Paradise Honors junior captain Clayton Duzy fondly recalled the feeling of lining up at wide receiver with butterflies in his stomach, preparing to chase down passes with the mindset that it was just him and the ball.

There’s no feeling like it, according to Duzy.

Last season, that’s all he needed to worry about on the offensive side of the ball.

Between 2015 and 2016, Duzy’s freshman and sophomore seasons, he accumulated 11 receptions for 254 yards and three touchdowns in 22 games, according to MaxPreps.com.

But times have changed, and instead of being on the receiving end of those signature long balls, Duzy is now on the other end as the Panthers’ starting quarterback, a role which he has embraced as his own.

“Especially at quarterback, I feel like it’s my responsibility to know what everyone is doing, to make sure that I know the plays right,” the young hurler said. “I think I like quarterback in the sense that it gives me a chance to be with the guys in the huddle, kind of take control, and just be there for all my brothers.”

The beginning of Duzy’s transition came near the conclusion of the 2016 season, when Paradise Honors head coach Duane Brown realized he’d need a backup quarterback who had varsity experience in case of emergency.

“Immediately I saw coach Jerry (Salcedo) and coach Duane kind of look at me, and I kind of gave them the eye, like, ‘Oh, please don’t tell me it’s me,’” Duzy said.

While Duzy wasn’t initially on board with the idea, he knew it was what his coaches thought was best for the team.

“It was like when your parents tell you, ‘Hey, can you take out the garbage?’ It’s not them truly asking you, it’s more of a nudge, it’s a friendly nudge,” he said. “I knew that someone needed to step up.”

Duzy finally gave in at the beginning of camp to Brown’s persistent attempts of recruiting the 17-year-old to pilot the offense.

“He came and just told me, ‘Alright coach, I’m going to do it. I’ll be your quarterback. I’ll take the role and I’ll lead.’”

The situation became particularly pertinent once the Panthers learned they’d be losing last year’s starting quarterback, junior Jordan Gourley, to Phoenix Barry Goldwater via transfer. But Duzy rose to the occasion and learned what was required quickly and efficiently.

“Clay really stepped up... he learned the offense, he was running us up and down the field, it was pretty crazy actually,” said Brown.

It turns out the position change worked out rather well for the Panthers (3-4), who run an offense where passing the ball isn’t of much importance.

Brown said his quarterback’s intelligence is one of his strongest assets.

“I think one of the hardest things as a quarterback is not just knowing what the play is, but knowing what we’re trying to accomplish with the play and why that’s the play,” he said. “He knows exactly what it is we’re trying to do.”

Duzy also exudes confidence and competitiveness.

“I’m not going to let anyone outcompete me. I’m going to be the best I can be at whatever position you put me at,” Duzy said. “Right guard? I’ll stay two hours extra in the dead of the night to work at right guard. I’m going to do whatever I can to be the best I can be.”

He’s got the leadership ability, the mentality and the swagger to be at the helm of his offense, and according to Duzy, he believes his unit can do “great things” in the future.

And for Brown, it’s only the beginning.

“He embraces it more and more as we go.”