Photos by Shannon LitzAli Thompson and Shea Bondi were crowned Carson High School homecoming queen and king during halftime of Friday's game against Damonte Ranch. The homecoming festivities included a fireworks display. For more photos go to nevadaappeal.com/photos.
Blair Roman and the Carson Senators were tired of the talk; sick of hearing that they were nothing without star running back Dylan Sawyers.
With Sawyers on the sidelines in street clothes, undefeated Carson scored on all eight of its first-half possessions and racked up 476 yards of total offense en route to an easy 52-20 homecoming victory over winless Damonte Ranch Friday night.
This one wasn't as close as the score indicated. Carson led 52-7 at the half, and played its entire bench on both sides of the ball in the final two quarters, while Damonte Ranch stayed with its starters the entire game.
Carson improved to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in Northern 4A play entering next week's game against Spanish Springs, which has just one loss thus far. Sawyers is considered day-to-day and probably will be a game-time decision.
"There's been a lot of rumbling that we were a one-man team," Roman said. "The kids showed tonight we were more than a one-man team. That was our mission tonight.
"We spread the ball around well. We played a lot of guys (on offense and defense) and they all did a nice job. Trey (Jensen) did a nice job throwing the ball. Outside of that screen pass (in the first half) the defense shut them down."
Jensen, who remained undefeated as a starting quarterback at Carson, played just the first half. He went 8-for-12 passing for 141 yards and two scores, one each to Chris Steele and Colby Blueberg, who also scored on a 25-yard run. Jensen also scored on a 27-yard run.
"The receivers ran good routes," Jensen said. "You have to give credit to the line for the good protection, too. It was up to me, Connor (Beattie) and T.C. (Tyler Collins) to lead the offense. We came to play. We're the No. 1 team in the north, and tonight we showed we're the best."
Jon Parker had his best offensive game of the season, rushing eight times for 86 yards and catching two passes for 7 yards.
Carson quickly showed what kind of night it was going to be when it took the opening kick-off and drove 67 yards in nine plays with Parker bulling his way over from the 3.
The last three plays before Parker's run were especially impressive. Jensen completed a 19-yard pass to Gabe Pongasi for a first down at the Damonte 38. Then it was all Parker. The 240-pound bruiser gained 17 and then 18 before scoring. Erik Demar's conversion run out of the spread kick formation made it 8-0.
Parker said he enjoyed carrying the ball, and it's quite possible he will continue to get more touches. Certainly a 240-pounder coming on an inside sweep is tough to handle. Parker showed his strength, balance and agility on several of his rushing attempts.
"It was fun," he said. "I talked to coach (Roman) this week, and he said that I'd get the ball a little bit. I got a chance to prove myself."
The Senators' second score was all Austin Pacheco. The talented junior, making his varsity starting debut at middle linebacker, picked off a Max Heckendorn pass at the Damonte 29. A penalty and dropped pass killed the drive, but Pacheco, who went 3-for-3 on field goals last week against Douglas, blasted a 49-yarder for an 11-0 advantage with 6:08 remaining.
"I hit that one good," Pacheco said. "That one could have been good from 55 or 60."
Damonte bounced back on the next drive, as Jade French's 1-yard run capped an 80-yard, seven-play drive. The big play was on second-and-10 from the 20 when the Mustangs caught Carson in a blitz and Heckendorn threw a screen pass to Kenny Nez, who gained 67 yards down to the Carson 13. French scored five plays later. The 67-yard play represented more than half of Damonte's first-half yardage.
It didn't take long for Carson to retaliate - four plays in fact.
After Beattie returned the kick-off to the 34, he raced 15 yards to the Carson 49. Cole Dufresne, who rushed six times for a career-best 59 yards, gained 11 to the Damonte 40. Parker gained 15 down to the Mustangs' 25, and Blueberg scored on a sweep around the right side to make it 17-7 with 2:15 left.
Damonte punted the ball away after going three and out on its next possession, and it took just two quick passes for Carson to get into the end zone again.
On first down, Jensen threw a 22-yarder to Steele for a first down at the Damonte 48. The same combo hooked up on the next play, and Steele managed to get away from a defender to score and give Carson a 24-7 lead after one.
"I originally looked for Jon (Parker), but he wasn't open," Jensen said.
Another Carson interception, this one by Chance Quilling, gave Carson great field position at the Damonte 37. It wasn't wasted.
After Parker accounted for 20 yards on a 14-yard run and a 6-yard reception, Beattie (5 for 56) scored on a 13-yard run. Pacheco's PAT made it 31-7 with 10:48 left. A 10-yard punt set up Carson's next score, a 27-yard run by Jensen, who carried three times for 42 yards.
On the first play of the ensuing drive, Heckendorn was picked off by Blueberg at the Carson 28.
A 13-yard run by Jensen, an 11-yard pass from Jensen to Steele and a 12-yard run by Beattie gave the Senators a first down at the 40. Four plays later, Blueberg took a shuffle pass from Jensen and raced into the end zone. Pacheco's PAT made it 45-7.