Senator defense stifles Pioneers

One of the best advertisements for sports is the chance to witness something you may not have expected when you paid the price of admission.

Carson High School football opened the 2024 fall slate with an emphatic 27-0 win over Canyon Springs Saturday afternoon, shutting out a Pioneer team that went 9-2 last season and played for the Class 4A South regional title game.

The Senators’ defense stole several possessions right out from underneath Canyon Springs with a litany of turnovers throughout the contest.

Junior linebacker Johnathan Alvarado was one of the key pieces, grabbing two interceptions in the season-opening victory.

“We felt great. We were all prepared. We studied them in and out,” said Alvarado. “If you check the records we haven’t had this in years. This year is different, we got a lot of stuff to do still.”

It’s the first time the Senators have opened the season with a win since the fall of 2019.

DEFENSIVE STALWARTS

Canyon Springs had a couple of drives where it threatened to put points on the board, but the Senator defense never let the Pioneers break into the end zone.

Carson opened the contest with a 3-0 lead after Drake Hardcastle connected on a 22-yard field goal, following a bad snap on a punt from the Pioneers.

Two plays later, Canyon Springs completed a deep shot that could’ve gone for six points, but Senator junior Ean Thomas tracked the Pioneer wideout down at the four-yard line.

It turned into a defensive stand for Carson, stuffing four consecutive Pioneer run plays to get the ball back.

“I’m impressed, but not like people are going to think. Our defense is going to do a lot of carrying us,” said Carson High head coach Ryan Boshard. “They are going to be dang good. … We have effort. You watch Ean Thomas chase down a guy … to save a touchdown, can’t say more than that.”

After another fourth-down stop at the beginning of the second quarter, the Senators had the ball in Pioneer territory, but faced a third-and-33 after a sack.

Hardcastle hit junior Zack Eaton on a 30-yard completion to setup a fourth-and-short in which the Senators were able to draw an encroachment penalty on the Pioneers to secure a first-and-goal.

Christian Rey punched in a three-yard touchdown on the next play to give Carson a 9-0 lead with 7:18 remaining in the first half.

Alvarado ended Canyon Springs’ next drive with his first interception of the day, but the Senators couldn’t connect on a 37-yard field goal to grab points on the turnover.

It wouldn’t matter for long as Thomas forced a fumble on the ensuing Pioneer drive – with the help of teammates Justin Gonzalez and Charles Ore – that was scooped up by Ethan Hendee and returned for a touchdown right before the half.

Leading 17-0 out of the intermission, Alvarado seized his second interception of the afternoon and nearly returned it for a score, getting tackled at the six-yard line.

“On defense, he (Alvarado) was great. He did his right reads, he’s been very coachable,” said Boshard.

“We just studied them in and out. If you read the quarterback, it’s just what we studied,” Alvarado said.

A few plays later, Hardcastle punched in the final touchdown of the day on a quarterback keeper, giving Carson a 24-0 lead with 5:52 to go in the third quarter.

One more fourth down stop led the Senators to a 45-yard field goal, booted through by Hardcastle with plenty of distance to spare.

Though the Senators didn’t score any more points, the defense wasn’t done with its showcase.

Junior Shane Robinson stepped in front of a wayward pass in the end zone for another Senator INT, returning it 30 yards and once again keeping Canyon Springs off the scoreboard.

“Second string corner back came in and made a pick. We played good ball,” said Boshard.

In total, Carson ended the day with three interceptions, four fourth-down stops and a fumble recovery.

The Senators aren’t counting their chickens just yet; they know one week of success won’t immediately translate to any sort of season-long achievement.

There is still work to put in, but Carson High football has certainly proven to the rest of Northern Nevada they’ll be worth keeping an eye on this fall.

(Carson High junior Justin Gonzalez wraps up a Canyon Springs ball carrier Saturday afternoon, during the Senators’ 27-0 win over the Pioneers to open the 2024 regular season. Carter Eckl / Nevada Appeal)

(Jake Weninger (20) and Ethan Hendee (10) celebrate after Hendee returned a fumble for a touchdown in the second quarter of a 27-0 win against Canyon Springs Saturday. Carter Eckl / Nevada Appeal)