Douglas High’s Brenton Weston (13) against Carson in Minden in 2023. Friday’s edition of The Rivalry will be the first time in 15 years both teams enter with records above .500.
Photo by Ron Harpin.
It’s been 15 years since the Douglas and Carson football teams have played with both teams boasting a winning record.
That stat is a bit misleading as The Rivalry usually takes place at the end of the season. Today will be the first time the two rivals will have played in September since 2006.
Even with two programs trending upward, the stakes aren’t raised from years past. This rivalry runs deeper than win-loss records.
“I told the kids the other day that stadium is going to be packed,” said Douglas High head coach Kyle Mays. “That stadium is always packed for this one, but when both teams have records like they have right now going into it, that energy should be pretty good.
“All those people who want to debate whether this is the greatest rivalry in the state of Nevada should probably watch the TV broadcast. They’ll probably feel the energy coming through their screen.”
SENATOR SCOUT
Carson’s rushed for 363 yards last week against McQueen, giving the Tigers a priority early.
“It’s going to be hard to smother… the name of the game in football is stopping the run first and if you can’t do that you’re not going to have a whole lot of success,” said Mays. “They get into that three-back set with two tight ends and they run the ball right at you.”
Mays said a few Senators have stood out on film.
Johnathan Alvarado (No. 8) and Kekoa Mitchell (No. 6) were two names that Mays highlighted on defense.
Aaron Witt (No. 3) and Jake Weninger (No. 20) were two other names that the Tigers will need to be careful of.
“They do a good job of getting down hill and filling gaps. Their DBs (defensive backs) do a good job of keeping everything in front of them,” said Mays. “They blitz from different angles and different sides. … We have to be prepared for everything that defense is going to give.”
Carson’s defense has forced 14 turnovers through its first four games, making each possession critical for the Tigers.
TIGERS’ OFFENSE FIRING
While Douglas’ defense has been showcased a few times this season, the offense was able to put up big numbers last Friday at North Valleys.
Quarterback Jackson Ovard threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Ovard is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes this fall.
Brenton Weston hauled in four catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns last week. Dustin Danen also grabbed a 47-yard reception.
Douglas also rushed for 125 yards and five touchdowns. Zack Jackson led the way with 53 yards on the ground and three scores.
In total, Douglas put up 402 yards of offense against North Valleys.
The 101st anniversary of The Rivalry Game is setup to be a doozy. Douglas has won four of the last six meetings.