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At least the starter for Carroll’s opener on Aug. 29 against Plano West has been determined, as Dragons head coach Hal Wasson said Piland will lead the offense in that contest. But what happens beyond that point is still pretty unclear.
"Really, it’s been a great competition and it still is a great competition," Wasson said earlier this week about his quarterbacks’ battles. "We have David Piland going in as the starter for the first game. It’s a tough call because they’re both good players and hard workers. But that’s who we’ve got going in.
"We plan on having Kyle play some and giving him a chance to contribute as well, because he’s proven to be very strong as well," the coach said of Williamson. "I like to say that we have two of the best quarterbacks to work with to help our team. That’s a real benefit."
How the two will be given their opportunities during the season is not officially set. Whether that means Williamson will come in later in games, whether Piland and Williamson will trade series, or whether the two will alternate games as starter hasn’t been determined. It might be none of the above. Wasson couldn’t say, because he said it has yet to be determined.
"We haven’t gotten that far along yet, really," Wasson said. "But [Williamson] has worked hard and he’s a good leader on this team and we recognize that. He definitely plays into the equation."
That level of value is seen as true for both senior quarterbacks. The potential for this tough decision might have been foreshadowed last year, when the two were given alternate shots to serve as former Dragons quarterback Kyle Padron’s backup each week. One quarterback would sit on the bench for varsity and come in late in mop-up duty, while the other would start on the JV that week. The roles would be reversed the following week.
That set-up changed when Padron injured his hand during Carroll’s second district game last season. It was Piland’s turn to back up Padron that night, and the then-junior came in to replace the injured starter. Piland led the Dragons in a come-from-behind victory over Marcus, then continued starting for his team’s final three regular-season contests and two playoff games.
But if Williamson had been the backup that night, it’s possible that he would have led Carroll the rest of the season as well.
All that’s clear this season is that the level of production and value each player provides for Carroll is seen as pretty even. Time will tell how the starting role will ultimately play out.
Other Position Battles
Quarterback is not the only position waiting to be solidified. Wasson said several other areas on the team have competition that continues to take place.
The Carroll coach said some spots on the offensive line, playing time for receivers, defensive line starters and punting duties are all yet to be determined.
"On the offensive line, we’ve got a real strong competition going on at guard," he said. "But there’s a battle or two to get that decided.
"We have a battle for some receivers as well, not necessarily for starting spots, but in terms of depth and who will play. I think getting in some game competition will help determine some of that."
Scrimmage vs. Grapevine
Carroll’s only intrasquad scrimmage matches them up with Grapevine at 5, 6 and 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mustang-Panther Stadium. The freshman, JV and varsity teams, respectively, will scrimmage.
Fans attending the game should be aware of some construction taking place at the stadium and should come in through the northeast entrance to the stadium (opposite the scoreboard).
Get the full version of this article at The Southlake Journal and full Southlake news at www.southlakejournal.com.
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