Carson High quarterback Drake Hardcastle tries to fit a pass in to a cutting wide receiver Friday night against Galena.
Photo by Carter Eckl.
After last Friday’s 37-0 loss to Galena, Carson football coach Ryan Boshard said the team needed to get back to the basics.
It was a simple message constructed directly around the Senators needing to be clearer on everyone’s responsibilities for each play.
“We need to go down to a little bit of basics,” Boshard said postgame Friday night. “We need to get these guys making sure they know exactly what they have to do, when they have to do it and why.”
Friday night will be one more chance for the Senators to do just that as they host North Valleys (1-6 overall, 0-3 in Class 5A Division III games).
Mental mistakes have continued to be an issue for Carson throughout the season.
That said, Carson matched Galena in the turnover department, as each team coughed up the ball twice.
Jake Weninger recorded his first interception of the season in the first half against the Grizzlies.
Defensively, Carson has had to work with its back against the wall this season.
Short fields and penalties have pushed the Senators into giving up the second-most points in the league, at 252.
However, in league games this fall Carson has allowed just 61 points.
That’ll be an advantage for the Senators come Friday night where the Panthers have given up 100 total points in league games to just 19 points scored.
After Carson shut out Hug, 17-0, two weeks ago, it’ll be imperative for the Senators to keep the Panthers off the scoreboard as much as possible.
Both scoring offenses are averaging right around 10 points per game, so defensive intensity will be a top priority.
“Oh, absolutely 100 percent down to the basics on offense,” Boshard said. “We have to understand our rules and what we have to do.”
Neither Carson nor Galena reported final penalty totals, but each team was well over 100 yards in flags.
A win Friday night would all but secure Carson as the No. 4 seed heading into this year’s first-ever Division III postseason.
Douglas and Wooster will play for the top spot this Friday night and Galena sits in third after shutting out the Senators.
Hug and North Valleys are both still looking for their first league win.
Should Carson get the No. 4 seed, the Senators would get to host a home playoff game before potentially taking on the No. 1 seed in the league semifinals.
Carson and North Valleys will kickoff Friday in Carson at 7 p.m.