The Dino boys’ soccer squad had a season for the books. Making it through their Region 13 slate with an undefeated mark and landing the No. 2 spot in the final MaxPreps rankings, it was definitely a season to remember. After claiming a victory in the opening round, the Dinos hosted No. 7 Ben Lomond in the quarterfinals, but Carbon struggled on offense, falling 2-1.

Carbon finished the 2026 season with an 11-5 overall record and held an undefeated 8-0 record in region play, the Dinos had four seniors on the squad who contributed heavily to their success. Ryker Christensen, Ty Mortensen, Nick Cartwright, and Tacoma Smith.

The following is a recap of the 2026 season.

Salem Hills- Loss- 4-3

On Monday, the Carbon High Dino boys’ squad got back on the pitch for the first time this season, welcoming the Salem Hills Skyhawks. The game was tied after regulation and went into overtime; one overtime period wasn’t enough, so they had to go to a second overtime, where Salem Hills scored to take the 4-3 win.

Last season, the Dinos finished 12-4 overall and 11-3 in region play, and lost in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Morgan. This season in a smaller Region 13, they will face Union, North Sanpete, Manti, and Emery.

Both teams were eager to get the season started, and they came out firing quickly. By the end of the first half, each team had scored three goals, so we were tied going in at halftime.

Whereas offense reigned in the first half, defense took over in the second. Neither team could break through the other’s defense and get one past each other’s goalie, and neither team scored, ending regulation in a 3-3 tie.

The first overtime was not enough, as both teams’ defenses held up against the onslaught, necessitating a second overtime, where the Skyhawks found the back of the net and handed the Dinos a loss in the opener, 4-3.

For the Dinos, it was Tacoma Smith who scored a pair of goals and added one assist. Smith was also named the Eastern Utah Community Credit Union Athlete of the week for his efforts. Donny Prescott scored one, and Tayger Timothy and Parks Cowdell each had an assist in the loss.

The Dinos head south now for the St. George tournament. They will face teams from Juab and Pine View.

St George Tournament

Juab- Win- 3-0

Pine View- Loss- 4-1

The Carbon Boys soccer squad traveled to St. George for the annual tournament. Having lost the first match of the season in a heartbreaker, Carbon came out in the first tournament match against the Juab Wasps and claimed a 3-0 victory. In game two, they faced the Pine View Panthers and fell 4-1.

Carbon got back on the pitch on Monday, March 2, taking on the Salem Hills Skyhawks. Going into double overtime, the Dinos would come up short against the Skyhawks 4-3. Carbon was eager to collect its first win as it took to the field for the first of two matches of the weekend against Juab.

The Dinos were able to work their way through Juab’s defenses and collected one goal in the opening half, as Ty Mortensen kept the Wasps off the board by shutting the door in the first half in goal.

In the second half, Carbon was just as aggressive this time, finding the back of the net twice more, and Mortensen kept the shutout alive as the Dinos went on to take a 3-0 win.

Tacoma Smith had a pair of goals for Carbon, and Parks Cowdell added another in the win. Donny Prescott and Case Griffeth each had an assist in the win.

On Saturday, the Dinos faced the Pine View Panthers, a 4A school in the St. George area, in the second game of the weekend.

In the opening half, both squads got on the board. The Dinos snuck one past the Panthers’ goalie, but Pine View added a couple to take a 2-1 lead into halftime.

In the second, Carbon would be shut down by the Pine View defense, as the Panthers kept the Dinos off the board and added a pair of goals, taking the 4-1 win.

Smith scored the lone goal for Carbon from the assist by Cowdell.

Union- Win- 3-1

The Dino boys soccer squad collected a win in its Region 13 opener in Roosevelt, taking on the Union Cougars. The Dinos collected all their goals in the opening half and allowed the Cougars a single score to take the 3-1 win.

Carbon is 2-2 overall and now 1-0 in region play. They have a few non-region contests left, but most games going forward will be against conference foes.

On Wednesday, the Dinos jumped out fast in the opening half, working their way through the Cougars’ defense and collecting three goals, all while keeping Union off the board to take a 3-0 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Carbon was defensive-minded, but Union sneaked one in and kept Carbon out of the net, and the Dinos came away with the 3-1 victory in the region opener.

