Carson, Douglas open football season with home scrimmages

Carson opened the 2023 football season on its home turf with a jamboree of sorts, rotating between three opponents in 20-minute intervals Friday night.

Carson started against Sparks High School before shifting to play Reno and then Fallon.

There will be plenty of new faces on the Senator roster this fall

“To tell you the truth, we are such a young team at pivotal spots. We kind of knew what we were coming in with, but seeing these guys compete was awesome. They rallied around each other, built each other up,” said Carson High head coach Ryan Boshard.

The physicality of the scrimmage was expected as teams got a chance to play against an actual opponent, opposed to the monotonous intra-squad looks throughout the summer.

Of course, with a new football landscape, Boshard and company have their eyes set on taking advantage of a new division.

“Every single coach in the 5A Div. III is licking their chops because every game is going to be competitive. We are all very excited about what could happen.”

Douglas squares off with Galena

While Carson didn’t face any league opponents this season, Douglas High welcomed fellow Class 5A Div. III opponent, Galena, to town Friday.

The two teams alternated 10-play series’, starting around midfield.

“Galena is good. They are everything they advertise. They have some playmakers. There was some smacking going on today. That was fun to watch,” said Douglas High head coach Kyle Mays. “We have some stuff we have to clean up, but overall I thought it was good all the way around.”

The Tigers didn’t showcase the full playbook, but did give the home fans some early indications of what the team will feature this year.

“The kids always want to get after the very first opponent. A lot of times you’ll see missed hits because people are going so hard, but I thought the kids were focused,” said Mays.

As far as the new alignment, Mays echoed Boshard’s sentiment.

“You guys hit on it in the podcast, I think that everybody believes they are in a position where they can compete. I think it’s good for everybody,” said Mays of Class 5A Div. III. 

(Jackson Ovard takes a snap for Douglas High football, during its scrimmage against Galena Friday. / Ron Harpin)