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On the first day of 2021 preseason camp, Dallas Christian head coach Mike Wheeler knew his staff had a gem in Luke Carney.

Coming off a Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Division II Championship appearance, Wheeler and his staff weren’t expecting to shake things up too much. But they didn’t know who’d fill their starting quarterback void.

As Wheeler worked with a group in training camp, a ball zipped past him. He recalls being stunned by the sheer noise it made as it whizzed through the air. When Wheeler turned around to see who fired the pass, his eyes landed on Carney, an incoming freshman quarterback.

“You start watching (Carney) throw the ball, and you’re going, ‘That’s the kid right there,’” Wheeler said. “He’s just a special talent, and you could see real quick that he was going to be that guy.”

Wheeler was right. After Carney became the starter as a freshman, he rewrote Texas high school records in his four years with the Chargers. He tallied 10,787 passing yards and 111 touchdowns while rushing for over 3,000 yards and 42 touchdowns.

Rated a three-star recruit in the 2025 class by 247Sports, Carney committed to Syracuse in March 2024, joining the likes of LSU transfer Rickie Collins Jr. and Jakhari Williams in SU’s quarterback room. Nine months after his commitment, he became the only quarterback in Texas high school football history to start for four seasons and win a state title in each, amassing a 50-5 career record.

“I think he’s got to be recognized as one of the all-time greats in the state of Texas,” Wheeler said.

Five years before Carney set foot in Texas, DC assistant coach David Grubbs noticed his potential at a youth All-American game in White Plains, New York. Carney, then a fourth-grader from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was assigned to his team. While Grubbs worked sparingly with his squad, he was sold on Carney’s potential.

“He could sling the ball in fourth grade,” Grubbs said. “He was very good with giving directions to kids he didn’t know. He wasn’t afraid to step on the field and compete.”

After the event, Grubbs stayed in touch with Carney’s family. Though it seemed unlikely they’d pair up again, as Grubbs was coaching a youth team in Rockwall, Texas.

Following Carney’s eighth-grade year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, he pondered his next step. His father, Brian, kept in touch with Grubbs, who had become an assistant at DC. The private school was a pristine opportunity for Carney to reunite with a familiar face and potentially play early. He transferred to Dallas Christian the summer after eighth grade.

DC had many options under center, including a returning senior and a few high-caliber transfers interested. But as DC’s staff watched Carney battle through preseason, it became increasingly clear the job was his.

“There are some kids, you watch them throw it, and they’re just different,” DC offensive coordinator Brian Coughlin said. “He was one of those kids. You can hear the ball come off his hands.”

Grubbs admitted they were nervous when Carney took his first preseason snap. But by the end of the first scrimmage, the coaches breathed a sigh of relief; Carney put on a show, running for a 64-yard touchdown. They knew they’d made the right decision.

Carney finished the season with 2,020 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He added another 282 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground as the Chargers won their first championship since 2008.

“I​t was pretty unbelievable to see that from a freshman,” Grubbs said. “To have that kind of poise on the field, understanding of the game from the very first scrimmage.”

Luke Carney poses on his official visit to Syracuse. Carney totaled 111 passing and 42 rushing touchdowns in four years at Dallas Christian High School. Courtesy of Luke Carney

His sophomore season brought more of the same, with Carney continuing to impress through the air. But his biggest development came in his rushing. Carney ran for 918 yards, averaging 76.5 per game.

He said week two of his sophomore year was one of his fondest memories at DC. Against a Fort Bend Christian Academy defense with several Division I commits, Carney rumbled for 200 yards and a touchdown. He capped the season with another state title, beating Cypress Christian 24-0.

“I think (the DC staff) had a lot of belief in me coming in,” Carney said. “It was just a matter of proving myself and showing what I knew I was capable of. And I think I did a pretty good job of that.”

Carney put on nearly 30 pounds in the offseason and developed his throwing mechanics. He lit up the stat sheet, throwing for 3,723 yards and 38 touchdowns at an 80.2% completion rate, all career-highs.

He again led the Chargers through the playoffs but injured his ankle in a semifinal win over Trinity Christian. He fought through the pain in the state title game, though, throwing for 280 yards and two touchdowns to beat Holy Cross 28-13.

Following his best season through the air, Carney’s offers began flowing in. Syracuse was among the teams interested. SU offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon flew down to watch Carney throw in January 2024. The Orange offered him at the end of the month.

While Syracuse, 1,500 miles from home, may not have seemed a likely contender, Carney fell in love with the program. In March, he committed to Fran Brown’s squad.

“A lot of schools come in and say, ‘You’re on our list,’ or ‘You’re way up there on our list.’ The Syracuse coaches came in and said, ‘You’re our guy,’” Coughlin said. “I think hearing that helped him a lot.”

Carney’s senior year was a chance to prove himself even more. One of just two returning starters, the Chargers relied on Carney to capture a fourth straight title. Despite a slight dip in his passing stats, he set new career highs in rushing yards (1,076) and rushing touchdowns (21).

“We knew going into (the playoffs), if we were going to be successful, he was going to have to play really well,” Wheeler said. “Not only that, we knew defensively we were going to have to use him.”

Carney played safety in both the semifinal win over Lubbock Christian and the state title game against Holy Cross.

In the latter, he made his mark. Carney threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns, adding 77 rushing yards. He also made three tackles and snagged a key interception in the fourth quarter. Carney won MVP on both sides of the ball as the Chargers held off the undefeated Knights for a fourth straight title.

“His numbers are just unreal,” DC wide receiver Jaylen Gray said. “If you talk about the best quarterbacks in Texas in general, Luke’s definitely up there.”

The final title was a perfect ending to a nearly spotless career. Carney had shown he could win as a freshman, but his senior year proved he could do it without the same supporting cast. He’d evolved into a quarterback who could completely take over a game — something he hopes to do one day at SU.

“(Syracuse is) really getting a diamond in the rough with this kid,” Grubbs said. “I hope it pans out to where the coaching staff sees what they have, they know what they have and they appreciate it.”

Published on February 5, 2025 at 10:05 pm

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