The toughest weeks of preparation for the Carson High football coaching staff is when the Senators play Reno or Reed.
So, it’s no surprise Blair Roman & Co. have worked overtime since the Senators advanced to Friday’s home semifinal against Reno (7:10 p.m., KAME 21) by virtue of their 49-34 win over Spanish Springs last Friday.
“They (Reno and Reed) are the toughest two teams to prepare for, but for different reasons,” Roman said Monday afternoon. “Reno runs so many formations (20), but they don’t run a ton of different plays out of those formations. We run four different formations, that’s it.
“With Reed, you have to plan to stop their quarterback (Matt Denn). Having a quarterback who is mobile puts added pressure on defenses.”
Reno will use a Wildcat formation with any number of running backs receiving the snap, including Lukas McKenzie, Daniel Jimenez and Cameron Daugherty. The Huskies will also use double passes. With the Huskies, you come to expect the unexpected.
“We have to stay disciplined,” Roman said. “If the primary job is to defend the pass, the corners have to do that. They (Reno) like to spread you out, and their quarterbacks have killed us in the past running out of that formation. They are physical up front and like to control the ball.”
McKenzie (555 yards, 12.1 average), Daugherty (444 yards, 4.3 average) and Cartlidge (559 yards, 6.5 average) are all physical runners. McKenzie had a 95-yard TD run against Damonte and a kick-off return for a touchdown. He also has a 320-yard rushing game to his credit.
“He (McKenzie) is one of the best athletes (in the region),” Roman said. McKenzie was vomiting on the sideline last week and didn’t play the second half against Damonte. He’s scheduled to play Friday against Carson.
The Huskies’ defense is led by Cartlidge (43 tackles) and Devyn Cox (42 tackles). Mammoth Paula Finau can be disruptive to the inside running game. The Huskies have a lot of guys who go both ways, so it’s going to be interesting to see how they hold up against Carson’s no-huddle offense.
Decided by special teams?
It’s going to be interesting to see which team blinks on kick-offs. Both teams have excellent return men.
Reno squibbed the ball several times last week, refusing to kick it to Damonte. Abel Carter has averaged 32.5 on four returns, while the rest of Carson returners are all in the 13 to 18-yard range. Elijah Fajayan was a dangerous returner until a knee injury ended his season. It might be dangerous for the Huskies to give Carson the ball at the 35 or 40, but only time will tell on that.
“We’ll be ready for that (squib kick),” Roman said. “Damonte has one heck of a returner, and Reno has confidence in its defense. I can see Reno’s thought process.”
McKenzie is a dangerous kick returner, avearging about 32 yards a return, too. Height and placement will be key for Carson’s special teams as well as staying in the proper lanes on kick coverage, something Damonte failed to do on McKenzie’s long kick return.
Potpourri
The Senators were able to practice outside, as ll the snow from Monday night had already melted. The turf will have to be raked before Friday’s game. Bob Bateman, CHS athletic director, said he doesn’t have or know of any machinery that can clear snow off that kind of surface. The danger being putting holes in the rubber compound below the artificial turf ... The weather forecast on Friday is for a high of 52 degrees and a low of 27. There’s a 5 percent chance of percipitation which means if it snows it would probably be in the higher elevations ... Both teams lost their season-opening games. Reno lost 38-7 to Elk Grove and Carson lost 44-27 to Reed. Reno’s only loss since then was 27-11 to Reed, while Carson hasn’t lost since the Reed game... Reno is a plus-5 in the turnover-takeaway category and Carson is a plus-14.