Second half heroics save the Senators

Carson High School football trailed North Valleys, 7-0, at the half, but the Senators had a whole different attitude in the second half.

Carson put up 27 points over the final 24 minutes to eek out a 27-21 win over the Panthers thanks to a touchdown with 16 seconds remaining in regulation.

Tied at 21-all, Carson moved in front on a 9-yard Angelo Macias touchdown run as the clock neared triple zeroes.

The score capped a 20-0 Carson run to close out the contest.

"We took the ball over with a short field. We took it down and punched it in with Macias," said Carson High School head coach Ryan Boshard. "It was definitely a stressful situation. We only had one timeout. We had to call two plays in the huddle and the second play just happened to go for a touchdown."

STRETCH RUN

North Valleys had the ball on its own 33 with 1:47 to play in regulation, but was forced to punt after a Carson defensive stand.

On the punt, the Panther punter slipped and put a knee down, giving the Senators optimal field position with little time remaining.

That setup the game-winning score from Macias.

It was Macias’ second touchdown of the evening – his first was a short carry near the goal line that brought Carson within a score, 21-14, with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.

North Valleys held a 21-7 lead in the third quarter – prior to pair of Macias touchdowns – with two passing touchdowns of its own.

Tied 7-7, the Panthers re-took the lead in the third quarter on a touchdown through the air with 8:30 to go in the third quarter.

After scoring, North Valleys opted for an onside kick, which it recovered successfully, setting up another score through the air to go up 21-7.

However, Carson responded with a 20-0 run that finish off the game in favor of the Senators.

Boshard thought the change in offensive success in the second half came to a change in formation.

"We got in the spread and tried to utilize the horrific field conditions," said Boshard. "When we got into that (the spread) we started clicking."

Carson defensive back Kekoa Mitchell recorded a crucial interception in the second half to stall a Panther drive. 

Jake Weninger, who returned three kicks for touchdowns last season, got to show off his speed in returning the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown.

The score tied the game at 7-7.

The comeback showed Boshard and company that the Senators are capable of showing plenty of fight in tough situations. 

"It says a lot to these kids. It wasn't the warmest night. It wasn't going there way, but we were able to put together that 20-0 comeback" said Boshard.

UP NEXT: Carson (6-3, 3-1 in Class 5A North Div. III league play) will conclude the regular season at home against Damonte Ranch (4-4, 3-1) this coming Thursday.

AREA SCORES

Carson 27, North Valleys 21

Bishop Manogue 48, Reno 26

Galena 51, Hug 6

Spanish Springs 33, McQueen 13

Damonte Ranch 41, Wooster 0

Dayton 51, North Tahoe 0

Lowry 41, South Tahoe 14

Spring Creek 34, Fernley 13

Truckee 49, Sparks 0