Second-round beatdown: Southlake Carroll 72, San Angelo Central 7

 

Star receiver Brock Boyd, who scored twice in last night's destruction of San Angelo Central, hauls in an Angelo Renda pass.

Spectacular performance

The Southlake Carroll Dragons demonstrated with brutal efficiency last night the reason they’re ranked the No. 1 Class 6A Division II program in Texas – and one of the nation’s best.

Propelled by quarterback Angelo Renda’s spectacular performance, the Dragons systematically dismantled the over-praised San Angelo Central Bobcats in the area round of the 6A Division II playoffs.

Carroll now advances to a third-round faceoff with the Prosper Eagles (11-1), who defeated Richardson Berkner last night 50-24.

It probably won’t be a blowout like last night’s clash turned out to be. Prosper is a quality program whose only loss was a 31-30 squeaker against Allen.

Outclassed and outgassed

The outclassed 8-4 Bobcats, on the other hand, entered the playoffs after an up-and-down season in which they lost to district foes Abilene, Midland Lee and Odessa Permian. One of their eight wins came when Amarillo was forced to forfeit.

The San Angelo-based announcers fielded by the NFHS Network to call the game worked hard to portray Central as a top-shelf program determined to regain its status as one of the state’s premier football teams.

But it didn’t wash. The outcome of last night’s playoff mismatch was never in doubt. And their amateurish homerism – streamed to an Internet crowd that included as many Dragonheads as it did Bobcat fanatics – made them, and NFHS, look ridiculous and unprofessional.

When the bedraggled Bobcats – facing Dragon substitutes – finally managed to get on the scoreboard in the final quarter, the announcers’ giddy response made me cringe. The score following that much-celebrated touchdown? 59-7. Puh-leese!

That meaningless score was the first touchdown Carroll’s stubborn defense had allowed an opponent since the 57-7 Dragon slaughter of Justin Northwest on Oct. 17.

First-team Carroll defenders kept the Bobcats well in check. They limited Central to 291 total yards, while Renda and company were rolling to 729. Bobcat runners could manage only a paltry 150 hard-won yards.

Bedeviling Smith

The Dragon D bedeviled Central quarterback Micah Smith, smothering his receivers and intercepting him three times – four if you count a pick-6 by Luke Bussmann negated by a penalty. Other Dragons picking off the harassed and harried Smith were Parker Harris, Robbie Ladd and Brody Bourgeois.

For instance, as the second quarter opened, with Carroll holding a 14-0 lead, Central’s O-line collapsed and Dragons swarmed Smith, sacking him behind the line and forcing a fumble.

On the very next play, Renda sailed a 49-yard pass to Brock Boyd (8-139, 2 TDs), who calmly cruised into the end zone. It was the star receiver's second TD of the night, after he opened Dragon scoring with a 31-yard reception.

Receiver Brody Knowles evades a Central Bobcat defender on his way to a touchdown.

Kicker Gavin Stranger soon added a 27-yard field goal to the Carroll lead. Renda then closed out Dragon scoring in the first half with TD passes to Brody Knowles (3-71), for 36 yards, and Blake Gunter (7-68), for 16.

For Renda, it was a glorious night to be a Dragon. Everything he touched turned to gold. He completed 23 of 28 passes (a stunning 82%) for 366 yards and five touchdowns.

True, he also tossed an INT (in the end zone, no less), but Bussmann got it back for him three plays later.

Renda also was the Dragons’ leading rusher, carrying the rock eight times for 91 yards. Most of his runs were planned keepers. But on a couple of occasions, his quick feet and elusive moves kept him out of the clutches of desperate Bobcat defenders.

Furious onslaught

The second half offered no letup in the furious Dragon onslaught. On its first possession, Carroll moved to the Bobcat 42. Then Luc Jacquemard, normally a sure-handed receiver, lined up in the backfield, seized the ball from Renda and raced down the right sideline to the goal line, widening the Carroll lead to 45-0.

Head coach Riley Dodge, going for the Bobcat jugular, ordered an onside kick, but Central managed to cover the ball, for all the good it did. Stopped cold, the ’Cats punted, pinning the Dragons at their 14. Renda methodically moved his team to the Central 6, where Davis Penn (8-68) darted untouched into the end zone. Score 52-0.

Three plays into the next Bobcat drive, Smith threw the interception snagged by Bourgeois. On the first play from scrimmage, Renda handed off to Gunter, who like Jacquemard was taking a turn at running back.

The junior, noted for his determined, hard-driving runs after catch, bolted 43 yards to the end zone. Score 59-0.

The final period saw widespread substitutions by Carroll. That decision contributed no doubt to Central’s only successful drive of the night. After the ’Cats fought their way to the Dragon 26, Smith lofted a TD pass to Jimmy Edwards.

Carroll responded immediately. On the second play of the next possession, backup quarterback Preston Perazzo handed the ball to backup runner Gavin Gooden, who rumbled 59 yards to the end zone.

End of scoring

Perazzo later ended Carroll scoring with a 6-yard toss to backup receiver Cade Holmstrom. The final: a humiliating (for Central, at least) 72-0.

“It was really complete – in a lot of ways,” Dodge told Fort Worth Star-Telegram sportswriter Charles Baggarly. “We took what they gave us, defensively. Once again, I thought we played lights out. Our One Defense hasn’t given up many points this year.”

Junior Blake Gunter tumbles into the end zone after grabbing an Angelo Renda pass. He ran for another Dragon score.

