Facing a playoff-caliber team for only the second time in 2011, the defending State 1A Division 2 champion Carey Panthers piled up a season-high 372 rushing yards and scored eight touchdowns Friday in a 54-6 rout of North Gem's Cowboys, at Bancroft.
Carey senior Charlie Rivera (139 rushing yards, 3 TD, 6 tackles) had a big afternoon in the Sawtooth Conference eight-man football game. But it was a complete team effort for coach Lane Kirkland's unbeaten Panthers (5-0, 1-0 Sawtooth North).
Kirkland said, "We knew it was going to be a big test. I was extremely impressed and excited about our offense as far as our running game is concerned. We executed well."
Carey had 424 yards in total offense, to 61 yards for North Gem (2-3, 2-0 Sawtooth South). Until Friday, and indeed for much of the 2010 and 2009 seasons, Carey's passing game figured more prominently in the Panther offense. This time, Carey committed to running.
Another senior, Chance Chavez, scored Carey's first touchdown capping a 90-yard drive. Chavez wound up with 99 rushing yards plus two conversion runs. Quarterback Jordan Dilworth added 72 rushing yards and one TD, and completed three passes for 52 yards including a 19-yard scoring strike to Jack Cenarrusa.
Kirkland said, "Charlie and Chance hit the holes quickly. Our linemen did a good job blocking, although we can improve especially at tight ends. We never broke any big runs, but had a lot of seven-yard, 10-yard and 15-yard runs."
Cenarrusa intercepted a pass and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter for a 28-0 Panther cushion. North Gem's Tyler McClain returned the kickoff 98 yards for the only Cowboy score. Carey wrapped it up by scoring four times after halftime. Senior Baley Barg (57 rushing yards) had a touchdown and conversion.
Meanwhile, the stubborn Carey defense held North Gem's 24.8 ppg offense to just 57 rushing yards and snapped the Cowboys' two-game winning streak. North Gem's top rusher Merrill Hall rushed for only 20 yards, while quarterback McClain completed one-of-eight passes for just four yards.
"We tackled real well, penetrated and came to the ball in groups," said Kirkland. "We got to Hall quickly, and McClain only got away from us once. We overpowered North Gem with speed and size. That's a good combination."
It was Carey's seventh straight win over North Gem since 2006 by a combined 322-60 margin—and the 12th consecutive victory over two seasons for the champions. Kirkland said, "The win gave us confidence we're getting better. We've got to keep getting better and perform well in the big games down the line.
Despite the loss, North Gem could wind up as a Sawtooth Conference South representative in the State 1A Division 2 playoffs come November, and the Cowboys could earn the South championship by beating Castleford at home Oct. 21.
Clark County of Dubois is the opponent that started Carey's two-season win streak last fall, and the Bobcats are due at Derrick Parke Memorial Field in Carey today, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. for Carey's second Sawtooth North game of 2011.
Last Friday, Clark County (2-3, 1-1 league) lost 42-12 at Richfield but managed more than 300 yards in offense including 50-yard and 32-yard TD runs by Mitch Staker. In the last two meetings between the schools, Carey won 54-6 over Clark County at Dubois in 2010, and 16-2 on the eastern Idaho field back in 2003.
Check today's Express Web site for more Carey-North Gem football game statistics.
CAREY Line Score
Carey 54, North Gem 6
CAREY 6 22 12 14 54
NORTH GEM 0 6 0 0 6
SCORING
1st half
CAREY—Chance Chavez, 7-yard run; (6-0 C)
CAREY—Charlie Rivera, 9-yard run (Baley Barg run); (14-0 C)
CAREY—Baley Barg, 18-yard run; (20-0 C)
CAREY—Jack Cenarrusa, 43-yard interception return (Chance Chavez run); (28-0 C)
NORTH GEM—Tyler McClain, 98-yard kickoff return; (28-6 C)
2nd half
CAREY—Charlie Rivera, 24-yard run; (34-6 C)
CAREY—Charlie Rivera, 14-yard run; (40-6 C)
CAREY—Jack Cenarrusa, 19-yard pass from Jordan Dilworth (Chance Chavez run); (48-6 C)
CAREY—Jordan Dilworth, 1-yard run; (54-6 C)
KEY STATS CAREY NORTH GEM
Total plays 52 32
1st downs, total 25 3
Rushes, yards 48-372 24-57
Yards per carry 7.8 2.4
Completions, passes 3-4 1-8
Completion percentage 75% 12%
Passing yards 52 4
Yards per completion 17.3 4.0
Intercepted by 1 0
Sacks by, yards lost 3-18 0-0
Total offense 424 61
3rd down efficiency 6-7 1-8
4th down efficiency 1-1 0-1
Penalties, yards 8-60 3-15
Yards per punt 0.0 27.0
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS—Carey
Rushing—Charlie Rivera 13-139 (10.7 yards per carry), 3 TD; Chance Chavez 15-99 (6.6), 1 TD; Jordan Dilworth 13-72, 1 TD; Baley Barg 6-57, 1 TD; Jack Cenarrusa 1-5.
Passing—Jordan Dilworth 3-4, 52 yards, 1 TD.
Receiving—Jack Cenarrusa 1-19, 1 TD; Chance Chavez 1-19; Baley Barg 1-14.
Interceptions (1)—Jack Cenarrusa 1 with a 43-yard TD interception return.
Defensive sacks (3)—Chance Chavez 1, Garrett Lee 1, Dillon Cenarrusa 1.
Kickoff returns—Charlie Rivera 1-12.
Punt returns—Baley Barg 2-15.
Tackles/assists—Charlie Rivera 6/0, Jack Cenarrusa 5/1, Glen Andrews 4/1, Chance Chavez 4/1, Garrett Lee 4/1, Baley Barg 3/1, Dillon Cenarrusa 3/0, Francisco Gamino 2/1.
Carey Composite 2011
TOTAL SCORING
Opponents 8 6 0 8 22 (4.4)
Carey 84 66 34 40 224 (44.8)
RESULTS (5-0 overall, 3-0 home, 2-0 away, 1-0 Sawtooth Conference North)
Aug. 26 (Home) Carey 38, Oakley 16
Sept. 2 (Away) Carey 20, Raft River 0
Sept. 9 (Home) Carey 46, Challis 0
Sept. 23 (Home) Carey 66, Richfield 0
Sept. 30 (Away) Carey 54, North Gem 6
SCORING TD CONV PTS.
Baley Barg 7 1 44
Charlie Rivera 6 4 44
Jack Cenarrusa 5 1 32
Chance Chavez 4 3 30
Jordan Dilworth 3 4 26
Dillon Cenarrusa 3 0 18
Luis Garcia 2 0 12
Christian Zarate 1 1 8
Tori Alvarez 1 0 6
Adrian Alvarez 0 1 2
Patrick Baird 0 1 2
Touchdown passes—Jordan Dilworth 11, Nate Adamson 1. Conversion passes—Jordan Dilworth 2, Nate Adamson 1. Notes—Carey has scored in 16 of 18 quarters....Carey has successfully made 16 of 30 conversions (53% success rate)....Carey has scored 32 TD—13 on runs from scrimmage, 12 on passes, 5 on defense, 2 on kickoff or punt returns.
It was a hot day for football Friday at Bancroft, and there was plenty of sweat in all the eyes of the players, including Carey’s Garrett Lee (squinting here next to coach Lane Kirkland). Courtesy photo by John Peck
