Senator kick-returner Abel Carter takes the 2nd half opening kickoff to the house Saturday at Bishop Manogue High.
RENO — Carson High has a veteran battle-tested team. Bishop Manogue is young, inexperienced and rebuilding.
It doesn’t take a mental giant to figure out what was going to happen.
The Senators scored on three of their first four possessions and the first-team defense allowed just two first downs in three quarters en route to an easy 44-13 win over the Miners at D.J. Bernardis Field.
Carson (6-1, 2-0) stretched its win streak to six since the opening game loss, and can actually clnch no worse than a share of the Sierra League title with a win at home Friday against the Galena Grizzlies. Manogue, meanwhile dropped to 1-6 and 0-2, respectively.
“We’re a better team than Manogue,” CHS coach Blair Roman said. “They have a young squad and are trying to develop something.
“We hit them in the mouth in the first quarter, and we were able to maintain that momentum until the fourth quarter (when the reserves came in). We had to expend a lot of energy last week in the Damonte game, and I wondered if we would have a letdown or not. I thought our (first-team) defense was outstanding. I thought we dominated defensively up front.”
Carson’s first drive set the tone for the lopsided contest.
The Senators drove 80 yards in five plays with Asa Carter scoring on a 6-yard run. Johnny Barahona’s PAT made it 7-0 with 8:26 left.
The big play came on Carson’s second snap. Joe Nelson threw one in the left flat to Connor Pradere, who turnd it ito a 54-yard gain down to the Manogue 15. After two runs by Greg Wallace netted nine yards, Carter took it over on the next play.
After Manogue’s third straight three and out, the Senators’ offense scored again, driving 48 yards in six plays with back-up QB Jace Kema scoring from the 3.
It was a costly drive, however, as Nelson injured his knee after a 12-yard run to the Manogue 36. With Keema under center, Abel Carter ripped off runs of 14 and 8 yards, respectively, to put the ball at the Miners’ 14. Walace carried for 10 down to the 4, and Keema took over from there.
Carson put together another impressive scoring drive after yet anoher Manogue punt, going 75 yards in eight plays. Abel Carter scored the first of two TDs, this one on a 16-yard gallop to make it 20-0.
The Senators’ offense was so efficient it never faced a third-down situation and averaged 9 yards on first down on the series.
Another three and out followed by a short punt set up Carson at the Manogue 36.
The drive got off to a promising start when Abel Carter gained 12 yards to the 24. The drive bogged down, however, and Barahona came on to kick a season-long 42-yard field goal to make it 23-0 with 4:09 left in the half.
A 12-yard punt by Ramon Mendoza gave Carson excellent field position at the Miners’ 30, and Keema scored on another short run with 1:22 left in the half to make it 30-0 and put a damper on the Miners’ Homecoming activities.
“Our offense executed really well in the first half,” Asa Carter said. “We didn’t have many big plays (just the 54-yarder) and we were able to put together some nice scoring drives.”
Three of Carson’s five drives started in Manogue territory, making the offense’s job a tad easier.
Carson started the second half with a bang, scoring 14 points in 83 seconds to extend its lead to 44-0.
Abel Carter, returning kicks in lieu of the injured Elijah Fayajan, took the second-half kick-off back 70 yards for a score before Manogue fans could get settled into their respective seats after the halftime festivities.
Manogue was penalized for a lengthy halftime, and forced to kick from its own 25. Abel Carter took the kick on a dead run.
One has to wonder why Manogue just didn’t squib the ball.
Manogue’s first three snaps of the second half netted a minus-3 yards, forcing another punt.
Carson took over at the Manogue 40, and after a 6-yard gain by Wallace, Keema threw a pass in the left flat to Asa Carter, who outraced the Manogue secondary into the end zone.
It was Keema’s only completion of the day and Carter’s only catch.
“It was a good throw by Jace,” Carter said. “It’s a play we normally run, and they left me open.”
“It was the perfect play call,” Keema said.
Carson’s defense gave up just 188 yards, most of that coming against the reserves. The unit also produced three sacks and allowed just 10 first downs.
Since the Reed game, Carson’s defense has been outstanding, allowing 54 points over the past six games.
“We’re really playing well,” Asa Carter said. “It’s great motivation to keep playing well against Galena, Douglas and into the playoffs.”
Linebacker Justin Tschetter had another big game with eight tackles unofficially.
“He’s playing very instinctively,” Carter said. “He’s been playing really well.”