Lineman Logan Menzel works on a blocking drill during practice on Tuesday.
One thing that has been constant in Blair Roman’s tenure as head coach at Carson High School is the offense.
The Senators have always been a prolific offensive team, and only twice in Roman’s previous seven years has the team failed to average more than 28 points a game (2012, 21 per game and 2008, 18.9 a contest). They have done it with a punishing ground game and a consistent, high percentage passing game.
The 2015 season, at least on paper, looks like Carson has plenty of returning offensive weapons, including quarterback Joe Nelson, wingback Asa Carter, running back Elijah Fajayan, tight end Ian Schulz and wide receiver Connor Pradere. And, Carson has three returning starting linemen back in left-side linemen Kevin Rusler and Eddie Duarte, and the center tandem of Corey Jasper and Austin Ackerman, both of whom started at various times last year.
“The offense looks really good,” Nelson said after Monday’s practice. “We’ve got a lot of seniors on the offensive line, and they all know the plays. I’ve got a lot of confidence in my teammates.
“All our running backs are really good. They are all insane athletes.”
No matter what level of football you’re talking about, it all starts up front, and Roman’s biggest off-season chore was to find starting linemen to replace Maurilio Olivares and Josue Orozco.
“It starts up front no matter what scheme you play on offense or defense,” Roman said. “Mo and Josue played a lot of football for us the last two years.
“We feel we’ve replaced those guys on the right side with Logan Menzel (5-10, 250) and Bryceton Schilling. Logan got significant minutes last year, and Bryceton was impressive over the summer.”
Also battling for playing time are senior Blaine Soukup (6-4, 240), who played tight end and defensive end a year ago, junior Zac Frewert and junior Nick Andreas.
Their main job will be to open up holes for what might be the deepest position — running back — on the team. And, the group needs to keep Nelson upright and out of danger as much as possible.
Carson has six guys — Fajayan (657 yards rushing, 3 TDs), Vic Castro V (61 yards, 0 TDs), Greg Wallace (39 yards, 0 TDs), Asa Carter (549 yards, 7 TDs), junior Spencer Rogers, sophomore Abel Carter and Tyler Huling — who could make significant contributions.
The group, which lost Colby Brown to graduation, is so good Fajayan is currently running back-up at wingback and fullback.
“We’re a solid two-deep and maybe three-deep at some (running back) spots,” Roman said. “We have really good depth. We have good competition at every spot.”
The top guy in the group is Asa Carter, a senior, who has shown he can do it all on the field. He can catch the ball, too, as evidenced by his 27-yard average and three scores.
Carter was the Sierra League Player of the Year.
“We’ll move Asa around,” Roman said. “He is such a multi-dimensional guy, and a threat wherever he plays. He can run, catch the ball and block.”
The fullback job, for now, belongs to Castro, and Wallace is tops at the other wingback slot.
“He (Castro) is going to be our pounder,” Roman said. “If teams forget about him, he can hurt them, He gained a lot of strength last year. He brings a lot of physical presence to the position.
“Greg really impressed me this summer,” Roman said. “He brings a lot of speed to the position.”
Huling, Abel Carter and Fajayan will battle for playing time. A lot of players, and it’s a nice problem to have.
“Elijah can play A or F,” Roman said. “Huling is a good athlete; a tough kid. Abel is No. 2 at fullback, but he could play all three spots. I don’t want to throw too much at him because he’ll be playing more defense.”
The emergence of Nelson last season turned the Senators’ season around. The senior passed for 1,130 yards and eight TDs last year. He completed 59 percent of his passes and had a QB rating of 99. He likes what he sees in his teammates, and he also feels he’s gotten better from last season.
“I feel a lot more comfortable in the offense,” Nelson said. “I can check down; audible at the line of scrimmage (better). My arm I think is stronger. Receivers have come from a route and told me that it (the ball) was humming.”
Roman has been impressed with Nelson.
“Joe looked really good this summer,” Roman said. “At no time did he ever look bad.
“He has a strong arm, probably the strongest arm of any QB I’ve had here. He is a lot more confident, and I think that was because of his play last year. I think he has a chance to have a great senior season.”
Backing up Nelson is Jace Keema, who led the JV team to an undefeated season a year ago.
“Jace has a good feel for the offense,” Roman said. “He will develop to a point where we’ll have two good quarterbacks this year. Obviously that bodes well for the future.”
Nelson and Keema have a proven target to throw to in Connor Pradere, who caught 24 passes for 376 yards and four scores.
The main wideout back-up is Gage Gunzberg. Don’t be surprised to see Asa Carter flanked out wide on occasion.
“Connor worked hard in the weight room and is a really good athlete,” Roman said. “He has a little more hip flexibility than his brother (Brock, former CHS wideout). Brock was good at going up and outreaching defenders for the ball. Connor is a different type of athlete.
Gage has a nice set of hands, and I think he is going to have a good season.”
Carson has both tight ends back — Schulz and Josh Thompson. Schulz had four catches fo 81 yards, while Thompson was used mostly as a blocker after being called up from the JV squad.
“Josh is more of a masher,” Roman said. “Ian is more athletic, and more of a threat in the pass game.”