NSN: PreSeason Prep Preview: Carson High Football

With high school football beginning this month, NSN is previewing each Northern 5A and 4A team. Today's team: Carson High School.

Carson

Nuts and bolts

Mascot: Senators

Colors: Blue and white
League: 4A

Last season: 7-5 overall, 3-2 league (third out of six team in the 5A-III)

Coach: Steven Nelms (first season)

Season overview
All-region players lost: LB JT Heaton, RB Angelo Macias, WR/LB Ethan Hendee, OL Sergio Villanueva, DL/RB Christian Rey, QB/K/P Drake Hardcastle, LB Justin Gonzales, DB/WR/KR/PR Jake Weninger, WR Angel Ruelas, OL Aiden Krueger, LB Devin Zervoulakis, DB Kekoa Mitchell

Returning all-region players: WR Zack Eaton, LB Jonathan Alvarado, LB Justin Gonzales, OL Joseph Madera

In short: Carson hired Steven Nelms to lead its program after Ryan Boshard stepped down following a three-year run in which the Senators went 12-22 with last year's 7-5 record being Carson's best since 2015. Boshard joined the Bishop Manogue staff as an assistant with Nelms coming over from rival Douglas where he was the Tigers' running backs coach, defensive backs and run-game coordinator. After a solid 2024, Carson moves to the 4A, the lower of the two divisions in large-class Northern Nevada. The Senators are expected to be one of the top teams in that division this season.

Players to watch
* QB/DE Nicholas Heald: Carson is testing the waters with a few quarterbacks, but Heald standing at 6-foot-1 has a major role on the team already. With the outlook looking good for the senior, he has the ability to play different positions and fill where the Senators have holes. As a junior, Heald rushed for 27 yards on four carries on offense and shined on defense with 45 tackles, three fumble recoveries and two sacks.

* RB/LB Justin Gonzalez: Gonzalez split time with all-league players Angelo Macias and Christian Rey at running back last season but still rushed for 163 yards with two touchdowns. His offense numbers should improve while he continues to shine on defense where he racked up 102 tackles, including 10.5 for loss, last season.

* OLB/RB Jonathan Alvarado: As a junior, Alvarado had 61 tackles, three tackles for loss and two interceptions, returning those for 50 yards (both were in the first game of the year, a win over Canyon Springs). He also rushes for 115 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries and will get an expanded role on offense.

Quote to note
"Our theme for the year is 'We not me' where it's not about us as one single person but what we do as a team, on the field, in the classroom and outside of the school is we're really trying to hone in on being really solid people in every aspect of life. So not the football focus, but just making these into really good, quality men who can help out Carson, in college past football is a huge staple for us. They have to have culture." — Carson head coach Steven Nelms

Schedule
8/22 vs. Spring Creek

9/5 at Spanish Springs

9/19 vs. Reed

10/10 at Douglas

10/17 @ McQueen

10/24 vs. Reno

10/30 vs. Wooster