CHS freshmen live up to expectations, have bright future

After a stellar youth football career for many years " which included a trip to the national championships " the much anticipated arrival of this group of athletes to Carson High finally happened this fall.

Expectations were obviously high and so far, so good. The CHS freshmen football team didn't falter under the height of high expectations, going 8-1 and finishing unbeaten in the Sierra League at 7-0.

"There were high expecations coming into the season but they were able to pretty much live up to them and they should be proud," Carson varsity football coach Blair Roman said.

The freshmen team began the season with a bang, beating McQueen, giving Carson its first win on any level against Northern Nevada's most pretigious program since 2000.

But then something happened that actually may be a blessing in disguise for this group of players throughout the rest of their high school careers. The next week, Carson's frosh lost to Reed, its only loss of the season.

"We kind of came in with a big head," CHS freshmen coach Paul Carter said. "We got kind of smacked around there.

"I think it was a good thing for us, though. If we would have played them at the end of the year it would have been a completely different game."

Among the leaders for the freshmen was running back Dylan Sawyers, who had a monster game week in and week out. "He's an outstanding running back," Carter said. "He's a phenomenal back."

Making the freshmen team's more impressive was the fact it succeeded without one of its best athletes in Chance Quilling, who was the starting quarterback at the beginning of the season, but missed much of the year after his appendix bursted. Two of the other team's top athletes, Clint Page and Austin Pacheco, stepped in at quarterback.

The freshmen team also obviously received outstanding play from its offensive and defensive lines. Among the leaders on the line were Sam Sorensen and Logan Peternell and Patrick Hess was also a leader on defense.

Now the dilemma is should the entire group continue to be kept together even though many of the players, including Sawyers, will likely be capable of moving up to the varsity as sophomores. "He's definitely capable of playing varsity next year," said Carter about Sawyers.

But the Carson coaches are leaning to keeping the entire group together and Carter said he would like to see the entire group play together on the junior varsity next year.

"As long as we keep them together I think they're going to be unstoppable," Carter said.

Roman agreed, saying the two keys will be to keep the entire group together and if the group of players continues to buy into the program which it has done so far. Then Roman said, "We could have some success down the road."