Carey High School football players stepped up and met the challenge of the Rockland Bulldogs last Friday. Carey built a 20-0 halftime lead in a hard-fought Sawtooth Conference eight-man football game and beat the host Bulldogs 40-12.
Seniors Gonzalo Zarate (126 yards, 1 TD) and Dillon Simpson (125 yards, 1 TD) led a Panther rushing attack that out-gained Rockland's rushers 288-35. On Carey's longest scoring play from scrimmage all season, Simpson caught an 89-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Caleb Cenarrusa.
It was one of two TD passes thrown by Cenarrusa on an afternoon when Rockland's 258-yard passing attack gave the Carey defense a test. Senior Trevor Peck (13 tackles, 8 assists) led a defense that did well limiting the 'Dogs to 12 points.
Rockland's retiring 32-year football coach Steve May was honored during the Carey-Rockland game, and the Bulldogs (3-4, 3-4) responded well at their home "Dog Pound" turf.
Carey coach Lane Kirkland said, "We executed real well and did a great job in the first half to get ahead 20-0. Rockland is a good team—well balanced, with great size and good speed and a lot of determination. Steve May has been a great coach and leader for them.
"Rockland had real tall kids and they ran a lot of screens with their passing. But we stuffed their run real well." Indeed, Carey had seven defensive sacks, four by Zarate.
The victory assured Carey (7-1, 6-1 league) of a homefield game in the first round of the State 1A Division 2 playoffs. Carey athletic director Lee Cook said that first-round game will likely be played Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. at Derrick Parke Memorial Field, Carey.
But Carey's playoff opponent won't be finalized until this week's regular-season finales.
Carey opens the final week with its "Senior Night" game against the Richfield Tigers today, Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Derrick Parke Memorial Field. Eight Panther seniors and their parents will be honored today.
Richfield (4-4, 3-4) needs a win at Carey to have any shot at a state playoff berth. Last Friday, the Tigers snapped a four-game losing skid with a 36-26 victory at Dietrich (4-4, 4-3). Dietrich will host North Gem of Bancroft (5-3, 5-2) this week, with the winner likely to be Carey's first-round opponent.
The Carey-Richfield match-up has become more interesting because of the return of Richfield senior Michael Lezamiz, who injured his knee in Richfield's 52-30 home loss to Rockland Sept. 18. Richfield then lost four times before Lezamiz returned full-time Friday with two rushing TDs and one passing score in Richfield's dominating win at Dietrich.
Coach Kirkland expects Lezamiz and senior scatback Jose Rivas to provide a strong test of Carey's open-field tackling abilities tonight.
"It should be Lezamiz left and Rivas right," said Kirkland about Richfield's attack. "Those guys along with (senior) Tucker Smith will run a lot. They'll spread it out and go Wildcat. It will be a good test to see if we can tackle in the open field, gang tackle and wrap up."
Defending state champ Carey beat Richfield twice last season, 34-28 at Richfield and 66-20 in the state semi-finals in Pocatello. The Panthers own six straight grid wins over Richfield by a 299-54 score, and have captured 21 of the last 22 meetings. Richfield last beat Carey 38-34 in 2004 at Carey.
CAREY Line Score
Carey 40, Rockland 12
CAREY. 6 14 0 20 40
ROCKLAND 0 0 6 6 12
SCORING
1st half
CAREY—Brett Adamson, 10-yard pass from Caleb Cenarrusa (run failed); (6-0 C)
CAREY—Dillon Simpson, 89-yard pass from Caleb Cenarrusa (pass failed); (12-0 C)
CAREY—Caleb Cenarrusa, 1-yard run (Gonzalo Zarate run); (20-0 C)
2nd half
ROCKLAND—Richie Turnbaugh, 1-yard run (run failed); (20-6 C)
CAREY—Gonzalo Zarate, 1-yard run (run failed); (26-6 C)
CAREY—Caleb Cenarrusa, 1-yard run (run failed); (32-6 C)
ROCKLAND—Nelson, 45-yard pass (run failed); (32-12 C)
CAREY—Dillon Simpson, 36-yard run (Brett Adamson, pass from Caleb Cenarrusa); (40-12 C)
KEY STATS CAREY ROCKLAND
1st downs, total 16 14
Rushing yardage 288 35
Completions, passes 6-12 17-31
Passing yards 102 258
Total offense 390 293
Sacks by, yards lost 7-42 1-7
Penalties 6-40 3-20
Yards per punt 22.0 44.7
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS—Carey
Rushing—Gonzalo Zarate 15-126, 1 TD; Dillon Simpson 14-125, 1 TD; Caleb Cenarrusa 11-37, 2 TD.
Passing—Caleb Cenarrusa 6-12, 102 yards, 2 TD.
Receiving—Dillon Simpson 1-89, 1 TD; Wacey Barg 3-2; Brett Adamson 2-11, 1 TD.
Fumble recoveries (3)—Dillon Simpson 2, Gonzalo Zarate 1..
Interceptions (1)—Dillon Simpson 1.
Sacks—Gonzalo Zarate 4, Trevor Peck 1, Blair Peck 1, Wacey Barg 1.
Kickoff returns—Brett Adamson 1-40, Todd Peck 1-3.
Punt returns—Dillon Simpson 1-64.
Tackle leaders—Trevor Peck 13 tackles/8 assists; Blair Peck 9/6; Todd Peck 8/8; Dillon Simpson 8/3; Jacy Baird 7/4; Tyler Chavez 5/5; Caleb Cenarrusa 6/3; Gonzalo Zarate 6/2; Brett Adamson 3/2; Charlie Rivera 2/2; Wacey Barg 2/1.
Carey coach Lane Kirkland patrols the sideline Friday during the Rockland-Carey football game at the “Dog Pound.” Courtesy photo by John Peck
