Carson eyes fourth straight title

It's just past the halfway point of the regular season for the Carson High football team, and Carson is once again in good position to win or share a fourth consecutive league title.

Carson is 4-2 overall and 0-1 league as the old 4A teams have split back into two divisions, High Desert and Sierra. The old 4A is now referred to as Division I.

The Senators, especially after their 32-30 upset of Reed, were probably considered favorites for the Sierra title, and that still could happen.

Coach Blair Roman told reporters that both leagues are pretty wide open this year.

There seems to be a shift of power in the High Desert thus far, as Spanish Springs is off to a 5-1 start overall and 1-0 in league. Many feel the High Desert title could be decided when the Cougars end their regular-season schedule with a game against crosstown rival Reed, the defending state regional champ and state runner-up.

This is a bit different Carson team from the previous three that won or shared league titles. It's a good team, but the expectations are so high from the previous years when Carson lost a total of seven games, that people may not accept anything less than a deep playoff run.

My biggest concern is the defense. The unit excelled against Reno and Damonte Ranch, and played three solid quarters against an improved Hug offense. Reed, Hug and North Valleys all threw the ball well against Carson.

Carson needs to get to the passer more often; throw the quarterback out of rhythm. The unit needs more hurries and more sacks. It needs to take some pressure off a young secondary.

Another thing Carson needs to do in its last four regular-season games is win the turnover battle. Carson is just a plus-4 through six games. In past years, Carson was usually double-digits in the giveaway/takeaway category. The defense helped immensely the past three years and needs to do that again this season.