Three different Dinos were responsible for scoring in the contest, with Dayton King, Tayger Timothy, and Parks Cowdell all finding the back of the net. Nic Cartwright and Tacoma Smith each contributed an assist in the win.

Carbon will be back on the pitch, this time at home on Friday, when they welcome former region member Canyon View. Last season, when both teams called Region 12 home, the Dinos walked away with wins in both contests.

Canyon View- Win- 1-0

The Dinos welcomed Canyon View to the pitch at Carbon High on Friday. This was the first time in recent years that the two squared off in a non-region match. Carbon would keep the Falcons off the scoreboard and claimed the 1-0 win.

Carbon sits at 3-2 overall, is 1-1 in region play, and is getting ready to jump into conference play.

Both teams came out in the first half, and it was all about defense. Neither team could find its way around the other’s defense as the half ended 0-0.

In the second half, the Dinos got through the Falcons and found the back of the net, then Carbon closed out the game to take the 1-0 win.

Tacoma Smith collected the only Dino goal in the contest off an assist by Lincoln Atwood. Ty Mortensen earned the shutout in goal.

Carbon will be back on the field on Wednesday when they welcome the Emery Spartans to Price.  Last season, the Dinos won both contests against the Spartans.

Emery- Win- 4-1

On Wednesday afternoon, the Carbon Dino and Emery Spartan soccer squads met up on the field at Carbon High for the first of two meetings this season. Carbon would find the back of the net twice in the first half, with Emery finding it once in the second, as the Dinos took the win 4-1.

The Dinos now sit at 4-2 overall, with a 2-0 mark in region play, while the Spartans are 2-5, going 0-1 in region play, as both teams jump into their conference schedules.

Carbon came out in the first half, putting two on the board, as they held the Spartans at bay with their defense to take a 2-0 lead at the break.

In the second half, Emery broke down the Dinos’ defense to find the back of the net; however, Carbon worked their way down the field to put a pair of goals on the board and take the 4-1 win.

For the Dinos, Case Griffeth had a pair of goals and a pair of assists, while Dayton King and Lincoln Atwood scored the other two goals. Tacoma Smith added two assists for Carbon in the win.

Seth Winter had the lone goal for the Spartans.

North Sanpete- Win- 2-0

The Carbon Dino soccer squad traveled to Mount Pleasant to take on the North Sanpete Hawks. The Dinos kept the Hawks out of the back of the net, adding a pair of their own to take a 2-0 win, moving to a perfect 3-0 in region play.

Carbon is 5-3 overall, along with their unbeaten mark in Region 13. The Dinos have two games coming up before pausing for Spring Break.

The Dinos came out in the first half, finding their way around the Hawks’ defense to find the back of the net, carrying a 1-0 lead into halftime.

In the second half, they would exploit the same weaknesses in the North Sanpete defense as they had earlier in the contest to score one more goal, and Ty Mortensen in goal collected the shutout, 2-0.

Reiss Timothy and Tacoma Smith scored goals for the Dinos. Dayton King and Case Griffeth added an assist each in the win.

Carbon will get back to work on Friday when they face the Manti Templars at the pitch at Carbon High. The Dinos were winless in both meetings last season. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m.

Manti- Win- 3-0

The Carbon Dino soccer squad accomplished a feat that hadn’t been done in over ten years on Friday, beating the Manti Templars. In front of the home crowd, Carbon was able to keep the Templars off the scoreboard and took a 3-0 shutout win.

The closest the Dinos had come was all the way back in 2012 when they tied the Templars 3-3.  Carbon holds a 6-3 overall record and is sitting at 4-0 in Region 13 play.

Carbon came out in the first half and kept Manti at a distance as they were able to find a way through their defense to claim a 1-0 lead by halftime. In the second half, Carbon rang the bell two more times, and Ty Mortensen completed the shutout in goal as the Dinos earned the 3-0 win.

Evan Cartwright, Tacoma Smith, and Dayton King each scored a goal for the Dinos. Carson Bower, Parks Cowdell, and Smith all collected an assist, and Mortensen earned his fourth shutout of the season.