Dodge said the Dragons succeeded in getting the ball to their playmakers.

“We kept it simple,” he told Baggarly. “Being okay with 4 yards and understanding that those 10-, 20-yard explosions were going to come.”

And come they did – leaving the West Texans beaten, bruised and bleeding.

In making it to the third round of the playoffs, the Dragons have achieved the second of their three yearly goals. The first was to win district. The second was still to be in the playoff hunt on Thanksgiving (the holiday practice is a cherished Dragon tradition). Done and done.

That leaves only Goal No. 3, the most important one of all: To win a state championship.

The road from here only gets rockier. If the Dragons get past Prosper, they could face either Denton Guyer or Byron Nelson in the regional finals (Round 4). And if they leap that hurdle, DeSoto could be waiting for them in the state semi-finals (Round 5).

For the Bobcats, the hunt is over, a bitter pill that doesn’t go down well with a program that back in the day struck fear and envy into the hearts of every team it faced.

Return to glory?

NFHS' San Angelo homers spent a lot of hot air last night, when they should have been calling the game, yacking about the prospects of Central – and other members of the so-called “Little Southwest Conference” like Abilene, Midland Lee and Odessa Permian – returning the region to its rightful place in the forefront of high school football.

Such a development ain't likely – frankly, it’s a ludicrous idea – for a variety of reasons I won’t go into here. As a result, the bad blood brewing on the dusty plains of West Texas likely will continue to bubble, with no satisfaction in sight.

One of the NFHS announcers observed with a chuckle that West Texas teams don’t particularly like Metroplex teams. In fact, he said, “They hate them.”

It’s easy to understand why. Suburban Dallas-Fort Worth teams like Southlake regularly kick the snot out of West Texas squads that once ruled the roost. Long may the trend continue. If that sounds harsh, I’m sorry. (Not sorry!)

You see, I still remember the arrogance and distain showered by the bullies of the Little Southwest Conference on my hometown of Big Spring, the district’s perennial cellar-dweller.

Old wounds heal slowly. And some don’t heal at all!

Go, Dragons!

Caden Mackey races for the end zone in the Dragons' blistering second-round victory over the San Angelo Central Bobcats.

The first domino falls: Southlake Carroll 35, Crowley 0

 

Quarterback Angelo Renda threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in last night's first-round victory against Crowley.

Never coming close

(This post has been updated with current information about area-round time and location.)

SOUTHLAKE – You could make the argument that the Crowley Eagles, who carried a dismal 3-7 record into last night’s first-round playoff matchup with the Southlake Carroll Dragons, didn’t belong in the post-season tournament in the first place.

Without going into unnecessary details – which to be honest I’m not even sure I understand, anyway – the Eagles sneaked into the UIL playoffs by winning a point advantage in a District 3-6A tie-breaker.

It’s enough to persuade me that the playoff rules for who gets in and who stays out need to be overhauled. But I’ll save that little Gordian knot for another time and place.

However illegitimate the Eagles’ claim to a playoff spot might be, there they were last night – striding into Dragon Stadium trying to look menacing in their black uniforms for the few dozen Eagle fans who trekked from the western side of the Metroplex to watch the bloodshed.

In truth, they never came close to threatening the Dragon mission to bring home another state championship. It took Carroll less than 1½ minutes to march 51 yards in three plays before Dragon quarterback Angelo Renda (16-27, 212 yards, 2 TDs) flipped a 5-yard TD pass to junior Blake Gunter (3-55) to seize a lead it never relinquished.

Adding two more

The Dragons would add two more touchdowns in the decisive second quarter. Junior RB Brooks Biggers dived 1 yard across the goal line to cap a 71-yard drive set up by a forced turnover on downs.

And as the first half drew to a close, Carroll capitalized on another Crowley turnover on downs after Renda peppered receivers Gunter and Brock Boyd (9-101, 1 TD) with passes to move the Dragons to the Eagle 13. From there, he tossed the rock to Boyd in the end zone, giving the Dragons a 21-0 halftime lead.

Brock Boyd, who caught 9 passes for 101 yards and 1 TD, snags a missile from Angelo Renda.

A friend of mine, whose grandson plays for the Dragons, has dubbed Renda the “Dragon Master,” a moniker I rather like. And he has labeled Renda’s three top receivers, Boyd, Gunter and junior Brody Knowles (2-12), as the “Three-Headed Dragon.” I’d say that’s pretty apt, too.

Chuckle if you will – it’s all in good fun, after all – but these four young men, along with comrade-in-arms Davis Penn, are the formidable core of a Dragon offense single-minded and deadly earnest in its pursuit of another state title for Southlake.  (And in case I forgot to mention it, they’re great kids, too.)

But back to the game. The Dragon defense once again performed superbly, holding the Eagles scoreless while staging a dramatic goal line stand in the closing seconds of the game, repeatedly forcing Crowley to turn over the ball after failed 4^th-down attempts, recovering a fumble and forcing two others, and sacking the Crowley QB to end a scoring threat.

Whew! They were a busy bunch last night.

Senseless penalties

Of course, the hapless Eagles helped, committing senseless penalties that crushed promising drives and negated two Eagle scores – one a 23-yard TD run by quarterback Antwain Griffin (14-21, 166) erased by a holding call and later Griffith’s 2-yard end-zone dash wiped out by a procedural penalty.

Without the penalties and the defense’s stalwart performance, it could have been a very different game.

