With a playoff bid on the line for both teams, Hug High School used a first-half field goal by Josh Beauchamp for a playoff-enhancing 3-0 victory to spoil Carson's homecoming on Friday night,
The Senators, who came into the game boasting two of Northern Nevada's best running backs, gained only 88 yards rushing and were held scoreless for the first time this season on a night when neither team looked like they deserved to be in the playoffs.
Josh Carter had 44 yards to lead Carson while Doug Brooks rushed for 30 yards.
The Hawks, who are battling South Tahoe for second-place in the Sierra League, rushed for 200 yards against the Senators' defense. Last week, Hug was held to only 29 yards on the ground by Wooster.
Last week against South Tahoe, Carson held Jake Hurwitz to 95 yards rushing. And earlier in the season against Galena, they held Damian Rivadeneyra to 37 yards rushing. Both are top backs in Northern Nevada and both times the Carson defense came up big. But for some reason, they had problems stopping Antoine Barlow, Barkari Taylor, and Marquis Martin.
"Taylor's a load and Barlow's a good back," Carson coach Bob Bateman said. "They controlled the game and defensively, we just got tired.
"The game of football is won on the line of scrimmage," Bateman said. "And except for a series or two, they dominated us on the line of scrimmage."
Barlow led all players with 158 yards rushing while Taylor added 40 and Martin 21 for the Hawks, who have now made the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
In the first half, Carson had only 37 yards of total offense with 26 of those yards coming on the ground. Also, the Senators didn't pick up a single first down and didn't cross into Hawk territory until there was 1:33 left before halftime.
On the flip side, Hug had 236 yards of total offense in the first half but turned the ball over three times. Bateman said Carson was lucky to only be down 3-0 at half-time. Beauchamp's 42-yard field goal with four seconds left in the half was game's only score.
Carson's best drive came with under five minutes left in the fourth quarter. After Marques Giron's 12-yard pass to Rob Handley on third-and-4, Carson then had first-and-10 from the Hug 16. But a 1-yard-run from Carter and two incomplete passes from Giron forced the Senators to attempt a 22-yard field goal, which would've tied the game at 3-3. But Chris Barredo's kick missed left. Barredo took the kick instead of Tom Evans, who already has two field goals this season, including a game-winner over Sparks.
"With every position, you have to earn it every week at practice,"Bateman said. "Barredo's just been kicking better all week at practice."
From the Sierra League, Wooster (5-2, 3-0) and Hug (6-2, 3-1) have qualified for the playoffs. If South Tahoe wins at home today against Reno, the Vikings will also assure themselves of a playoff berth.
Also today, Douglas plays at Wooster in a game that could affect the playoff picture. Carson (4-4, 1-3) travels to Minden on Thursday for its last regular season game against rival Douglas.
"If we win, we're in. If they win, they're in," Bateman said.
Well, not exactly because Reno can still make the playoffs. There are still so many different possibilities that it's too confusing to list them all.
What isn't confusing is that whoever does grab the fourth spot will likely have to play at McQueen in the first round of the playoffs.