Carlsbad quarterback Courtney Clemons threw five touchdown passes and racked up 302 yards as the Lancers beat Poway 40-21 on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

The home conference win pushed Carlsbad to 12-6 overall and 3-1 in league play, good for second place in the standings, according to MaxPreps.

Clemons, a junior, completed 31-of-41 attempts and also carried the ball four times for 14 yards. She threw two interceptions.

Receiver Siena Schwarz was Clemons' top target, hauling in nine catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Schwarz accounted for nearly half of Carlsbad's passing offense.

Poway quarterback H. Surber went 16-of-31 for 175 yards and one touchdown while adding six carries for 26 yards on the ground. Receiver P. Atkinson led the Titans with nine receptions for 101 yards but did not reach the end zone. Poway dropped to 5-9.

Clemons entered the season with eye-popping credentials. She threw for 4,776 yards and 68 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2025, completing 62 percent of her passes, according to a MaxPreps season preview published Sept. 2.

Carlsbad assistant coach Jeremy Clemons told MaxPreps in that September preview that the team's mix of veterans and young players would pay off over time. "We're taking on all comers and hopefully by the end of the season, that experience with a lot of our younger players and playing such a tough schedule will pay some dividends," he said.

The Lancers' schedule has been demanding. Carlsbad lost 20-0 to top-ranked JSerra Catholic on Sept. 11 and fell 14-13 to No. 3 Newport Harbor on Sept. 12 at the MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown in Chula Vista. Head coach T. Bloomquist's squad also dropped a 19-14 decision to Mission Bay on Oct. 1 before bouncing back against Poway.

Carlsbad won the Avocado League title and finished 20-6 in 2025 before a first-round exit in the CIF San Diego Section Division I playoffs. The Lancers sit second in league at 3-1 heading into the final stretch of the regular season.