The Dragons seemed slightly off-kilter – their usual crisp and efficient execution overshadowed at times by a curious lack of focus. Timing often seemed out of sync, an overthrown pass in the end zone, promising drives sputtering and skidding to a halt, turning the ball over after two failed 4^th-down attempts.

This malaise was reflected in the particularly frustrating night endured by star running back Davis Penn. The Crowley defense swarmed him repeatedly, never giving him much room to roam. His rushing total for the night was a meager 43 yards on 15 carries.

The malady – if it deserves such a moniker in a game the Dragons still dominated – also affected Gavin Strange, Carroll’s normally flawless kicker/defensive back. Strange whiffed two field goals in the third quarter – one for 31 yards and another for 33 – after the Dragon offense stalled on subsequent drives.

Both attempts were well within the talented Strange’s range. Missing both once would have seemed as unlikely as seeing a saber-tooth tiger in Town Square.

Much-needed boost

But it was that kind of night – and that kind of game.  

The Dragons, though, received a much-needed boost after Strange’s failure to add points. After Crowley was forced to punt, Carroll moved quickly to the Eagle 32, where Renda dropped back to pass, saw a wide swatch of turf open up the middle and headed for the end zone. Inside the 5, he juked to the left, sidestepped a defender and squeezed across the left corner of the end zone.

Junior Brooks Biggers burrows his way into the end zone as the Dragons advance to the second round.

 
The final Dragon score came after a Crowley drive – which started at its own 11 after a Carroll punt – ground to a halt after only 4 yards. Boyd fielded the punt at the 45 and raced untouched for goal line.

As the last minutes dwindled, the Eagles took advantage of Carroll substitutions to drive the ball inside the Dragon 4. But the first-team D-line was called back into service to deny Griffin and the Eagles a face-saving TD.  Game over.

In his story for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, sportswriter Charles Baggerly said head coach Riley Dodge told his players after the game to remember that the most important thing is “keeping the family together” for another week.

In the win-or-go-home environment of the playoffs, that’s the goal of all squads left still standing. For many players, it’s their chief motivation.

Dodge told Baggerly that he “had a ton of respect for what Crowley did.”

 “We knew it was going to be a dogfight early with what they do defensively,” he said. “But gosh, we found a way at certain points. Tonight wasn’t the prettiest, but defensively, I thought we played lights out. We got off the field when we needed to.”

Making plays

Renda, the game’s leading rusher (6 carries, 64 yards), told Baggerly that “Crowley is a great team despite their record.”

 “I mean, they have some dudes on the outside, and they’re making plays,” he said. “But I feel like we came out here, we knew we’re going to get a man free, and we took some shots early. We connected on a couple, but we still have some things to work on. And we’ll be back in the film room tomorrow.”

Next up for the Dragons will San Angelo Central, once a powerhouse in Texas high school football. These days, however, not so much. The 8-3 Bobcats qualified for the second round by defeating El Paso Pebble Beach 24-14. I suspect the Dragons won’t have much trouble with them. But you know my feelings about that. These are the playoffs, folks, and, let’s say it together now, anything can happen.

The Carroll-Central game will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Art Briles Stadium in Stephenville. I'm not familiar with the venue, and naming it after a guy like Briles makes me shudder. But it is what it is, I suppose.

Since my night vision isn't what it used to be -- and an overnight in Stephenville leaves me cold -- I suspect the Dragons will have to take care of the ’Cats without me.

They certainly can. And I have no doubt they will.

Go, Dragons!

Austin Bussmann, 23, and Parker Harris, 6, wrap up Crowley running back Kenyen Cotton in last night's matchup.

A district sweep completed: Southlake Carroll 49, Keller Central 3

The playoffs are here, and the Dragons, ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 10 in the nation by MaxPreps, will host their first-round opponent in Dragon Stadium.

A blend of tricks and treats

SOUTHLAKE – As befits a game played on Halloween, last night’s clash between the No.1-ranked Southlake Carroll Dragons and the Keller Central Chargers featured a frustrating blend of tricks and treats.

First came the tricks: For the second week in a row, the Dragons turned in another sluggish first-half performance against a lackluster District 4-6A opponent. After two quarters of missed tackles, a struggling secondary and off-target passes, Carroll entered the break leading the Chargers only 14-3.

Then came the treats: A focused, re-energized Dragon squad emerged from half-time thirsty for redemption and renewal. In short order, it overwhelmed the outgunned Chargers and set many troubled Dragonhead hearts at ease.

Carroll running back Davis Penn turned in his best performance of the season, making two touchdowns on his way to a 170-yard game. He rushed 16 times, which for those of you keeping count comes to more than 10 yards a carry.

Penn, who suffered a torn ACL in last year’s playoffs, already had been judged at full strength by his coaches. Head coach Riley Dodge said last week that the “training wheels” had been taken off Penn, an endearing way of announcing his star running back’s return to dominance.

A dominance that the worthy Penn established early. He got Carroll off to a rousing start on its opening possession, capping a 7-play, 75-yard drive with a dazzling 31-yard TD bolt through the middle of the Central line.

Perfect timing

The timing of his emergence from the protective custody of his coaches couldn’t be more perfect. After a bye next week, Carroll plunges into the playoffs, where the Dragons will need every offensive weapon they have to operate in tip-top condition.

And all appears to be well on that front. Despite a less than stellar first half, quarterback Angelo Renda accounted for four passing touchdowns last night – two to ace receiver Brock Boyd (4-40) and one each to juniors Blake Gunter (2-34) and Caden Mackey (4-27).

