Carey rebounds, routs Rams

CAREY --After three weeks of tough non-league play, Carey's real season started Friday. It made sure to start it with a bang. Carey defeated Upper Sandusky in a 40-3 rout on its home turf in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference opener for both teams. As three-time reigning champions, the Blue Devils took a big step in once again ruling the N-10. "Like I told them going into this week," Carey coach Jonathon Mershman said. "'Hey, first season's over with. We had our non-league schedule, that's over with. Now, we're getting into league play, it resets. Our new season starts today. You can put everything in the past, learn from the past, but we've gotta move to the future.'"Carey had Upper's number from the very beginning, when after a costly holding call, the Blue Devils forced a Rams punt on fourth and 17 just a minute and a half into the game. Three minutes later, and the Blue Devils put their first of many scores on the board. Running back Eli Steen rumbled 24 yards up the middle for his first of three scores. Steen finished with 132 yards and 20 carries, with 117 of those coming in the first half. Steen's other two scores came via a 17-yard run and a 12-yarder. "They feed off of him, off of his big runs," Mershman said. "His explosive runs, his willingness to run guys over. That's the kind of team we are. One of those kind of teams that are just gonna grind things. I thought tonight was case in point." The second quarter was where things went from bad to worse for the Rams. Carey scored a touchdown less than three minutes in after Mace Puckett drove in a three-yard run. Then, Upper Sandusky turned it over on the first drive of two straight possessions, both leading to Blue Devil touchdowns. Rams wideout Max Martinez attempted a throw on a trick play, which resulted in an interception by Carey's Tripp Phoenix, who returned it to the 30-yard line. Brandon Tanner capped off the 30-yard drive with a two-yard run for the Blue Devils. When the Rams got the ball back, Logan Summit found Rams QB Justin Heilman in the backfield for a sack, where Heilman lost the ball and Gavin Snyder recovered it for the Blue Devils. Steen's 17-yarder capped this Carey possession.Upper Sandusky punted on its next drive, with just 17 seconds to go in the half. The Blue Devils weren't done. Carey snapped the ball with just two seconds remaining on its 49-yard line, as quarterback Kyler Boes scanned the field. He spotted Phoenix wide open across the middle, tossing it to him for a 51-yard score as time expired in the first half. Carey allowed just three total yards from the Rams in the second quarter, asserting its dominance. "We had some ups and downs in the first three games, and we've learned from those," Mershman said. "Like I said, learn from the past... We looked really good at times, and we looked kinda not so good at times. We learned from them. The biggest thing is getting the guys to buy into what we're doing. As long as they're buying in and staying galvanized together, the sky's the limit for these guys. They're doing a great job and I'm so proud of them. I'm hoping we can keep this thing rolling."The second half saw the introduction of the running clock, as well as the Rams' only points of the evening. With 3:54 remaining in the contest, kicker Kobe Beidelschies sent the ball through the uprights for a field goal to avoid the shutout. Boes connected on three of his six pass attempts for 66 yards, rushing for 39 yards as well. Tanner ended the game with 35 yards and nine carries. Phoenix had 56 receiving yards and 13 rushing yards. "I thought we did a really good job of moving guys enough, and letting Eli, Mace (Puckett), Dash (Puckett), Brandon, and Kyler get some runs, and even Tripp on the outside. I thought the mix was good tonight, and I thought everybody played their part."The Rams' Heilman struggled against Carey's staunch defense, completing just four of his 12 passes for 39 yards. Running back Ethan Lewis finished with 38 total yards, carrying the ball six times and catching two passes. Martinez caught two passes for 28 yards, and Kaden Vogel added 27 yards on the ground. "They've been 0-3 before," Upper Sandusky coach Russell Hall said. "That's what happens when you're good, it's hard to find non-league games. You've gotta play really good teams. That's what they have. Hats off to them, they were prepared and they came out and executed like I thought they would.""Keep working and getting better," Hall added. "We've got nowhere to go but up."The win was Carey's first of the season, as they now sit at 1-3. The Blue Devils will host Seneca East next Friday. The Rams (1-3) will host the Wynford Royals. CAR 7 26 7 0–40US 0 0 0 3–3First QuarterCAR - Steen 24 Run (Gery Kick)Second QuarterCAR - M. Puckett 3 Run (Kick Blocked)CAR - Tanner 2 Run (Gery Kick)CAR - Steen 17 Run (2-pt Failed)CAR - Phoenix 51 Pass from Boes (Gery Kick)Third QuarterCAR - Steen 12 Run (Gery Kick)Fourth QuarterUS - Beidelschies FG