The Dinos have one contest remaining before they shut things down for Spring Break.

Maser Prep- Loss- 4-1

On Tuesday, the Carbon Dino soccer squad returned to the field during Spring Break to face the Maeser Prep Lions. The non-region tilt started with the Lions jumping out in the first half and not letting the Dinos up for air, as Carbon collected just one goal in their 4-1 loss.

With the loss, Carbon sits at 6-4 overall but holds an unbeaten 4-0 mark in Region 13 play. On Saturday, MaxPreps and the Utah High School Activities Association will release the initial rankings for the season.

Maeser jumped out in the first half, scoring three goals in the opening period. They were also able to keep the Dinos off the scoreboard to take a 3-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, Carbon found the back of the net once against the Lions, but they couldn’t overcome the deficit as the Lions added another to take the 4-1 win.

Case Griffeth had the lone goal for Carbon off an assist from Reiss Timothy.

Carbon will now enjoy the rest of their break and will not be back on the pitch until April 8, when they will enter the second half of region play as North Sanpete comes to Price. In the first meeting between the two teams, the Dinos came away with a 2-0 win.

North Sanpete- Win- 1-0

The Carbon boys’ soccer team welcomed the North Sanpete Hawks to the pitch in Price on Wednesday to dive back into the season after the Spring Break holiday. The match was a defensive gem, as the Dinos found a way to put one in the back of the net in the second half, securing a 1-0 win.

The Dinos sit at 7-4 overall and are a perfect 5-0 in Region 13 play. They currently rank No. 3 in the latest MaxPreps rankings, with just three games remaining in the regular season.

In the first half, both squads struggled on offense and excelled on defense, as neither could find the net, and they went into the half scoreless. The Dinos were able to maneuver around the Hawks’ defense in the second half and were able to find the back of the net as they snuck one past the North Sanpete keeper to take a 1-0 lead. Carbon kept the Hawks off the scoreboard to take a 1-0 win and remain undefeated in Region 13 play.

Tacoma Smith continues to impress for the Dinos, scoring the lone goal in the contest off an assist from Lincoln Atwood. Ty Mortensen kept the Hawks from scoring, stopping 14 shots on goal to collect the shutout.

On Friday, the Dinos will travel to Castle Dale to take on the Emery Spartans. Carbon collected a win in their first match-up this season on March 18, 4-1.

Emery- Win- 1-0

The Carbon Dinos and Emery Spartans met on the pitch for the final time in the regular season on Friday in Castle Dale. The contest was a defensive battle with neither team able to score in the first half. In the second half, the Dinos found the back of the net to take a 1-0 win.

Carbon sits at 8-4 overall and remains undefeated in Region 13 play. In the latest MaxPreps rankings, Emery sits at No. 4. Emery is 3-9 overall and 1-5 in region play. They are currently sitting in the No. 13 spot. Both teams have just two games remaining in the regular season.

On Friday, the Dinos and Spartans played flat, even in the first half; no one could break down the defenses, and the two teams went into the half scoreless. In the second half, both teams kept up the pace from the first half until Tacoma Smith found the back of the net off a Nic Cartwright assist to score the only goal in the contest and give the Dinos the 1-0 win.

Carbon’s Ty Mortensen earned the shutout in the game.

Carbon will wrap up the season this week, starting on Wednesday, when they welcome the Union Cougars to Price for Senior Night. In their first meeting, the Dinos came away with the 3-1 win. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m. They will then take on Manti on Friday, on the road for the final game of the regular season.

Union- Win- 7-1

After Wednesday night’s win over Union, Carbon Dino soccer can be called the Region 13 Champions. In a dominant performance, Case Griffeth collected a hat trick, and Tacoma Smith added a pair of goals on the way to a 7-1 win in Roosevelt.

The Dinos sit at 9-4 overall and remain unbeaten in Region 13 play at 7-0. They rank No. 3 in the latest MaxPreps rankings, and even with one contest remaining, there is no one in the conference that can catch them for the Region 13 crown.

