Carson Beats Palisades 43-9 in L.A. City Section Quarterfinals

Rain couldn’t wash away Carson’s championship aspirations on Friday as quarterback Chris Fields III accounted for six touchdowns to lead the Colts to a 43-9 rout over Palisades in the L.A. City Section Open Division quarterfinals.

Reminiscent of last season’s quarterfinal, the defending L.A. City Section Open Division champions weathered the wet conditions. This time, top-seeded Carson (10-1) was fully prepared for the elements, advancing to host King/Drew in the semifinals in a rematch from last season’s playoffs.

“I’m just grateful that God blessed me with these abilities, with these great coaches, my great teammates,” Fields said. “Everything’s falling into place, and I can’t be nothing but grateful.”

On Carson’s opening possession, wide receiver Nick Sandoval hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass from Fields. Just over three minutes later, Fields connected with Nathan Williams on a 62-yard post route on third down, pushing the lead to 14-0.

After the Carson defense forced a three-and-out to open the second quarter, the offense marched from their own 32-yard line. Fields hit Williams again for an 11-yard score, followed by a successful two-point attempt by Jordan Manai.

Carson Beats Palisades 43-9 in L.A. City Section Quarterfinals

Palisades (6-4) found a late offensive spark before halftime when quarterback Robert Holohan orchestrated a drive in the final seconds. With 19 seconds remaining, Holohan lobbed a 37-yard pass to wide receiver Jesse Wolfson, setting up a 2-yard touchdown pass to Michael Peters.

Carson pulled away in the second half. By the start of the fourth quarter, Fields found Sandoval for a 29-yard touchdown strike to stretch the lead to 36-9.

“I love those guys, man. Without them, we pretty much can’t do anything – those guys work their tail off,” Sandoval said of his offensive line. “They’re the heart and soul of this team.”

Defensively, the Colts leaned on strong outings from Bennie Saulter, Michael O’Dell, and AJ Umoh, who each recorded two pass break-ups. Kingston Sula sacked Holohan.

Last year, Carson was caught off-guard by the rain during their quarterfinal meeting with King/Drew, with Fields attempting only three passes in that contest while the Colts relied on the ground attack. That weather-affected experience prompted a different approach this season.

Coach William Lowe had his players practice with wet footballs to simulate rainy conditions. Lowe said the preparation helped the Colts become more comfortable handling the elements.

“This year, prepping for it [rain], having rain last week and practicing in it helped us mentally just to know we can still run our offense and defense and do what we’re supposed to do,” Lowe said.