The Carson Senators' bid for a Northern 4A playoffs has reached the critical point after a 20-18 loss to the Damonte Ranch Mustangs Friday at Carson High School.
In spite of holding the Mustangs to one second-half offensive play, twice intercepting quarterback Brock Frank and outgaining Damonte Ranch offensively 319-191, the Senators ultimately fell victim to seven of their own turnovers.
With the loss, Carson fell to 2-3 in the Sierra League (2-6 overall) and needs to beat North Valleys on Friday, Douglas the following week and needs Damonte Ranch (2-3 in the Sierra League and 3-4 overall) to lose once in order to reach the postseason.
"It's hard to beat somebody when you turn the ball over seven times," said Carson coach Shane Quilling. "We gave them every point - the first one on (an interception return for a) touchdown. Our defense played its ass off, but we fumbled three times inside the 40. We dominated the game and lost."
Carson scored on the fourth play of the game when sophomore running back Mark Sinnott broke loose for a 54-yard touchdown run, but placekicker Bogart Parra missed the extra point and the Senators had a 6-0 lead.
Carson had a chance to extend its lead after senior Brian Halverson picked off Frank. Halverson had two interceptions on the night.
But Sinnott, who had 31 carries for 169 yards and a touchdown, had the first of his three fumbles in the game and senior linebacker Sean Barrett scooped it up on his own 20-yard-line and ran it in 80 yards for the score.
Marshall Bruns added the extra point for a 7-6 lead with 9 minutes, 35 seconds left in the first half.
Sinnott capped off a 9-minute-plus, 14-play drive when he scored from 1-yard out with 11 seconds left in the half and Carson led 12-7 going into the locker room.
Damonte followed with its only play of the first half, a 1-yard run by Brian Walsh.
But what looked like an inevitable Carson victory turned upside down in the third quarter.
The Senators couldn't follow up on Halverson's second pick of the night when Carson quarterback Chris McBroom, under center for the first time since his sophomore year and subbing for injured Mitch Hammond (concussion), fumbled on the Mustangs' 17.
Although Bruns missed a 37-yard field goal on the Mustangs' following drive, Carson sophomore running back Maciek Kuroczka fumbled on the Senators' 20 on the next play. Carson committed a personal foul and on the following play and Barrett rumbled his way up the middle into the end zone for a 13-12 lead after Bruns' PAT hit the right upright with 5:17 to go in the third.
Three plays later, Walsh intercepted McBroom on the Carson 45 for the Senators' fifth turnover.
Although the Senators held the Mustangs to a three-and-out, the Mustangs returned the favor the next series.
Barrett subsequently capped off an eight-play drive by banging his way in from the 5 and Bruns - following a penalty - hit a 25-yard extra point for a 20-12 lead with 11:18 to go.
Frank was 6-of-12 for 95 yards with two interceptions for Damonte Ranch. Walsh and Trey Edmunds each had 34 yards to lead the Mustangs, while the bruising Barrett added 31 more on seven carries.
"Barrett made some big plays tonight - both offensively and defensively," Damonte Ranch coach Tony Amantia said. "We were able to get some push with him in the second half. The offensive front gave us a little bit of momentum."
Sinnott added his third fumble of the game - Carson's sixth turnover up to that point - on the next series, but the Senators' defense stopped the Mustangs on a third-and-10 on the Carson 23 and Bruns missed a 34-yard field goal.
The Senators went on a 15-play drive, topped off by a 1-yard McBroom touchdown run to make it 20-18, but an illegal procedure negated a Sinnott 2-point conversion and Damonte Ranch held.
Carson gave the ball back to the Mustangs with 2:43 to play.
The defense stopped Damonte Ranch after six plays and the Senators got the ball back with 52 seconds remaining, but a Steve Fowzer fumble - Carson's seventh turnover - put the final nail in the Senators' coffin.
McBroom went 6-for-10 for 68 yards passing, with one interception, and added 63 on 15 carries. He was sacked three times.
"Chris did some good things," Quilling said. "Mark Sinnott ran the ball awesome. But you just can't turn the ball over. It's frustrating. We have to win both games. It's not over, but this was one of them we absolutely gave away."
Carson travels to the Golden Valley to play North Valleys Friday, beginning at 7:30 p.m.