In spring of 2011, Luke Falk and his family moved from Logan, Utah, to Los Angeles.
Falk arrived with a huge right arm and scholarship offer from Florida State, and he quickly enrolled at powerhouse Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village.
It was like a scene out of “Friday Night Lights” — a highly touted quarterback arrives and is expected to be the starter, incumbent be damned.
Brandon Dawkins, and a quarterback competition, was waiting for him.
“That,” Dawkins said, “was the original one.”
Arizona will take on Washington State on Saturday, and Dawkins — if he starts — will battle with his old quarterback cohort in Falk.
Falk won the first battle, securing the starting job at Oaks Christian only to watch as Dawkins outplayed him and eventually took over.
“I got my opportunity that year,” Dawkins said, “and I never really looked back after that.”
‘They couldn’t take him out’
Falk and his family moved to Los Angeles for a few reasons. For one, quarterback guru Steve Clarkson lived there. California — and Clarkson — offered a chance at more scholarship offers.
Hollywood was calling the entire Falk family. Luke’s two older sisters had signed a music deal, retired Oaks Christian coach Bill Redell said, and were itching to make a run at celebrity.
The girls moved back to Logan within a year, however. Falk’s parents split their time between Utah and California while Luke chased his football dream.
Falk and Dawkins spent the offseason battling for the starting spot. The odds favored the highly touted transfer, especially since Dawkins was just a sophomore.
Falk “had the hype behind him with everybody, they knew he was going to start,” Dawkins said. “But I never hung my head about it. I just kept working and working and just killing myself trying to get better and better.”
Redell didn’t see it that way.
“He may have felt (Falk) was coming in as a starter, but we never felt that,” Redell said. “We thought he had to earn it, and he did earn it during the summer, but Brandon kept getting better and better, and he could run. …We hadn’t made our mind up.”
Falk took all the snaps when Oaks Christian played Bellevue (Washington) in Week 1. Falk was intercepted three times, and the Lions lost 31-21.
Dawkins and Falk split snaps the following week, and the future Wildcat stepped up.
Dawkins engineered four straight scoring drives and guided Oaks Christian to a 50-11 win over Agoura. He completed all six of his pass attempts for 124 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed three times for 29 yards.
Falk’s line: 4 of 7 passing, 62 yards, one touchdown.
“At the time, he didn’t look at it like he was competing with Luke Falk. Falk was much older than him,” said Frank Dawkins, Brandon’s father. “Brandon just wasn’t ready maturity wise, so the coaches let Falk start out the season, he struggled, they put Brandon in and he played so well they couldn’t take him out.”
Dawkins’ job
A week later, Falk returned to Utah.
Playing time wasn’t the only reason for his departure. Falk’s parents were separating, and he wanted to be closer to home.
Los Angeles “was a little too big for me,” Falk told the Seattle Times last year. “I (was around) people driving BMWs and Porsches. I’m used to 1989 Ford pickup trucks that barely get to school working. I guess I was a little star-struck going in there. … I met a lot of great people there. But it was just different, it didn’t fit me.”
Dawkins, meanwhile, ran with his new opportunity. He finished the season with 2,844 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, and took the Lions all the way to a state championship game. Arizona, Utah and Notre Dame all offered scholarships.
“Did he beat Falk out? Well, Falk left. We hadn’t decided yet,” Redell said. “We hadn’t even settled yet that he was going to start, but to be honest we probably would’ve gone with Dawkins because he could run.”
Falk, back in Utah, faded. He sat the rest of his junior season, lost his scholarship offer from Florida State and wound up walking on at Washington State two years later. It beat playing at Cornell or Idaho, the other schools to offer him a scholarship.
The tables have turned once again since both moved onto the Pac-12.
Falk is one of the most prolific passers in college football — he’s thrown for 7,487 yards and 62 touchdowns in less than two years as a starter — and is being discussed as a possible first-round draft pick whenever he decides to leave for the NFL. Falk shot down reports this week that he’s planning to declare following the season.
The Cougars (6-2, 5-0 Pac-12) are locked in a battle for the Pac-12 North title, whereas the Wildcats (2-6, 0-5) must win their final four games just to qualify for a bowl.
“I would say at that stage when I had (Falk), to see what he’s achieved,” Redell said, “I mean my gosh, I’m a little surprised he’s been as successful as he has been, but it doesn’t surprise me that he’s starting. It’s just surprising to me that he might be one of the top draft picks in the NFL.”
History repeating
Dawkins showed flashes of greatness last November, when he replaced an injured Anu Solomon in a UA loss at Arizona State.
By the summer, he was locked in a position battle with an older, experienced, hyped quarterback.
Sound familiar?
Dawkins said he was ready this time, mature enough, brimming with confidence. After spring drills, Dawkins called his father with a declaration.
“He said, ‘If I don’t win it in the summer, I’m going to win it before the season,’” Frank Dawkins said. “He said, ‘It’s going to be my job before the year’s out.’ That’s always been his personality — he’s super-competitive in everything he does.”
Dawkins now ranks sixth among quarterbacks nationally in rushing yards (549), second in yards per carry (6.86) and fifth in rushing touchdowns (eight). He has struggled to pass, however, and there’s no guarantee he’ll start Saturday or beyond.
Dawkins wasn’t afraid of the challenge presented by Falk, and he’s not by this one.
“That’s just how I’m built. I’ve never been the kind of guy to run from competition. That’s always been a huge thing for me,” Dawkins said. “No matter where I’ve went, I didn’t care if a school took one, two, three or four quarterbacks. No matter how many people they bring in I’m going to be competing anyway. … You’re never going to walk in anywhere and be a starter. Occasions happen like that, but they didn’t just walk in and start; they had to earn that job.
“You can’t walk in and expect anything. You have to earn it.”