He didn’t wrack up terribly impressive numbers, completing 14 of 22 passes for 110 yards. But Renda smoothly and confidently engineered a 28-point unanswered scoring spree in the explosive third quarter.

But before we could enjoy the Dragons’ roaring return to glory, we had to endure that sloppy, slogging and desultory first half. After Penn’s untouched dash to paydirt, the grit and razor-sharp execution that characterized that initial drive dissipated rapidly.

Instead, the game devolved into a uninspiring defensive struggle by both teams. It should be noted, however, that the Dragon D continues to play with heart and desire. It has been turning in strong performances even when its offensive brethren seem to be daydreaming.

In the last 16 quarters of play, Dragon defenders have allowed four district opponents only a combined 17 points. Nuff said.

 

Break in the bleakness

But back to that disappointing first half. Indications of the scoring onslaught lying in wait for the Chargers occurred in the second quarter when Central turned over the ball to the Dragons on downs. They then staged a 9-play, 78-yard scoring drive capped by Boyd’s 19-yard TD catch.

Davis Penn, shown here against L.D. Bell last week, turned in his best performance of the year against the Chargers.

The Chargers were able to get to the Dragon 10 on the next drive, but they could get no further and had to attempt a 27-yard field goal, which failed.

The Dragons took over on their own 20, but Renda immediately threw an interception with less than a minute left before half. Central fought its way to the Dragon 11, but once again had to settle for an attempted field goal.

It succeeded this time, and a heartened Charger squad retreated to the locker room to plot an upset it probably thought it could pull off.

Fat chance, buckaroos. The Dragons, awakened from their doldrums, were eager to rumble. And rumble they did.

The first Central drive of the second half ended when Charger quarterback Isaiah Taylor was sacked at his 27. Parker Harris returned the subsequent punt to the Central 21. Four plays later, Penn bulldozed 8 yards to the end zone.

The next Charger possession ended when Taylor was intercepted by Dragon defender Taevin Kunz, who sped 29 yards for Carroll’s second TD in less than a minute and a half.

For the unraveling Chargers, the news would only get worse. After fighting their way to the 44 on their very next drive, Taylor lofted an ill-considered pass that Dragon linebacker William Leins quickly snagged. Five plays later, Boyd grabbed his second TD of the night in the back right corner of the end zone.

Renda would add another TD near the end of the third with a 9-yard missile to Mackey. The final Dragon score came less than 2 minutes into the final quarter when Renda sent a 27-yard beauty to Gunter.

Satisfying conclusion

That brought things to a satisfying 49-3 conclusion for the Dragons.

In the overall scheme of things, last night’s game was meaningless. Carroll already had clinched the district title before the Central game. As such, it will host its first-round playoff match in Dragon Stadium, regardless of last night’s outcome.

But momentum is important, and a team’s strong showing in its last game of the regular season, no matter the quality of its opponent, can be vital in the win-or-go-home landscape of the playoffs.

The Dragons are lucky. Having a bye during the last week of the regular season can be a godsend. It offers time to rest and recuperate. Time to plot and game plan. Time to gather themselves for the ordeal ahead.

The playoffs are here, folks! It’s a glorious time to be a high school football fan. And if you’re a Dragonhead, it’s a time to sit and wonder: Is this the year?

Go, Dragons!

 

Dragonheads are asking themselves the question: Is this the year the Dragons bring home that ninth state championship trophy?

Another district title secured: Southlake Carroll 49, Hurst L.D. Bell 0

 

Junior Blake Gunter fights twists his way downfield during the Dragons' dismantling of the Blue Raiders last night. 

A rocky road with a few potholes

BEDFORD – The Southlake Carroll Dragons, shaking off a first-half lethargy that had Dragonheads shifting uncomfortably on the hard benches of Pennington Field, clinched their second consecutive District 4-6A title last night – outgunning, out-coaching and generally out-classing the dismal Hurst L.D. Bell Blue Raiders.

And while the end was never in doubt, the road to victory wasn’t without a few rocks and potholes.

Missed tackles, dropped interceptions, off-target passes, the inability to penetrate a mediocre Bell defensive line – you name it and the Dragons endured it during that sloppy, sluggish and slovenly first half.

The facts speak for themselves. Consider this embarrassing factoid: With 5:50 left in the first half, the Dragons still were clinging to an abysmal 7-0 lead against the lowly Raiders (5-3, 3-3). The score at the halfway point: 14-0.

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall of the Dragon locker room at the break. A safe bet would be that more than several Dragon behinds this morning are resting not-so-comfortably on inflated donuts. (Wink, wink; nudge, nudge.)

It did the trick

Whatever happened between coaches and players at halftime, it did the trick. The Dragons came roaring into the third quarter with fire in their eyes and murder in their hearts.

The hapless Raiders had to know what was coming and proved helpless to stop the devastating Dragon mayhem.

Carroll quarterback Angelo Renda (23-29, 380 yards) needed less than a minute and a half to march his team to the Raider 3. He launched a flurry of pinpoint passes to his bevy of sure-handed receivers: a 7-yard missile to Luc Jacquemard, a 14-yarder to Blake Gunter (4-92), a 30-yard arc to Caden Mackey (4-53) and a 17-yard bolt to Brock Boyd (9-171), the leading Dragon receiver.

At the 3, Renda called his own number and breezed across the line.

He would score twice, both on the ground, becoming the night’s second leading Dragon runner with 82 yards on five carries.

