The first offensive wave from Carver was good, but not quite good enough.
It was the second barrage of touchdowns that Opelika couldn't withstand.
Senior quarterback Jeremy Johnson threw three first-half touchdowns and Harvey Harris added three of rushing scores to help lead the Wolverines to a 47-27 region victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday night at Cramton Bowl.
Carver (3-1, 2-1 Class 6A, Region 3) jumped out the blocks to a two-touchdown advantage before Opelika (2-2, 2-1) bounced back to tie it on Terran Griffin's 16-yard run with 11:07 left in the second quarter. That would be the last time the visitors would be a threat the rest of the way.
Johnson answered with a 53-yard strike down the middle to Draequon Murphy. Tim Graves intercepted Opelika's Matthew Christian on the ensuing possession to setup another TD pass from the 6-foot-5 Auburn commitment who hooked up with Landy Capetillo for the second time in the half to make it 27-14.
"We believe that every game if we play fast and start off with a lot of tempo on offense we'll be able to come out victorious," Carver coach Billy Gresham said. "(Getting out big) allows us to sustain a lead, run the football more and settle down on defense."
Harris' 9-yard scamper concluded the huge first half for Carver, which put up 70 on the scoreboard last time out against Jeff Davis. Harris recorded his first TD -- a 2-yarder -- on the second drive of the game and tacked on another in the third.
"A lot of people think that we're a spread offense (team), but we prefer to run the ball," Gresham said. "We have a great running back and he's tough and smart. We like to run him inside; he did a good job tonight of finishing runs."
However, everything starts with the play of Johnson, who finished 14-of-21 for 301 yards. He also ran for 61 yards and a score.
"He absolutely played up to his potential tonight," Opelika coach Brian Blackmon said. "We knew how much of a good player that he is because we've seen him for three years and tonight he proved that he's one of the best quarterbacks in this start and if not the country."
Saturday's game didn't provide the usual sea of green and yellow known by Wolverine nation. It's almost a pretty safe bet that the Auburn-LSU matchup contributed to the most of the empty sections on both sides of the historic stadium.
For those fans who decided to come out witnessed a stellar showing by Johnson in the school's home opener. On Carver's first drive, the senior connected with Capetillo for a 66-yard touchdown to get the home squad off and running.
This matchup was originally scheduled for Thursday, but was kicked to Saturday to make room for ESPNU's televised SWAC Conference showcase between Alabama State and Arkansas Pine-Bluff.
