It's not how you start, it's how you finish. Carver's Yellowjackets know all about it.
Carver relied on its bullish ground game to beat Trinity 20-7 and win the PAC 6 2-A conference title last night at Lash Stadium.
It was quite a recovery for a team which at one point earlier this season was in a tailspin at 2-4. The Yellowjackets, however, have managed to regroup and win five in a row.
The victory assures Carver of being the league's No. 1 seed for the state playoffs, which will start next week.
"The one constant for this team all year was the effort our kids put forth," said Coach Brent David of Carver. "They never lost their competitive nature and they kept on fighting week in and week out. Now they believe in themselves a lot more than they did at the beginning of the season."
For most of the first half, Carver (7-4, 5-0) couldn't generate much of a spark against a Trinity defense that limited opponents to 11.9 points a game. Trinity (6-4, 3-2) was able to run effectively while keeping the ball for long stretches. The Bulldogs grabbed the lead in the second quarter when quarterback Mario McInnis put a spin move on a defender at the line of scrimmage and raced 15 yards for a touchdown. McInnis had a team-high 90 yards on 13 carries.
But just before halftime, the momentum began to change. The Yellowjackets drove 91 yards in 14 plays and tied the game on a 17-yard scoring pass from Mike Lawrence to Richard Daniels and Eder Banos' extra-point kick.
"That scoring drive right before the end of the half was key," said Coach Alex Mebane of Trinity. "For the rest of the game they kept coming after us with their power running game. That's what they do best."
Carver's ground game has produced handsomely because of a few new wrinkles. In the Power Set, David positions defensive lineman SamQuan Evans and linebacker Chris Hackett in the backfield as blockers for Daniels, B.J. Lowery and Dontae Wade. Lowery and Wade combined for 187 of the Yellowjackets' 245 rushing yards.
"That set gives us a lot of size," said David. "We feel like we can control the tempo and move the ball when we need to."
The effectiveness of the power ground game set the table for the Jackets taking the lead for good with their opening drive of the third quarter. Carver kept the ball for nearly eight minutes and drove 69 yards in 15 plays.
On second and goal, Lawrence showcased his sleight-of-hand skills when he faked a pitchout to the left, and scored easily from five yards out on bootleg to the right side.
Wade added the final touches late in the fourth quarter when he broke free on a counter play and bolted 44 yards for a touchdown.
Trinity 0 7 0 0 -- 7
Carver 0 7 7 6 -- 20
T: McInnis 15 run (Griffin kick)
C: Daniels 17 pass from Lawrence (Banos kick)
C: Lawrence 5 run (Banos kick)
C: Wade 44 run (kick failed)
Records: Trinity 6-4 (3-2); Carver 7-4 (5-0)
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