BLITZ: Carroll has some issues, but winning ugly is better than not winning at all

For a prime battle between two Class 6A teams, Friday’s matchup between Warren Central and Carroll left a lot to be desired.

At times, Blitz felt he may get more satisfaction from scratching his back on a nearby tree rather than watch what the Warriors and Chargers were doing on the field.

There were 28 combined penalties, which felt more like 78.

There were dropped passes. Missed assignments. Careless turnovers. Questionable coaching decisions (particularly on the Warren Central side).

But it was also an 18-14 Carroll victory, which in the end is all that matters.

And that’s the point of this column. Many are going to look at the run the Chargers made last season, the expectations for 2023 and feel that the start to this year has exposed Carroll as a significantly less good team that it was in 2022.

It is tough to disagree to a certain extent, but whereas Coach Doug Dinan’s team entered last season loaded with experience on both sides, we are seeing a bit more of a learning curve and maturation process in 2023 with a young group.

Folks will key on Jimmy Sullivan’s passing line of 16-of-41 and say he needs to be better. What they won’t recognize is a QB that has been affectively running for his life the first two weeks, the junior taking hit after hit in Friday’s win, yet consistently popping back up and moving on to the next play.

Some will look at the Chargers’ mere 85 yards rushing for the game and question how Carroll is going to run the ball against say, Snider. What they will forget is the biggest run play of the game – a 43-yard scamper by Nate Starks to the 1-yard line, came in crunch time late that moved the chains and iced the game, showing how the run game can be effective in the clutch.

Perhaps focal points for some will be Hansen Haffner’s two catches being a sign that Carroll lacks playmakers on the outside able to get open against good programs, ignoring the performances of junior Brady Rhoad and sophomore Mason Baughman, who combined for 10 receptions, 125 yards and two touchdowns.

And what about Cam Lentz? The senior linebacker showed flashes last year but had a breakout performance against Warren Central with 14 tackles, three TFL, a sack and a forced fumble late in the third quarter that handed Carroll a short field, scoring an eventual touchdown to bring the Chargers within two.

During its run to the state championship game last year, Carroll was far from dominant, despite what some presume. It was 4-0 in games decided by eight points or less. It found ways late against Snider, North Side, Lafayette Jeff and Hamilton Southeastern to pull out dubs. That’s what good teams do.

Good teams also pick up victories even in ugly games. That’s what Friday was. What’s the old adage? ‘Rather win ugly than lose pretty.’

Carroll is an imperfect ball club, far from a finished product. It has legit concerns that have made themselves prevalent over the first few weeks.

But Friday was a win, and a big one at that.

In the end, that’s all that matters.

These opinions represent those of Blitz and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Blitz on Twitter at Blitz_OTH