when I couldn't play. I got lazy (the second semester my freshman year). I got a little behind."
Morales kept his nose in the books last year, and at coach Rick Walker's urging, he was ready to go when the summer workouts started.
"He (Walker) told me he wanted me to play," Morales said. "He talked to me a couple of times. He wanted me to be out there to help him (win games)."
"He was really upset about it," Walker said. "I could tell he missed it. He wanted to play."
And, according to Walker, he will start at wingback and outside linebacker tonight. He had a successful scrimmage last weekend against Fernley and Yerington, both catching and carrying the ball.
"He had a 60-yarder," Walker said. "He ran three or four sweeps and averaged probably 12 yards. He has good speed and runs hard. He's the guy I want to get into open space. He's a great athlete."
"I played wide receiver as a freshman, and a little running back," Morales said. "I like running the ball, and sometimes I like to catch it, too."
And, Morales has some elusiveness, hence Walker's wish to get him the ball in space.
On defense, assistant coach Mike Burrows said Morales has shown a little rust thus far but not so much that he's surrendered his starting spot.
"I coached him since he was 10 when he played youth football," said Burrows. "He's a tough kid."
A tough kid playing a different position and coming back from a year away from the game.
"I've struggled a little bit," Morales said. "I'm learning where I'm supposed to be lining up. I've never played linebacker before. I played cornerback when I was younger.
"There is a lot more hitting (at linebacker). I can handle it, though."
NOTE: As of late Thursday, Foster Denny who was supposed to start both ways up front, still had not been cleared to play.