CHINA GROVE — There were no accusations that the footballs weren’t properly inflated, but they definitely were slippery.
Carson’s zany 27-13 victory over Salisbury on Monday night featured 12 turnovers — six by each team.
Carson fumbled the opening kickoff, and the Hornets proceeded to hand the ball right back to the Cougars on the first play from scrimmage. Things never really settled down.
“The football was drenched,” Carson defensive monster Ryan Bearden explained. “The ball was so wet even gloves didn’t help you get a grip. On pitches, balls were squirting all over the place.”
There was no immediate decision on whether this game will be nominated in the drama or comedy category, but some awards should be forthcoming.
While Carson ultimately won by two touchdowns, there was doubt about the outcome until Carson cornerback Brenden Westbrook’s pick-six with a little over a minute to go.
“Will Steinman was down there and I thought he was open, but it’s hard to throw a wet football,” Carson coach Joe Pinayn said.
Leading 20-13, the Cougars (2-0) were trying to run out the clock, but Carson QB Owen White lost the handle, and Salisbury’s D.J. Alexander recovered with six minutes left at the Carson 45.
Juan Fair carried three times for a first down at the Carson 35 with four minutes left, and as the clock ticked toward the 2-minute mark, Salisbury QB Harrison Smith converted a fourth-and-8 with a 9-yard completion to Daeshaude White at the Carson 23.
When the Cougars knocked Fair for a 2-yard loss on first-and-10, the Hornets (1-2) resorted to the air on second-and-long, and suddenly Westbrook was sprinting down the Carson sideline with the football and with Bearden convoying him to the end zone. Carson fans sighed with relief and high-fived.
“I saw the ball going over their receiver’s head, and then I was there,” Westbrook said. “There was nothing in front of me but teammates and a lot of grass.”
Carson fullback Dylan Livengood led the cheers and went charging down the sideline parallel to Westbrook, sprinting like a man with a plane to catch.
“I was on my knees praying before Brenden made that interception,” Livengood said. “I was so excited, I beat him to the end zone.”
Carson’s defense pitched a shutout against Salisbury’s offense.
Salisbury’s touchdowns came on a first-quarter kickoff return by Daeshaude White and a scoop-and-score fumble return by cornerback Shaquez Strickland on the final play of the first quarter. Strickland’s play gave his team a 13-6 lead, but the Hornets didn’t score again.
“I got a chance to make a play and I did,” Strickland said. “But we didn’t capitalize on a lot of chances, and it cost us. There were a lot of fumbles and turnovers.”
It was a tough loss for Salisbury coach Ryan Crowder to Pinyan, his former mentor.
“We’ve just got to find a way to punch the ball into the end zone,” Crowder said. “We move it down to the pins, but then we just die out with a penalty, a bad snap or a turnover.”
Livengood’s 21-yard burst in the first quarter opened the scoring.
“I was able to get under their tacklers,” the 5-foot-3 Livengood said with a grin. “Salisbury was hitting, but our offensive line was doing a great job. The line is the key to our offense.”
A 35-yard run by Livengood set up Owen White for a 12-yard run with 8:53 left in the second quarter, and Cole Howard’s PAT made it 13-all.
A 9-yard option keeper by White provided the go-ahead score with 6:28 left in the third quarter.
The rain ended by halftime, but the field was wet, the ball was wet, and the turnovers kept on coming.
Salisbury had first-and-goal at the Carson 7 early in the fourth quarter, but Salisbury back Antwond Glenn was pounded trying to turn the left corner. Bearden recovered the fumble.
“Jacob McCurry stopped him and Andy Jerman made a big hit that knocked the ball loose,” Bearden said. “Our defense played great again. We picked up the offense, but we know we’re going to have those nights where we need the offense to pick us up.”
Pinyan lauded his defense and defensive staff, but he was the first to admit the Cougars were fortunate to come out on top.
“Salisbury played well on defense and we made a ton of mistakes on special teams,” Pinyan said. “We laid it on the ground a bunch. We wanted to throw it and we needed to throw it to loosen up their defense, but the weather made it tough to throw it.”