Austin junior football player Jamison Bastyr is about as dedicated as they come, and a position shift helped him finally know what it feels like to score a varsity win.
After starting the year at quarterback, Bastyr slid to wide receiver, where he caught two TDs from sophomore Eli Arndt in a 14-13 win at Worthington that snapped a 17-game Austin losing streak last Friday night.
Bastyr had always played receiver until he moved up to high school and the team needed someone to play quarterback. He was more than happy to move back to wide receiver, especially since it resulted in a victory.
"I've been playing football since third grade and the teams I've been on haven't really won a lot," Bastyr said. "To get a win feels really good. (The losing) doesn't really affect me too much. It just makes me want to work harder, which is why I'm always out here in the summer."
Bastyr usually spends much of his summer days out at Art Hass Stadium, inviting his teammates to come out and run routes.
Arndt started last season as the backup quarterback on the JV team, but by the end of the year he was the starting varsity quarterback due to a rash of injuries. At a young age, he's already taken big hits and seen a lot of different defensive looks from behind center.
"Last year really adjusted me to varsity speed. Three seconds and the ball has to come out. I feel like my release speed and my football IQ in general got a lot better," Arndt said.
Arndt is now the first string varsity quarterback and he's quickly grown accustomed to throwing to Bastyr.
"(Jamison is) the fastest on the team. It's great to have a fast guy who can catch and knows the offense," Arndt said.
Bastyr said he's already gaining a rhythm with Arndt, who has solid pocket presence, with a knack for making the deep throw.
"Eli's got a big arm and he can really make any throw on the field," Bastyr said.
The Packers (1-2 overall) will now prepare to host Fairmont (2-1 overall) in their Homecoming game at 7 p.m. at Art Hass Stadium Friday.
Arndt said the team is feeling as good as it has in a while after snapping the losing streak.