Carbon may of lost their matchup with the Union Cougars on Friday night, but the players showed great improvement during the game that added to the excitement on the night.
Carbon almost matched Union score for score well into the fourth quarter when they were trailing 20-27. At this point Union picked off a Hail Mary Carbon pass and scoring on a 40 yard run on the last play of the game. Final score 33 to 20.
Carbon remains winless (now 0-5) but the 33-20 loss to the Cougars was closer than expected. The game was very much an offensive battle. Union did have two touchdowns of 75-plus yards called back on penalties in the contest.
The Cougars’ Lincoln Labrum scored the first TD of the game on a 4-yard run, but Carbon came back to score on a 40-yard pass catch by Ashton Larsen for a 7-7 tie after one quarter.
Union scored next when Brock Brinkerhoff blocked a punt and Easton Rohrer picked up the ball and ran it deep into Carbon territory. Lincoln Labrum scored on the first play of the drive on a quarterback run.
Labrum then threw the ball to Chase Birchell for a 25-yard TD catch, but Carbon’s Chance LeCheminant, who was having a very strong showing for the night dug in and executed his own 25-yard TD aerial that had the game tied at 13-13 after two quarters.
The Cougars then outscored the Dinos, 20 to 7 in the second half to beat the Dinos by 13. Carbon’s final TD in the third quarter was scored by Collin Lewis on a 6-yard run.
“I am impressed with how well they played on Friday,” said Carbon coach Joshua Huntsman. “We are running a demanding practice schedule and through good effort, the players are putting themselves in a good position to win.”
Carbon has a very young team with only 1 senior on the offensive line, 1 running back and 2 receivers and Huntsman feels they are setting themselves up for the immediate and extended future.
Huntsman is not known for a punting game and last Friday they had one punt with 5 fourth down situations, 3 of which were successful.
“I don’t like punting,” said Huntsman. “Any time we are near midfield we will go for it.”
He explained that some teams play for position on the field. Huntsman said that he wants the offense to get rolling and being successful on 4th downs is a good way to keep that momentum going.
For note, Chance LeCheminant finished the game with three catches totaling 76 yards. Like most members of the team, he plays both offense and defense. Ashton scored Carbon’s first touchdown as a wide receiver. He also plays linebacker on defense.
Huntsman also saw great effort from running back Nate Olsen and Collin Lewis on both offense and defense.
Emery is up next for the Dinos, who are also 0-5 for the season. But over the past 28 years, the Spartans dominated the matchup with Carbon 26 out of the last 28 games. The last games Carbon has won were in 1994 and 2000.
“Emery has had some tough games this year and they are switching their offense from their traditional set to a spread set that has impacted their game this year,” explained Huntsman.
Carbon has a quick set and what they call their “Diesel” offense which is a tackle over set which sets up their running game.
“We will make some adjustments and I am looking forward to a good matchup between these two teams,” said Huntsman.
“I see the tide turning in our program,” said Huntsman. “Not only with our players, but with the increased interest from the rest of the students as well.”
The Emery game is schedule for Friday night at 7:00 p.m. in Castle Dale at the Emery High School stadium.
Carbon shows strengths in loss to Union
football