Interestingly, none of Carroll’s seven scores were in the air. Not only that, but the two leading Dragon rushers were Renda and dynamic receiver Blake Gunter, who ran twice for 86 yards and a touchdown. More about that a bit later.

Renda’s second TD came in the all-important third quarter, when a Raider punt had pinned the Dragons at their own 1. On the first play of the drive, Renda swept around the left end and raced 46 yards down the left sideline.

He then connected with Brody Knowles (4-33) for 11 yards and Boyd for another 10. After Penn fought his way to the 14, Renda went the rest of the way himself, extending the Carroll lead to 35-0.

No scores through the air

Despite the anomaly that no scores occurred through the air, the Dragons wielded their usual balanced assault against the Raiders. They compiled 701 total yards, 395 by air and 306 by land.

Running back Davis Penn, injured badly last season, ran for two touchdowns last night. His coach says "the training wheels are off."

The suffering Raiders could manage only 161.

Parker Harris, who usually lines up in the defensive backfield, was added to the Dragons’ already bulging quiver of offensive arrows last night.

Harris accounted for two Carroll scores, both operating from the wildcat formation. The first came late in the lackluster first half when he bolted two yards to paydirt after receiving a direct snap from center.

The second, which came in the third quarter, was overshadowed by a 55-yard catch and run by Gunter that set up a 3-yard dart by Harris, once again operating out of the wildcat.

Gunter, a junior, is fun to watch. He has a knack for getting open and running hard after the catch. Last night, he showed his running prowess on two spectacular plays that left Dragonheads nodding their heads in admiration.

During that third-quarter scamper to set up the second Harris TD,  Gunter shed Bell defenders on three – or was it four? – separate encounters on his way to the Bell 3.

Gunter struggled desperately to stagger those remaining 3 yards, but the trio of Raiders clinging to his back and gripping his legs denied him the glory. Trust me, though, his run and his titanic fight for those last 3 yards – not Harris’ TD – will be what Dragonheads remember.

Later, in the final period, with the Dragons leading 42-0, Carroll launched a drive from its 25 after forcing a Bell punt. On the first play, Gunter lined up in the backfield, snatched a lateral from Renda and raced 75 yards to the end zone. Along the way, he outpaced a couple of Raiders who looked like they had the right angle to intercept him as he ran along the right sideline. Nope, he just quickened his pace and cruised into the end zone safely.

Adding the wildcat

Dodge told the Mike Waters of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the Dragons added the Harris wildcat play during practice this week.

“Parker and the offense executed it perfectly,” he said with satisfaction.

Harris was still a bit giddy about his offensive debut when he spoke to Waters after the game.

Angelo Renda threw for 380 yards last night, but both his touchdowns came on the ground. He was Carroll's second leading rusher.

“We game-planned that this week,” Harris said of the wildcat. “And it worked in the game just like in practice.”

Davis Penn, the premier Dragon runner, scored two TDs, carrying the rock 15 times for 66 yards. Injured badly last season, Penn has been handled carefully by the coaching staff this season to facilitate his recovery. His number of carries has been closely monitored.

Last night signaled his return to full-scale operations, Dodge told Waters.

“The training wheels are off for David Penn,” he said. “He’s full throttle ahead.”

 “I feel great,” Penn said to Waters. “I’m excited to part of this team. Full speed ahead. It feels better and better each game.”

Penn played a key role in a razzle-dazzle play at the beginning of the 4^th quarter that sent the Dragons up by six TDs.

After Carroll got the ball on downs at the Raider 30, Renda pitched the ball to Boyd in the backfield, who then tossed it to Penn coming in the opposite direction.

Penn sped 25 yards to the 5 and reached paydirt on the next play.

Staying for the third

For the first time all season, starters stayed in the game until the beginning of the final quarter last night. But when the backups did show up, they performed well.

Second-team defenders staged a dramatic goal-line stand that stopped the Raiders on four successful plays inside the 10, coldly denying them a face-saving TD.

Quarterback Preston Perazzo then led his action-squad teammates downfield where he had them within 3 yards of an eighth TD when time ran out.

In interviews after the game, Dragon players sought to call attention to the final result, not the problematic first half.

“This was just a great team effort,” Boyd told the Star-T. “The offense came out big in the second half, and our defense was lights out the entire game.”

“The second half, our offense really came on,” Renda said to Waters. “Our defense was amazing the entire game, but we played much better offensively in the second half.”

According to the worthy Waters, this is the 31^st time the Dragons have won a district championship. That doesn’t seem like enough titles to me, but I offer it up for your consideration, nonetheless.

Not season’s end

Even though the Dragons clinched the district crown with yesterday’s lopsided victory, it’s not the end of the regular season. That comes next Friday at Dragon Stadium when your hometown heroes meet the Keller Central Chargers.

According to Waters, if the Dragons beat the Chargers, and they should, it will be the 21^st undefeated season for Carroll, the sixth undefeated season in Dodge’s eight-year tenure as Soutlake head coach.

If accurate, that’s a pretty impressive record, wouldn’t you say?

For my money, the Dragons shouldn’t take the Chargers (5-3. 3-3) too lightly. Over the years, they have proven to be tough opponents upon occasion.

Not that the Dragons really have much to worry about. They are too smart, talented and disciplined to get successfully jumped by a team like Keller Central. And after last night’s uninspiring first-half performance, I suspect the Dragons will be frisky and fierce for their final regular season home game.

After all, who wants to need an inflatable donut to sit on at Saturday breakfast?

