Prep football: He’s small in size but this running back is bowling over competition
The Pioneer Patriots don’t draw crowds like regional powerhouse Folsom or a program rich with history like Grant. Pioneer, in Woodland, is considered a smaller school in the Sac-Joaquin Section, with just over 1,600 students enrolled.
Public schools of that size often struggle to field the talent to build winning football programs. That was true for the Patriots, who compiled a 25-56 record over eight straight losing seasons from 2012 to 2019.
But some times those smaller schools end up with big-time talents in their districts that have an ability to turn fortunes around. In Pioneer’s case, running back Jack Carner has been that player.
“Number one,” Patriots coach Matt Bryson said, “he’s a really good football player. He is physically and mentally tough. He works hard, so just those attributes alone are what we want from an entire program.”
Carner, a senior, has ripped off huge yardage totals through three games in 2022 after earning All-Metro honors last season. This year, Carner has games of 185 yards and three touchdowns, 138 yards and four touchdowns, and a staggering 337 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s victory over Rio Americano.
The Patriots are 3-0 in those games with Carner in the lineup after he missed the season opening loss to Wood (Vacaville) due to injury. The team had just 24 rushing yards on 17 carries in the 14-7 defeat.
The gaudy totals in wins come even while opposing teams centered their game plans around stopping Carner, who has been on varsity since his sophomore season in 2020, when games were played the following spring because of the pandemic. Carner notched 1,390 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior last season.
“It seems like we’re starting to get rolling a little bit,” Carner said. “And it’s good for us. We kinda started off with a Week 1 loss and had everyone with their heads down a little bit. But as the weeks have been going, I think we’ve been working a little harder each day.”
Carner, listed at 165 pounds, doesn’t walk off the bus like a player expected to dominate. He’s an undersized high school star still working to find a landing spot in college, unlike other standouts in the section who received Division I offers before they set foot on their high school campuses.
His story is similar to that of Cameron Skattebo, the Sacramento State running back who racked up 69 touchdowns at Rio Linda and had just one college offer, from the Hornets. It’s also similar to current Antelope running back Curron Borders, who stands 5-foot-7 and has verbally committed to play for Sacramento State.
Carner was offered a scholarship from Portland State and has spoken to other FCS schools in the Big Sky, including nearby Sacramento State. He spent the recent offseason traveling to football camps throughout California, including in Redlands outside Los Angeles, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Sacramento State.
“I think people underestimate almost all aspects of his game,” Bryson said. “Laterally, side to side, he starts and stops as well as anyone we’ve had at this level here. He’s quicker than people give him credit for, and he’s definitely more physical. When you look at him, you may not think he’s got much punch, much hammer, and he’s tough. He’s a tough back.”
Indeed, against Rio Americano, Carner paired his vision with agility to find creases in the defense that allowed him to accelerate through holes and hit the afterburners. He simply plays at a different speed than others on the field. That comes through experience and vision, which allows his physical gifts to shine.
That experience dates back to playing with his current teammates for nearly a decade. Carner, and many of the other 24 seniors on the Patriots roster, played together in junior football programs long before getting to Pioneer High.
“It’s amazing. I know all these guys,” Carner said. “I know the town. It’s just fun to play with guys, you know?”
When it comes to playing in college, recruiters have asked Bryson if Carner will remain as fast and agile if he were to add 15 to 20 pounds to his frame.
“I think there’s no question he will be,” Bryson said. “He’s a hard worker. So he’s going to put good weight on as he moves forward. And he just has so many intangibles. He’s going to play at the next level.”
Said Carner: “I think I could elevate myself to a different level even I put on that weight. I think with the work I can put in, I think I would be able to stay shifty enough to be at that weight.”
Carner didn’t sound overly concerned about where he’ll land next summer. He seems at ease with his focus on finishing his high school career strong with his teammates he’s known since grade school. He helped the Patriots break that streak of eight straight losing seasons in 2021 with an 8-2 record and playoff berth. The team shared a Golden Empire League championship with Dixon.
Carner shares similar interests to other teenagers outside of football like fishing, cooking and drawing. He’s taken up barbecuing and has an affinity for firing up babyback ribs.
“I tend to just stay out here (mentally) and have fun, have as much fun as I can,” Carner said before a practice this week. “Try not to think about all the heat with the recruiting and stuff. Whatever happens happens. I just try to keep my head up and have fun.”
Is there anything else he wants people to know?
“Don’t sleep on me,” he said.
This story was originally published September 16, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
