Carson football can’t overcome McQueen's explosiveness

The Carson High football team had a number of chances to hang with the McQueen offense Thursday night, but a few miscues cost the Senators as the Lancers left Carson City with a 41-11 win.

In the first half, Carson responded to nearly every McQueen scoring drive with authority, breaking off plays that allowed the Senators to drive down the field.

On four separate drives in the opening half the Senators found themselves in Lancer territory, but Carson was only able to put points on the board once.

The one scoring drive was capped by a 39-yard field goal off the foot of Jackson Kalicki, which kept the Senators within three scores – down 21-3 in the final minute of the first half.

Carson had drives of 10, eight and five plays each of which put the Senators inside McQueen’s 40-yard line, but the drives ended in a turnover on downs, a fumbled snap and a punt.

“Give McQueen credit that was really the difference in the game,” said Carson football coach Blair Roman. “Their big plays that they made and we came away with nothing.”

It was Lancer pressure off the edge that caused enough havoc to slow down the Carson offensive attack.

Quality kickoff returns also helped the Senators establish effective drives as Ben Heaton had a few returns that allowed Carson to start beyond its own 40-yard line.

Defensively for the Senators it was the big play that allowed McQueen to pick up points quickly.

The Lancers opening drive resulted in a touchdown off a 50-yard screen pass taken to the house by Matthew Croarkin.

McQueen’s following drive lasted four plays as quarterback Cody Ciglar hit Cayden Flores for a 78-yard touchdown reception that put the Lancers in front 14-0 with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter.

“If we can do a better job of that, that’s going to really help,” said Roman of limiting the big play.

Carson stopped a fake field goal by the Lancers at the beginning of the second quarter to regain some confidence, but the Senators turned the ball over on downs after a fourth down sack.

The Senators’ lone trip to the end zone came with 7:21 left in the fourth quarter when Gilbert Polanco-Vasquez capped a four-play drive with an eight yard touchdown.

For Roman, he feels the film room will show his team that the margin of defeat looks bigger on a scoreboard than in actuality on the field.

“We’re going to see a lot of correctable things, but I hope they understand that we’re not that far away,” said Roman. “We didn’t get physically dominated and last year McQueen physically dominated us.”

UP NEXT: Carson (1-1) will turn its sights to Foothill (CA) as the Senators host an 0-1 Cougar team next Friday.