RENO - It was a different Dylan Sawyers on display Friday night against North Valleys. Sure he showed the elusiveness that made him the most dangerous player in 4A football last year, but he also demonstrated that he could run through contact for extra yardage.
Simply put, he was unstoppable.
Sawyers carried 21 times for 284 yards and had scoring runs of 42 and 19 yards to help Carson to a 45-26 win over the Panthers in its 4A opener.
Carson, which ran for 491 yards and had 572 yards total offense, is 2-0 overall, while North Valleys dropped to 0-3.
"I'm a little stronger this year," Sawyers said. "I'm trying to be more versatile. That's the hardest I've ever run."
"His work in the weightroom showed tonight," Carson coach Blair Roman said. "He works hard in there, and pound-for-pound he's one of the strongest."
And, maybe just maybe, Carson has found the complementary back it so desperately needs to take the heat off Sawyers, who figures to be the focal point of most defenses.
Connor Beattie, known more for his toughness on defense, ran for a career-high 151 yards and touchdowns of 34, 9 and 7 yards in what may be best described as his coming out party.
"He had a great game," Roman said. "He's Dylan's fill-in. He moves into the halfback spot when Dylan comes out of the game. He had a couple of good runs against Del Campo. Both kids played really well."
Beattie, who played with Sawyers during his Pop Warner career, credited the offensive line for giving him room to run.
"Back in Pop Warner was the last time I scored three touchdowns," Beattie said. "I didn't expect this. I'm used to playing more defense. That's what I'm used to doing. I think it will be a big help to Dylan (if I can run the ball like I did tonight)."
In fact, it was Beattie who got Carson on the board after the Senators surrendered a touchdown on the Panthers' game-opening four-play drive following a 65-yard kickoff return.
Carson middle linebacker Bryce Altus intercepted a Tim Herman pass at the 8 and returned it 17 yards to the 25.
Three plays later, Sawyers ripped off a 39-yard run down to the North Valleys 34-yard-line. Beattie scored on the next play, and Austin Pacheco's PAT tied the game at 7.
Carson's special teams set up the next score when Logan Peternell blocked a punt, giving the Senators great field position at the NV 35.
Two carries for 14 yards by quarterback Trey Jensen pushed the ball down to the 18. After a short run, a penalty and incomplete pass, Carson was faced with a third-and-11 from the 19. No problem, especially when you have a guy named Sawyers in the backfield.
He broke through a couple of tackle attempts at the 10 and roared into the end zone. Colby Blueberg tossed a 2-point conversion pass to Altus for a 15-7 lead with 4:06 left in the quarter.
North Valleys answered back with an impressive 80-yard drive culminating on Herman's 8-yard scoring pass to Jesse Krueger to make it 15-13 with 16 seconds left in what was a wild first quarter.
Carson had a chance to extend its lead on its next drive, but Jensen threw an interception in the red zone. Jensen threw two interceptions in his first five attempts.
"I was disappointed in how we threw the ball in the first half," Roman said.
North Valleys was unable to capitalize on the field position, and punted the ball back to the Senators, who put together a five-play scoring drive that ended with Sawyers' 42-yard scoring run that made it 22-13 with 5:29 left in the half.
Again, North Valleys answered, as Herman stretched the Senators with some pinpoint passing.
Herman went 3-for-5 for 83 yards on the drive, including a 26-yarder to Nick Palko who made a nice catch in the end zone despite good coverage by Blueberg. The PAT failed, leaving the Panthers trailing 22-19 at the half.
Carson's defense, which was pushed around at times, came up with a huge play early in the third quarter.
Facing a third-and-8 from his own 39, Herman fired a pass toward Tyler Groves, who just got possession when he was hit by Chance Quilling. The ball popped up in the air and Carson's Gabe Pongasi pulled it in. Groves was down on the field for several minutes before being helped off the field.
"That was a great hit," Roman said. "It turned the game around."
Keeping the ball on the ground, Carson covered the 55 yards in six plays with Beattie busting over from the 9. Pacheco's PAT gave Carson a 29-20 lead, and it would prove to be the game-winning score.
North Valleys, taking advantage of a Beattie fumble, closed the gap to 29-26 when Herman and Palko hooked up for a 19-yard score with 14 seconds left in the third.
Then it was time for the Sawyers and Beattie Show once again.
Starting from the 20, Sawyers ripped off a 21-yard gain up to the 41. Beattie was thrown for a 4-yard loss, but atoned for that with a 12-yard gain to the Carson 49. Sawyers ripped off a 44-yard run down to the 7, and Beattie scored his third TD on the next play for a 36-26 lead with 11:02 left in the game.
Carson would add a safety and a 22-yard pass from Jensen to Jon Parker to complete the scoring, capping a 16-point fourth quarter.
"Our goal was to be 1-0 in league when we woke up Saturday morning, and we did that," Roman said. "There are no easy games in this league."
Indeed. This one was reminiscent of the first Galena game last year when Carson dominated, but didn't put the game away until midway in the fourth quarter.
"They made the plays and we didn't," said North Valleys coach Ty Gregg. "When we needed stops (in the second half) we weren't able to get them."