Go, Dragons!

Dragon defender Taevin Kunz closes in on Raider quarterback Braylon Harris, whose face reflects L.D. Bell pain last night.

No mercy: Southlake Carroll 57, Justin Northwest 7

 

Riley Dodge, celebrating with his players earlier in the season, has lots to be happy about, including last night's drubbing of Justin Northwest.

Performing as expected

SOUTHLAKE – There wasn’t much entertainment value in Southlake Carroll’s merciless drubbing last night of the Justin Northwest Texans.

Unless, that is, you’re a diehard Dragonhead who viewed the massacre with equanimity and a certain satisfaction – although perhaps with a dash of guilt. After all, we’re not monsters.

As for the Dragons, well, that’s another matter altogether, isn’t it? They’ve succeeded in scaring the daylights out of every opponent they’ve faced this season, rampaging through District 4-6A like Godzilla striding vengefully through a prostrate downtown Tokyo.

Carroll, runaway pregame favorite over the lowly Texans, performed as everyone expected it would.

It leaped to a 22-7 lead in the first quarter, carried a 42-7 margin into halftime and toyed with the bedraggled Texans throughout the entire second half.

Dragon quarterback Angelo Renda and running back supremo Davis Penn shined brightest last night, combing for six touchdowns that swamped Northwest and drained it of hope.

Renda completed 79 percent of his passes (15 of 17) for 321 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for one more. Penn, for his part, rushed for 97 yards on nine carries and visited the endzone three times.

Staunch the bleeding

The reeling Texans never were able to staunch the bleeding, not even with the help of their acclaimed running back, Caris Sela.

It’s true that Sela was the night’s leading rusher, gaining 107 yards on 16 carries. But most of those yards came in the first quarter on a thrilling 89-yard bolt through the Dragon defense on the first play of an early Texan drive.

For most of the night, the Dragon D, playing another brilliant game, kept the talented Sela – and the rest of the Texan offense – corralled, hobbled and horse-tied. Northwest managed only 179 yards of total offense against Carroll’s 543.

And while the Texan defense managed to pick off Renda passes on two successive drives at the end of first half, they were unable to capitalize on either one against an avenging Dragon defense.

Renda probably earned himself a butt-chewing during halftime for his errant throws. But I dunno. Maybe not. After all, when you’re leading your opponent 43-7, perhaps you can be forgiven a momentary loss of focus.

Lord knows Renda came roaring out of halftime with his hair ablaze. In Carroll’s first drive of the third period, Renda zipped a 13-yard pass to Brock Boyd (4-104, 1 TD) and a 25-yard missile to Brody Knowles (4-87) to bring the Dragons to the Texan 28. From there, Penn scored his third TD of the night.

Bringing scoring to an end

The next Northwest series ended after only one play when Texan quarterback Mark Hartman fumbled the ball and Carroll recovered. Five plays later Renda connected with Blake Gunter (4-91), who plunged 11 yards into the endzone to bring Dragon scoring to an end for the night.

Northwest’s game plan emerged early. It was to be Sela, Sela and more Sela: Sela running up the gut, Sela darting around the end, Sela snatching short passes. But the Dragon defense dismantled that strategy and successfully keyed on Sela all night – with the notable exception of his TD heroics.

The Texans’ first possession ended with a punt after a Hartman sack on their own 33. Three plays later, Penn streaked over the goal line from the 11. To add insult to injury, the Dragons went for 2 – and succeeded.

Carroll forced a fumble on the next Texan drive. Then Renda marched the Dragons downfield with a 27-yard pass to Knowles and a 29-yarder to Boyd. From the 8, he cruised into the end zone to extend the Dragon lead to 15-0.

That set up Sela’s TD rumble, which stunned the Southlake crowd into thoughtful silence.

But not to worry. The Dragons came roaring back. Luc Jacquemard returned the Texan kickoff to the Texan 47. Two plays later, Renda lofted an arc to Boyd, who scooted 43 yards to give Carroll a 22-7 first-quarter lead.

The decisive second quarter saw the Dragons in full control. While the defense held the Texans to a series of 3-and-outs, the offense ruled the roost.

Brooks Biggers capped a 71-yard drive with a 2-yard dart across the line. On the first play of the next Northwest series, Dragon defender Marcus Brouse intercepted a Hartman pass and ran 18 yards for a dandy pick-6. Penn then ended a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard bolt to paydirt.

The half ended with the pair of Renda interceptions. But let’s talk no more of those, shall we?

Demoralized and depleted

When the shattered Texans returned from halftime, trailing by five touchdowns, it was a demoralized, mentally depleted team that faced the steely-eyed Dragons.

That’s what it looked like from my green seat, at least. Coach Riley Dodge’s  mission to “kill the will,” an approach learned at his daddy’s knee, had worked like a charm – or in the Texans’ case, like a curse.

Exciting, the game was not. I strongly suspect it didn’t do much to prepare the Dragons for the approaching playoffs either. Stiffer district competition would help sharpen skills and develop the kind of physical and mental discipline that a lengthy playoff run demands.

Angelo Renda led the Dragon attack, throwing two TD passes and running for a third score. Those two interceptions? Fuhgeddaboudit!

 
Particularly if, like the Dragons, you have your eyes firmly focused on the main prize – a ninth state championship.

They probably won’t get much help in playoff preparation from their final regular season opponents. Carroll travels to venerable Pennington Field next week to meet L.D. Bell, which isn’t expected to put up much of a struggle.

