RENO - McQueen High School's blue chip running back Chris Carr ran for four touchdowns and quarterback Graham Siderius rushed for two more on Friday night as the defending Northern 4A champion Lancers rolled to a 52-7 win over Carson at John Robb Stadium.
"All I know is that we played an excellent team tonight who pretty much manhandled us," Carson coach Bob Bateman said.
Carr, a senior, finished the game with 174 yards rushing but didn't play most of the second half after his 69-yard touchdown with 10:06 left in the third quarter.
"He's a stud," Bateman said. "He's been the premier runner in the area since his sophomore year."
Carr scored the game's first touchdown after dancing around several Carson defenders on a 48-yard run to the end zone. It was only McQueen's second play from scrimmage.
In the first half, the Lancers scored on their first five possessions as they took a 31-0 lead.
Carson managed only one first down in the half. Bateman believes that his team's problems stemmed from being unable to move the ball down the field and special teams.
"All we have to do is sustain a couple of first downs and we'd done a little better," Bateman said. "We also had some snaps that were erratic and kicks that broke down."
Making things even more difficult for the Senators was that McQueen started nearly every drive on Carson's half of the field, including two drives inside Carson's 20-yard-line after a couple of punts that didn't go more than 10 yards.
But in the second half, Carson started to get things going, even if it was against McQueen's second-string defense.
"Let's be honest, in the second half they weren't playing the same people," Bateman said.
Carson scored with 3:36 left in the third quarter when Doug Brooks broke out for a 65-yard-run that made the score 45-7. The senior Brooks finished with 111 yards while junior Josh Carter ran for 49 yards.
In the fourth quarter, McQueen's K.C. Dalton made it 52-7 after pounding out a one-yard run with under three minutes left in the game.
"I think they're shocked because they worked really hard," Bateman said of his team. "The kids are disappointed and I'm glad because it shows they care."
But Bateman was quick to point out the loss won't hurt them from reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1998.
It's only the first game and we told the kids it was a non-league game. We could've won this and it wouldn't have had any bearing on us getting into the playoffs," Bateman said. "It doesn't interfere at all with our goal and that is to make the playoffs.
Carson's next game is Friday against Galena in Reno at 7 p.m.