The Dinos came out in the first half and scored three goals, all while keeping the Cougars from finding the back of the net, as Carbon went to halftime up 3-0. In the second, Carbon was just as aggressive this time, finding the back of the net four times. Union would break down the Dinos’ defense and sneak one into the goal, but the Dinos claimed the 7-1 win, claiming the region title.

Griffeth collected three goals for the hat trick, and he also added an assist for the Dinos. Smith had two goals, Reiss Timothy, and Dayton King each added a goal in the contest. Parks Cowdell collected four assists and Lincoln Atwood one in the win.

The regular season comes to an end on Friday when the Dinos travel to Manti to face the Templars. In their first meeting, Carbon claimed the 3-0 win in Price.

On Tuesday, April 21, the regular season comes to a close for 3A. On Wednesday, the final rankings and bracket for the State Championships will be revealed, with the opening round starting on April 28.

Manti- Win- 2-1

Friday afternoon, the Carbon Dinos solidified their Region 13 Championship with a win over the Manti Templars, completing an undefeated conference season. Putting a goal up on the board in each half, the Dinos shut Manti out in the second half to take a 2-1 win.

The Dinos and the regular season 10-4 overall and 8-0 in region play and while the rankings were still available, they sat at No. 3.

Carbon came out working their way up and down the field, finding the back of the net once. The Templars found a way around the Dinos defense and scored a goal in the half as well, with both teams going into halftime tied at 1-1. In the second half, the Dinos kept the Templars off the board and added another goal, closing them out to take a 2-1 victory in the final game of the regular season.

For the Dinos, Parks Cowdell and Evan Cartwright each scored one goal. Case Griffith added an assist in the win as well.

The regular season for Carbon will end on Tuesday, with the bracket and final rankings being reported on Wednesday, and the opening rounds will start at home sites on Friday, April 24.

Opening Round State Championships

Providence Hall- Win 8-0

On Tuesday afternoon, the Carbon High boys soccer team welcomed the Providence Hall Patriots to the pitch in Price for the opening round of the State Championships. The Dinos started out with just one goal in the first half, but exploded in the second half and, with Ty Mortensen in goal, shut out the Patriots 8-0 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Carbon finished the regular season 10-4 overall and had an unblemished 8-0 mark in Region 13 play that earned them the No. 2 spot in the final rankings from the Utah High School Activities Association and MaxPreps, securing a first-round home game.

The Dinos came out in the first half and found the back of the net once, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime. It was in the second half that the Dinos found their stride, adding seven goals to send the Patriots home and advance 8-0.

Case Griffeth came up big for Carbon with three goals and one assist in the game. Tacoma Smith and Evan Cartwright each added a goal and an assist. Dayton King, Lincoln Atwood, and Nick Cartwright all scored one goal each for the Dinos. Park Cowdell collected three assists, with Reiss Timothy adding one in the win, and Mortensen collected the shutout in goal.

On Friday, the Dinos welcome the Ben Lomond Scots to Price. The Scots punched their ticket with a 5-0 win over Grantsville.

Quarterfinals

Ben Lomond- Loss- 2-1

On Friday, the Carbon Dino boys soccer team welcomed the Ben Lomond Scots to Price for a quarterfinal match in the 3A State Soccer Championships. Coming off a dominating performance in the first round, the Dinos were looking to create the same kind of offense as they did against Providence Hall. While holding the lead at halftime, Carbon gave up a pair of goals in the second half and fell to the Scots 2-1, ending their season.

Carbon ended the regular season at 11-5 overall with a perfect 8-0 record in Region 13 play and earned the No. 2 spot in the final rankings for MaxPreps and the Utah High School Activities Association, and advanced with a dominating 8-0 win over Providence Hall. The Scots were coming off a 5-0 win over Grantsville and held the No. 7 spot.

Carbon started the first half by finding the back of the net, and they held the Scots off the board, going into halftime with the Dinos leading 1-0. In the second half, Ben Lomond took over, putting two goals on the board and defensively shutting out the Dinos to take the 2-1 win and advance in the State Championships.

Lincoln Atwood scored the lone goal for the Dinos off a Reiss Timothy assist.