Three years ago, a young, talented quarterback, Jacob Conover, moved from Portland to Chandler with his family and big dreams.  

One of those dreams came true this year when he was named a high school starting quarterback. But since Conover is only a sophomore, there's still plenty of time to accomplish more.  

So far he's off to a great start at Chandler High, where's he's completing 65 percent of his passes and averaging 238 passing yards per game. 

“His biggest attribute is his poise at such a young age,” said Dennis Gile of Elite Eleven, Conover's quarterback coach. “He keeps the same emotions whether it’s a big or small game.”

Conover began to harness his emotions and talent when he started playing tackle football in third grade.

The following year he started to attend quarterback camps, working with elite quarterback coaches. He also has his father, Jeff, who has coached Conover since he was a youngster.            

Jeff ran track for BYU and played football in Europe and believed it was important to watch over his son's development.            

“You got three options in youth football,” Jeff said. “You either get lucky and find a one in a million great coach. You coach yourself. Or you pay to get it done.”

The Conovers moved to Arizona partly because the state offered better football opportunities for Conover.

"It (football) was not as big as football is here (Arizona),” Conover said. “It was a huge opportunity moving here.”

He said he misses his friends in Portland, where he lived for nine years, but understands the opportunity he has here.

At Chandler, a school with a history of producing talented quarterbacks, Conover still had to compete for the starting spot but wound up beating two upperclassmen. Although he won the starting gig, Conover said it didn't affect the chemistry between the quarterbacks.

“What we’ve done in the quarterback room is form a bond, and that’s what we need to succeed,” Conover explained. “Without them I wouldn’t be the quarterback I am right now.”

The compitition at Chandler is tough and so are the opponents.  

Five weeks ago, Phoenix Mountain Pointe, the top-ranked team in the state, rattled Conover, forcing him to throw two interceptions and complete less than half of his throws. But Conover wasn't the only Chandler player who struggled during the 52-7 road loss to Mountain Pointe.  

Conover was pulled from the game halfway through the third quarter. While on the sidelines with his teammates, the sophomore kept his emotions in check.

After the game he was willing to talk about his rough outing.

"You have to take your shots when you got them," Conover said.

But Conover and Chandler have regained their swagger since the Mountain Pointe loss.

A documentary on the Arizona Cardinals helped Conover bounced back. In it, the Cardinals talk about a rule in which players are only allowed to analyze a loss for 24 hours.

After those hours are up you must then look ahead.

“I learned from the (Mountain Pointe) game, studied the film, learned all I could from the mistakes I made and now I move forward to be more prepared next time we play them,” Conover said.

After the Mountain Pointe game, Conover led the Wolves to dominating wins over Sandra Day O’Connor and Mountain Ridge and Basha. Last week, Chandler defeated previously unbeaten Perry. 

During that four-game stretch, Chandler averaged 54 points per game with Conover under center. It remains to be seen how far Conover can go, but he has all the intangibles to be a great quarterback, according to those close to him.     

“The door is wide open for Jacob,” said Gile, who has worked with established quarterbacks such as Collin Kaepernick, Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Mallett. “He gets better and better every day.”