Even though he has experienced numerous athletic highlights in the last four years at Coleville High School, Matt Carter couldn't help but get a little emotional by what he saw on Saturday afternoon.
When McDermitt's two seniors were introduced before the kickoff of its homecoming and Senior Day contest, Carter was also introduced and presented with a pair of bronzed cleats in recognition for his banner senior season at Coleville.
"That's the greatest gesture anyone's ever shown me," Carter said. "They were old sneakers dipped in gold or whatever. The next day I just stayed home, watched the games on T.V. and looking at those shoes, it almost brought tears to my eyes."
So how did Carter thank the Bulldogs? The Coleville senior merely rushed for 349 yards and six touchdowns - he rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns plus he threw for another TD in the fourth quarter alone - as the Wolves rallied for a 58-41 Northern A 8-man football victory at McDermitt.
Down 41-30 with nine minutes left to play, the Wolves scored 27 unanswered points to win the game. Carter, the tailback in Coleville's Single-wing offense, scored on runs of 22, 41, 36 and 15 yards in the fourth quarter. His 41-yard scramble brought the Wolves to within a single touchdown in what was the game's turning point.
"We scored three different times, and each time there was a flag and we got pushed back," Carter recalled. "I told the guys in the huddle, 'If we score here, this is going to be the turning point. If we don't score, they may run away from us. They just looked at me as if to say, 'Aren't they already running away from us.' But at that point, we started to step it up."
Jacob Lewallen stepped right into the spotlight when he recovered the ensuing onside kick for the Wolves. And one play later, Lewallen caught a long pass from Carter for a touchdown that put the Wolves on top to stay.
Later, Carter ran for two more touchdowns to slam the door shut on the Bulldogs. He wound up with 349 yards on 40 carries, plus he was 13-for-26 with no interceptions in the passing department for another 197 yards.
Carter has been the main man in Coleville's offense all season. He has now rushed for 1,495 yards and 21 touchdowns and thrown for 1,387 yards and 22 more TDs. Furthermore, he has picked up 530 yards and four TDs on kick returns in addition to 227 yards and two TDs on punt returns. For good measure, he has also caught a 41-yard touchdown pass this season.
All told, Carter has scored and thrown for a combined total of 50 touchdowns this fall.
Even with numbers like that, it still isn't often when an visiting player is recognized with a gift from any team.
"What wonderful folks they are," Coleville assistant coach Phil Tucker said. "They were recognizing their seniors, and then for them to make a gift to Matt for what he's done, that's such a class act."
Win or lose, playing against the McDermitt Bulldogs was a special occasion to Carter. Just for example, one of his best computer online friends is McDermitt team captain J.T. Zimmerman, who rushed for more than 100 yards on Saturday.
"J.T. and I communicate with each other online about once a week. All the McDermitt people are just so great," Carter said. "We shook hands before the game, then we banged heads for the entire game, and then we shook hands and hugged each other afterward. I wish every game was that way ... that's what it's all about."
