Nevada Appeal: Carson hosts Dayton to open 2026 season

Nevada Appeal: Carson hosts Dayton to open 2026 season
By Carter Eckl
Photo by Jeff Mulvihill, Jr. | InstaImage.
https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2026/aug/13/carson-hosts-dayton-to-open-2026-season/

If you imagine hard enough, you might be able to smell the grass or hear the announcer from where you are sitting.

It’s high school football season in Nevada once again, bringing another chance to see what some of our local teams can accomplish on the gridiron.

The first official day for competition in all fall sports is Thursday. Carson and Dayton will kick off the football season for area teams the next evening.

Here’s a quick look at the season kickoff:

RECORDS: Dayton (0-0); Carson (0-0)

AT STAKE: Starting the season off with a win is the obvious goal for both sides. Regardless of result, the teams will use the opener to sharpen things up before their respective league seasons (4A for Carson; 3A for Dayton).

CARSON ON OFFENSE: Dylan Loff takes over under center for Carson at quarterback. How much has Loff progressed from last fall to this season? What does the Carson running back room look like now that it is a committee approach? The Senators have a lot of new pieces coming together on offense and it’ll be interesting to see how they gel in the opener.

DAYTON ON OFFENSE: The Dust Devils are going to rely on the run and why wouldn’t you when you have a running back like Duke Evans? Evans is coming off a 2,001-yard rushing season as a junior, including finding the end zone 18 times. The Dust Devils may have a new coaching staff, but the plan can’t vary too much.

FINAL NOTE: It’s simplistic to say, but it’s true for every prep football season — more than anything, it will be interesting to see how both sides fare. Dayton has a new coaching staff in place under Mike McCullough and will likely feature some new wrinkles. Carson’s staff has plenty of similarity to last season, but how will the Senators’ new faces on the field respond to their first test?



2026 OPENER

Who: Dayton (0-0) at Carson (0-0)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Online: Find recaps and photos from Carson High football all season long at nevadaappeal.com. Also, follow Nevada News Group sports director Carter Eckl at @CarterEckl.