| Justin Blackham flies into a crowd of Raptor defenders during Carbon’s final home game last week. The Dinos cruised to a 42-0 non-region victory. The Dinos will play the Spartans Friday for the final game of the regular season. |
It was a battle of Jurassic teams as the Carbon High Dinos hosted the Ogden Raptors last Thursday evening. It was the last home game of the year for the Dinos who have had a difficult time claiming their first regular season win. That was until last week.
The Dinos entered the game filled with determination and confidence. The Dinos were focused and remained this way throughout the game. This is something that the team has had a difficult time doing throughout the year. But Thursday evening was the night that the Dinos stomped out their competition.
The Dinos jumped out ahead of the Raptors early on in the game as Perry Laulu pulled down an interception and ran for 43 yards to score the touchdown. This play energized the Dinos and it took the steam right out of Ogden. The momentum was in the Dinos favor and it would stay there throughout the entire game.
The Dinos pulled ahead of the Raptors by 28 points going into the half. The scoreless Raptors left the field discouraged, yet the team was not about to give up.
As the second half kicked off, the Dinos remained focused as they continued to dominate the field.
By the conclusion of the third quarter, Carbon had leaped ahead of the Raptors 42-0. This score would hold tight up to the final whistle. Carbon had captured their first win of the regular season.
Although this was the last game of the year to be hosted on the Dino field, it was a bitter-sweet moment for the team who will not compete in front of a home crowd again this season.
The Dinos left a strong impression in their fans minds however. Jan Jorgensen and Jamal Lewis each ran for 150 yards while Laulu rushed for nearly 100 yards.
Jorgensen also ran for three touchdowns and threw for 100 yards. He also played strong on the defense end of the field as he chalked up two sacks.
Because the game was dominated by Carbon, each athlete on the team had the opportunity to compete. In fact, coach Jeff Jorgensen explained that each running back had the opportunity to carry the ball at least once in the non-region game.
The Dinos offensive line dominated the field. In fact, their efforts could have very well have been the deciding factor in the game.
Chris Powell, Dustin Hurst and Blake Allen each played strong and shut down the Raptors defensive efforts. According to coach Jorgensen, the Raptors only had one big defensive play in the game, every other effort was shut down by the strong offensive efforts of Carbon.
The Dinos defense also played strong as they stopped the Raptors offense cold. Tyson O’Neil and Jorgensen each pressed the quarterback and came up with big defensive plays for the Dinos.
So why was this game so different from all the rest this season which the Dinos have played? Coach Jorgensen explains it quite simply. “The team that has been hiding all season finally came out and played hard. They’ve had it in them all year, but they just never stayed focused. We need to keep up the momentum this week against Emery.”
The final game on the Dinos schedule will take place Friday evening in Castle Dale as Carbon battles the Emery Spartans. This game could easily be the most important of the season for several reasons.
“It would be nice to win for bragging rights in the local area, but more importantly, we need the win in order to compete at state. Four teams go to the state finals in Region 8, and that means that we need only one region win to be included in the finals. We have to come out strong and be ready for battle. Most importantly, we need to stay focused,” explained coach Jorgensen.
As the end of the season rapidly approaches, the Dinos remain confident that post season play will not leave them behind.