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Rex Brown

Daniel High School quarterback Justin Walker (5), now in his third year as the Lions’ starter, is among the area leaders in passing yards (825) and touchdowns (11) in leading the No. 1 Lions to a 6-0 start.

CENTRAL — After three years on the job, Justin Walker knows the drill when he sets up behind center.

The Daniel High School quarterback has more likely that not seen the defense before, knows the play like the back of his hand and automatically knows what to do with the football.

The senior has that certain something that sets him apart as the leader of the Lions offense, and gives both his head coach Randy Robinson and teammates peace of mind when No. 5 and the offense line up on any given down.

"It’s confidence," Robinson said. "He walks to line of scrimmage, and he has a real good idea where the ball is going to go on a pre-snap read, and that helps a lot for a quarterback to feel pretty comfortable where the ball’s going to go."

It's that sort of poise that has helped Walker rank second in the area in passing with 825 yards and 11 touchdowns against just three interceptions heading into the Lions' rivalry game at Seneca, which will kick off at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Bobcat Stadium.

In addition to having the poise that comes with being a three-year starter, Walker is now having what seems to be his breakout season, largely because of the balance the Daniel offense has this season.

When Walker first burst on to the scene as a sophomore, when he earned The Daily Journal / The Daily Messenger All-Golden Corner honors after posting big passing numbers in Robinson's first year, the Lions struggled out of the gate before becoming playoff eligible, and the young quarterback found himself throwing the ball more than any player in recent Daniel history.

"We were playing from behind a lot so I could throw the ball more, and I guess that’s where some of the stats came from," Walker said.

Those numbers led to big expectations for Walker in his junior season, but his numbers subsided a bit because of the emergence of Michael Wingard and Trenton Walker in the running game, who helped the Lions reach the third round of the playoffs, while also helping deemphasize the passing game.

But this season, Daniel has found, so far, what has been the perfect offensive balance, mixing in the running of Wingard and Brandon Anderson, with Walker and a dangerous cadre of receivers, making one of the most potent offenses around.

"This year we’ve been a lot more balanced," Robinson said. "This is probably, percentage-wise, the best we’ve been run to pass, so that helps Justin."

Based on what opposing defenses are doing, Daniel has the ability to make big plays through the air or on the ground, and Walker doesn't mind which route the Lions take as long as they’re winning.

But, naturally, if they're passing, he's enjoying himself a hair more.

"It’s way easier for me if we can run the ball, and they start bringing safeties up. It’s easy to go over the top because if they play our receivers one-on-one, there aren’t too many corners who can cover our receivers because they have such good speed and athleticism," Walker said.

His most frequent target, senior Marcus Greenlee, has been playing with Walker since middle school, giving the Lions' signal caller a sound, consistent target.

But his relationships with guys like Antonio Cannon, DeAndre Hopkins and Marquez McDowell are just as solid, as the receiving corps and Walker are extremely close.

"He’s a lot more comfortable with us now," Greenlee said. "He knows us like the back of his hand, and he’s very comfortable on the field. He has a good chemistry with all of us."

With several prominent colleges keeping a close eye on his progress through his senior season, Walker is hoping to help the Lions defend their region crowd, with the ultimate goal being a trip to the state championship game for the first time since 1998.

And with a guy like Walker, whose confidence breeds confidence, leading the way, Robinson and the Lions have to like their chances.

"We have a lot of confidence with him in the huddle now," Robinson said. "Everyone is real comfortable, and if he says we’re going to take it down the field and get some point on the board, those guys believe in him."