By Chris Cox

As a senior and a three-year starting quarterback, Shawnee High School’s Karsen Conaway knows that he is expected to be a leader. 

“Every day can be struggle,” Conaway says. “There’s always someone who doesn’t want to be there. I just try to pick them up and make sure they have a good day so we can have good practices and ultimately play well.”

Conaway knows that he’s not the most vocal guy, but it’s something that he is working on.

“I’ve never been much of a verbal leader,” he says. “I’m more of a ‘I’m doing this, follow me’ guy. But it is something I’m working on.”

To Conaway’s credit, Shawnee Wolves head football coach Jason Sexton says that Karsen is an easy guy for the other players to follow, even if he is, admittedly, on the quieter side.

“Karsen is a fantastic student-athlete who works hard in the classroom and the weight room,” Sexton says. “He’s the kind of kid coaches love to have because he’s always on time, working hard, and has a great attitude.”
Conaway has been playing football since the third and says one of the things he loves most about it, are the life lessons he learns from football.

“Football, I feel more than other sports, prepares you for life,” Conaway says. “It teaches you life lessons and I’ve grasped on to those since I was a kid. It teaches you a work ethic and how to work for something more than yourself. It also teaches how to get up after you’ve been knocked down.”

Along with football, Conaway is a power lifter and said he might play baseball this year for the Wolves. Outside of athletics, Karsen’s hard work and dedication is seen in the classroom. He is a member of National Honor Society and will be receiving his academic letter jacket this year. Following high school, Conaway plans on playing football in college. He currently holds a scholarship offer from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas.