Tyler Manion
ASU Student Journalist

South Mountain trounces Camelback 47-12

September 22, 2018 by Tyler Manion, Arizona State University


South Mountain players huddle around their school flag before the game against Camelback. (Photo by Tyler Manion/AZPreps365)

Although Camelback crowned its homecoming royalty at halftime, the kings of the night were the visitors from South Mountain.

“I guarantee you this. They won’t schedule us for their homecoming again,” said Jaguar head coach Mark Carter. “We take that personal.”

Normally, the annual rivalry game rewards the contest’s winner with a trophy. Camelback won last year but chose not to put the trophy on the line this time around. The 0-6 squad has lost each game by an average of 31 points, so a 47-12 drumming at the hands of a physical South Mountain team (3-3) was  not a surprise.

The Jaguars used an array of weapons to win but several transfers who logged their first minutes for the team this season stood out.

“The guys coming in are the guys that should have been playing and so now it's interesting to see how they’re going play cause they’re hungry,” Carter said earlier in the week.

Junior running back K’rashee Smith and senior defensive end Christopher Brown provided a spark off the five-game required rest.

“You see everybody on the field and you got all this emotion built up and you just wanna take over when you get out,” Brown said.

On this team, in this family environment, details are preached and Brown took over in that department with a blocked punt that flew the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

“Not being able to be there and contribute for the team, it was just killing me in the inside cause you know I want to help. Every win or loss it don’t matter so it meant everything in the world. I love these guys,” said Brown.

That camraderie flows throughout the locker room. Carter said the coaches would stay up until 3 a.m. at camp and bond. It shows on the field.

“It meant the world to me because I’ve been seeing these guys suit up for five weeks straight and not been able to help my team and now I can,” Smith said after posting over 180 yards and two touchdowns in less than three quarters of action.

With the additions of Smith, Brown and others, the Jaguars can get back to the physical style of play they want. It is a program that prides itself on stopping the run but gave up over 300 yards on the ground in the two games prior to Camelback. Friday night they shut it down.

“Our saying this week was, 'Boss up,'” Carter said, “It’s either you own the company or you working for the company and with us we want to own the company.”

Friday night one thing was clear. If Camelback was a company, South Mountain would have owned it.