And the Dragons will end the season at home on Halloween against Keller Central, which also doesn’t promise to be too frightening a challenge for the Dragons.

Like last year, the Dragons’ bye week comes at the very end of the regular season, giving them extra time to rest, recoup and reconnoiter the playoff picture. I’m no playoff guru, but I’ll take a look at the post-season landscape in an upcoming post. I can promise only one thing – it’ll probably be wrong.

 As every Dragonhead knows, last week’s victory over Eaton handed Dodge his 100^th win as a head coach. He and his family were honored before last night’s game – and rightly so. He deserves all credit, both for that notable achievement and for his success in rejuvenating the Carroll football program, which had languished under his predecessor, and in re-igniting community enthusiasm for the Dragons.

National kudos

Meanwhile, Dodge has received a strong endorsement and some national exposure from an unexpected source.

Former NFL coach John Gruden, who is associated with the Barstool Sports blog and website, recently congratulated Dodge’s for his 100^th victory and heaped praise on the coach and on the entire Carroll football program.

He called Dodge a legend, and mentioned by name a number of Carroll players – including Angelo Renda, Davis Penn, Brock Boyd, Carey Clayton, Crawford Taylor, Austin Bussman and William Chen.

“This Renda kid,” Gruden said, “he can spin it, man. I saw the highlights.”

Gruden overlooked some key Dragon players, of course. But let’s not quibble. This kind of recognition is a good thing. And his affection for the Dragons appears to be sincere.

Gruden urged the Dragons to “get back to the championship and win it this year. You guys keep it going.”

From his lips to God’s ear.

Go, Dragons!

Davis Penn, 3, gets some love earlier this year from teammates glad he's back to his old self.  He scored three TDs last night and looked good doing it.

Unstoppable: Southlake Carroll 66, Haslet Eaton 7

 

Riley Dodge, shown here in action earlier in the season, won his 100th victory as a head coach last night against the Eaton Eagles.

A cold-blooded thrashing

JUSTIN – I hope the Haslet Eaton fans enjoyed their all-too-brief moment of glory during last night’s cold-blooded thrashing of the Eagles by Southlake Carroll’s marauding Dragons.

The celebration erupted after a dazzling second-quarter kickoff return by Sunjava Peoples, who scampered 100 yards virtually untouched to bring Eaton its only score in a game in which the Dragons took control early and shook the life out of the Eagles, much as a cat would a helpless mouse.

Stadium lights flickered dramatically, the scoreboard erupted into sparkling colors and shapes and Northwest ISD Stadium virtually shook with noise – cheers, ear-shattering music and shouts of ecstasy.

Frankly, it was a little embarrassing, considering the circumstances. After all, the Eagles already were trailing the Dragons 28-0, and with the solitary exception of Peoples’ admirable TD sprint, they had demonstrated few signs of life since kickoff.

And once the hubbub died down, they showed little going forward.

The Dragons, on the other hand, had plenty to celebrate. They were just a little quieter about it.

Plenty to celebrate

Consider these factors:

Carroll is running roughshod over the weak sisters of District 4-6A and seems certain to repeat as district champion.

That would give it a great launching pad into the playoffs, which is where the real season goal of a ninth state championship lies waiting to be seized.

The Dragons just handed the extremely gifted Riley Dodge his 100^th victory as a head coach, the quickest that laudable milestone has ever been reached – and at the tender age of 36.

The timing of all this couldn’t be better for Dodge since recent news reports that he is the highest paid head coach in a state that reveres high school football. Of course, his critics should remember that his salary reflects his larger responsibilities as Carroll ISD’s executive director of athletics.

Besides all that, Dodge is football royalty, a hometown boy who saved the languishing football program and a proven winner. Some guys are worth top dollar, and Dodge is one of ’em. So says me.

To mark the occasion, Dodge was given a helmet with 100 stars – 82 for the regular-season wins, and 18 for the playoff victories. Let’s hope there’s room for more stars.

As is his nature, Dodge was sang froid about the honor when he spoke to Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Cody Thorn after the game.

“It means you’ve been in a place for a little bit and had amazing coaches and amazing players,” Dodge said. “It probably means so much more, personally, doing it in my hometown and at my alma mater. I love this place today just like I did on Day 1, eight years ago.”

Running back Davis Penn had his best performance last night since returning from a catastrophic knee injury last season.

The senior displayed his signature tough-nosed running style and instinct for the end zone by scoring three touchdowns in Carroll’s runaway victory over Eaton.

Penn’s coaches have taken great care in easing him back into service, limiting his carries and giving him plenty of time to adjust to the pace and rhythm of Friday night lights.

 After his performance last night, Dodge said we’ll be seeing a lot more of the worthy Penn. Can’t wait!

Carroll’s explosive offense – both in the air and on the ground – keeps getting better week by week.

Admittedly, its true potential is difficult to assess against its weak-kneed District 4-6A foes. But quarterback Angelo Renda – who was near perfection last night – and his cadre of talented receivers are humming like a well-tuned engine.

Likewise, the Dragon D is making a compelling case that it’s the best defensive squad Carroll has fielded in many a year – maybe ever.

It limited Eaton to only 144 total yards, a sizeable chunk of that coming from running back Dwight Brown. But Brown’s runs accounted for nothing tangible, and Eagle quarterback Kalika Nisa spent much of the night running for his life or at the bottom of a pile of Dragons.

