Shannon Litz/Nevada Appeal Logan Peternell, 57, blocks for Dylan Sawyers during Friday night's game against Del Campo.
Normally Dylan Sawyers creates havoc on offense and special teams. This time it was his defense that jump-started the Carson Senators.
Sawyers picked off two first-half passes leading to 10 points, and then scored two offensive touchdowns in the third quarter to spark Carson to a season-opening 31-10 win over Del Campo Friday night at Carson High School.
"It was good," coach Blair Roman said. "I knew the team we were playing had a lot of talent, and it was hard to tell where we could match up. The kids stood up to the challenge. We had way too many penalties (13 for 104 yards) that is uncharacteristic for us. We had way too many offsides, illegal procedure and motion penalties."
"We put out a lot of energy," defensive end Matt Cooper said. "We had great intensity. We messed up a couple of calls, but we had more intensity than they did. We picked up our intensity level as a team."
Sawyers' first interception of a Mike Nantze pass came on a deflection at the Carson 34, killing a game-opening 4 1/2-minute drive by the Cougars, who appeared to be stopped at their own 30, but benefited from a roughing-the-kicker penalty that kept the drive alive.
Quarterback Trey Jensen, making his first start since the South Tahoe game last season, completed two 21-yard passes, both to Austin Pacheco. The second reception gave the Senators a first down at the Del Campo 18. After a 5-yard run by Sawyers and a short run by Jensen, fullback Connor Beattie scored on a 10-yard run with 4:13 left. Pacheco's PAT made it 7-0.
Del Campo bounced right back on its next possession, as Nantze's 30-yard pass to Jordan Botha gave the Cougars a first down at the Carson 39-yard line.
After being sacked by Caleb Jeffers back at the Carson 41, Nantze tried to throw a deep ball down the middle. Sawyers, the Senators' free safety, went between two receivers and intercepted the ball at the 18 and brought it back 28 yards to the Carson 46.
"That second one (interception by Sawyers ) was quite a play," Roman said. "That was big. I think it changed what Del Campo's was trying to do on offense."
Sawyers said his goal this year was to be more of a factor on defense, and if Friday is any indication, he's off to a good start. The second pick was as athletic play as you are going to see at the high school level.
The two defensive plays made up for a slow start on the offensive side of the ball. Sawyers was the center of Del Campo's attention. He gained just 12 yards on his first four carries.
"You could see they were keying on Dylan offensively," Roman said. "It was only a matter of time. He's so competitive, he thinks he should score every time he touches the ball."
Jensen, who completed 10 of 14 for 116 yards, tossed a 25-yard pass to Gabe Pongasi for a first down at the Del Campo 31. Jensen got another first down on the next play, gaining 11 yards down to the 20 on a keeper between tackles. After two runs and an incomplete pass, Pacheco came on to boot a 34-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 11:51 left in the half.
Del Campo finally got on the board with 4:06 left in the half on a 14-yard pass from Tanner Heckle to Botha, capping a 50-yard drive that made it 10-7.
Approximately two minutes later came a tide-turning play for the Senators. Pacheco punted the ball away after Carson failed to get a first down. The Del Campo deep man muffed the ball, and Chance Quilling outwrestled him for it at the Del Campo 49. As the mass of humanity around the ball was separated both players had their hands on the ball, but the call went to Carson.
Moments later Jensen connected with Brock Pradere for 41 yards down to the Del Campo 8. Jensen scored on the next play, and Pacheco converted the PAT to make it 17-7 at half.
"That was key," Roman said. "Every time they got close, our kids answered with a big play."
It ended a brutal half for the Cougars, who managed just 113 yards unofficially in the first 24 minutes. They turned the ball over three times, which led to Carson's first 17 points.
Del Campo did score on its first possession of the second half when Tyler Davis kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it 17-10 with 6:56 left in the third. That was it for the Cougars, who were blanked in the final 17 minutes thanks to the efforts of Logan Peternell, Cooper, Jon Parker and Darian Goldman. The goal for the defense was to allow no more than 10 points. Mission accomplished.
Sawyers took over the game in the third quarter, returning a kickoff 78 yards to set up his 9-yard scoring run with 5:14 left, and then ripping off a 55-yard TD run with 1:33 remaining.
"I was getting frustrated," Sawyers said. "On the kickoff I got some great blocking. On the second TD, the offensive line did a good job."
It was a big win. Del Campo was 13-1 last year and has a great tradition. That was small consolation to coach Mike Dimino.
"Take nothing away from them," he said. "We stunk it up. They deserved to win."