Carson's defense shackles Redlands

Sula rushes for 179 yards and the Colts hold the hosts to just a
touchdown. Showdown with Long Beach Poly is next.

By Jim Gazzolo
Daily Breeze Correspondent

REDLANDS — Jack Sula rushed for 179 yards and Carson bounced back from a season-opening loss to post a 19-6 nonleague victory against Redlands Friday night at the University of Redlands.

What had started with such a flash for Redlands, eventually was snuffed out by the Colts.

On its third offensive play of its home opener Friday night, Redlands quarterback Jacob Brock hit Cody Smith with a 69-yard touchdown pass.

After that, all the highlights were enjoyed by Carson players.

Carson (1-1) put the game away with a strong running game in the second half.

The Colts actually took the lead for good midway through the second quarter on Sula’s 4-yard touchdown run.

After the break, it was all Carson, which held the ball for all but two three plays-and-out possessions in the third quarter, and didn’t punt until the nine-minute mark of the fourth quarter, when the Colts faced a fourth-and-goal from the Redlands' 43-yard line.

“I looked in my playbook and didn’t have anything for that,” Carson coach Mike Christensen.

But he got what he wanted with a powerful second half, as Sula finished with 179 yards on 24 carries.

“We wanted to try and wear them down,” Christensen said. “We felt like it was big to get the lead on them. We didn’t want to play from behind.”

The fact is, Carson never did trail. Brock’s bomb to Smith five minutes into the game only tied the score at 6-6, as the Colts had scored two minutes earlier.

“After that, we just could not get anything going,” Redlands coach Jim Walker said. “It was like we were stuck in the mud.”