Obliterating the Eagles

Carroll’s balanced offensive juggernaut obliterated the Eagles last night, with Penn and running mate Brooks Biggers combining for five rushing TDs and Renda connecting with three separate receivers for scores through the air.

It was that kind of night for Eaton quarterback Kalika Nisa, as Dragons Crawford Taylor, 80, and Jack Lucky, 0, celebrate a sack.

Meanwhile, the defense forced two Eaton turnovers – an interception and a fumble – both of which resulted in Carroll scores. Even special teams got into the act when defensive back Parker Harris returned an Eaton punt 57 yards for a TD.

For me, at least, the most satisfying thing about last night’s victory was the return of senior Davis Penn's true rushing dominance. In setting up his first TD of the night, Penn (7-50) dashed 25 yards to the Eaton 5, deftly sidestepping an Eagle defender on the left sideline before powering through another.

It was a welcome glimpse of the old Penn at work. He followed that on the next play with a plunge over the line that gave the Dragons a 14-0 lead.

Penn would score twice more, on runs of 3 and 4 yards, during the free-for-all that was the 2^nd quarter. As the Eagles reeled in shock and disorder, Carroll scored 42 points – and made it look almost effortless in doing so.

Dodge said in his Star-T interview that the Dragons have been waiting for the right moment to unleash Penn.

“We need No. 3, and we’ve been really taking care of him, trying to get his feet underneath him,” he said. “Tonight, getting him more reps and being really the feature back was big time for us. He’s had a great week of practice, and it was great to see.”

Penn told Thorn that last night “has been a long time coming.”

“They’re really starting to pull the reins off me a little bit,” he said. “I mean, I want all the carries in the world, but we’ve got great receivers, so we’ve got to spread the ball out.”

Dodge assured Dragonheads that Penn’s patience will be rewarded.

“In fairness to him, we’ve been rolling with some different running backs this year, and they’ve all done a great job,” he said. “But a running back needs to get in rhythm, and he’s going to get a lot more reps as the season extends.”

One of the backs who has been carrying the load for the healing Penn is junior transfer Brooks Biggers (6-30), who opened the decisive 2^nd period with a 1-yard TD dash that gave Carroll a three-TD lead. He would also score the Dragon’s last TD with a 13-yard bolt up the middle in the opening drive of the 3^rd period.

After a sluggish first possession, the Dragons kicked into gear, forcing Eaton into a quick 3-and-out, then scoring two plays later when Renda (15-17, 305 yards) lofted a graceful 54-yard arc to Brody Knowles (4-134).

Control of the field

Penn added to the lead on the next Dragon drive, but the Eagles were unable to respond, punting the ball away and giving Renda and company control of the field.

After Biggers expanded the Dragon lead, the Carroll defense sacked Nisa, the Eagle QB, on the next drive, and Eaton was forced to punt. That’s when Harris staged his dramatic TD sprint to hand the Dragons a 28-0 lead.

But just as Dragonheads were settling back in their seats to enjoy the spectacle unfolding before them, the Eagles displayed the only spark they would generate all night.

When Dragon kicker Gavin Strange’s kickoff failed to reach the end zone – one of the few times it did not – the ball ended up instead in the hands of Sunjava Peoples poised at the goal line.

Peoples raced forward, dodged a few Dragons and proceeded unimpeded 100 yards to the end zone. Eaton mayhem ensued.

But the sound and fury signified nothing. The Dragons were just getting started.

Carroll responded quickly to the freaky Eagle heroics. Renda zipped passes to Caden Mackey (3-56) and Knowles that carried the Dragons to the Eagon 3. From there, Penn bullied across. Carroll now led 35-7.

On the next Eaton drive, things went from bad to worse for the staggering Eagles. Austin Bussman intercepted a Nisa pass, which resulted in Penn’s 4-yard TD run. Score now 42-7.

At this point, things spinned completely out of control for the Eagles. Forced to punt, they watched Renda move the Dragons effortlessly downfield, zipping a 20-yard pass to Blake Gunter (4-52) and then a 22-yard TD to Brock Boyd (4-63). With less than 2 minutes left in the half, Carroll led 49-7.

Struggling to halftime

But wait, Eaton’s agony wasn’t over. Not yet. As the Eagles struggled to make it to halftime, Parker Harris plowed into Nisa and knocked loose the ball, which was then grabbed by Gavin Strange.

Two plays later, Renda launched a 20-yard strike to Boyd, followed by 26-yarder to Mackey, who scored his first TD of the season with 4 seconds left on the clock.

The Eagles limped into halftime trailing 56-7 and feeling, no doubt, as if they had just been hit by a truck, which then backed up and ran over them again.

As you might expect, the 2^nd half was anti-climatic. Biggers added his second TD as the half opened, and Strange later booted a 30-yard field goal. The second-team defense held serve and allowed no shenanigans from the exhausted and demoralized Eagles.

It’s hard to celebrate such a lopsided victory. And matchups like last night’s do little to prepare a team like Carroll for the rigors of the approaching playoffs. Stiffer competition would be nice, perhaps, but the UIL – and not Carroll – controls what district it is assigned. The Dragons’ schedule is what it is.

Next Friday, Justin Northwest travels to Southlake to meet its fate. The Texans are 2-3 for the season and have only beaten lowly L.D. Bell in District 4-6A, losing to Keller and Eaton. We’ll see if they’re able to put up much of a fight in the unfriendly confines of Dragon Stadium.

Go, Dragons!

Running back Davis Penn ran for three touchdowns last night and showed much of his old form after a catastrophic knee injury last season.