Carson High no match for Damonte Ranch

Normally the Carson High football team would be watching film Saturday morning of Friday night’s game. But there was no sense in watching this film.

“We’re not watching this film,” said Carson coach Blair Roman after his team’s 70-7 loss to Damonte Ranch on Friday at CHS.

“I don’t have much to say,” said Roman after his team was embarrassed by the Mustangs. “The kids played a really, really top notch team tonight.”

And this was a game in which injury was literally added to insult. Bradley Maffei, who briefly energized the Senators with a 66-yard touchdown run, had to sit out the second half with what Roman said could have been a concussion.

Starting defensive back Gilbert Polanco also had to come out of the game with a knee injury. Roman said Maffei’s and Polanco’s status for this Friday’s game at Wooster is unknown.

But that’s all that’s left for Carson to do now after a night like this is to move on and get ready for Wooster. “That’s all you can do,” Roman said. “We’ll rally the troops and prepare for the Colts.”

Friday’s game actually got off to a promising start for Carson (1-7, 0-3). Luke Konrad and Manny Vasquez combined to sack Damonte quarterback Cade McNamara for a 1-yard loss on the Mustangs’ first play from scrimmage.

Ben Granados then broke up a pass to force Damonte into a 4th and 4 at its own 37-yard line. But Damonte went for it and Derrick Knoblock broke off a 63-yard touchdown run to give the Mustangs a 7-0 lead and the rout was on.

McNamara, who has committed to Michigan, and Knoblock put up huge numbers in just one half of action. McNamara was 11-of-19 for 252 yards and four touchdowns, two each to Jake Polson and Tai Allison. Polson had five catches for 144 yards. Polson had touchdown catches of 16 and 58 yards and Allison had catches of 8 and 35 yards.

The last touchdown pass, though, to Polson of 35 yards came on the last play of the first half to give the Mustangs a 49-7 halftime lead when Damonte could’ve just let the time run out to end the half.

Knoblock gained 137 yards on just six carries and scored three touchdowns on runs of 67, 6 and 16 yards.

Maffei’s 66-yard TD run and Jackson Kalicki’s extra point cut Damonte’s lead to 28-7. Maffei also had a 38-yard run in the first half and finished with 116 yards on six carries before coming out of the game.

Granados also returned a kickoff 58 yards to the Damonte 37 in the second half for Carson.

But Carson’s night only got worse when Ashton Hayes broke off a 97-yard touchdown run to finish the scoring. That gave Hayes 105 yards on two carries.

Carson’s night was summed up on the sequence that came after Hayes’ touchdown. Blake Menzel broke off a 49-yard run for the Senators and then appeared to score on a run from the Damonte 7, but was ruled just inches shy of the goal line.

Menzel then fumbled the snap and Carson was called for a procedure penalty on the next play and then time expired to end the game.