Another step forward: Southlake Carroll 51, Denton Guyer 19

 

Junior Brock Biggers cruises into the end zone on one of his two TD runs against Denton Guyer.

Muscling their way in

The surging Southlake Carroll Dragons – wielding a blistering offense and a stiff-necked defense – overwhelmed with surprising ease yesterday a feisty and belligerent Denton Guyer squad to muscle their way into the semifinal round of the Class 6A, Division II playoffs.

Most Dragonheads, myself included, expected a desperate, hard-fought contest against the 11-3 Wildcats, who always have proved to be stout and dangerous foes.

And they were, at least in the early minutes of yesterday’s fourth-round face-off.

Despite those first-quarter fireworks, which had many of us squirming in our seats, the Wildcats wilted quickly before a Dragon onslaught led by quarterback supremo Angelo Renda, his talented receiver corps and a resurgent Davis Penn at running back.

The Wildcats, led by sophomore signal-caller Carter Morgan and his elusive and sturdy running back, Kaedyn Cobbs, simply couldn’t cope with a Dragon defense that has burned brightly in the caldron of the Texas high school playoff race.

“That defense, they worked their tails off during the week and in the film room,” head coach Riley Dodge told The Dallas Morning News’ Myah Taylor in a post-game interview. “We’ve got a lot of buy-in right now.”

The buy-in is paying off, as the young Morgan discovered to his dismay. He’s got a bright future with the Wildcats, but not yesterday – and not against a Dragon team with a laser focus on a ninth state title.

On paper, Morgan looked pretty impressive. He completed 16 of 33 passes for 269 yards and a TD. Despite the numbers, Carroll’s swarming D limited the sophomore’s effectiveness, sacking him several times, disrupting his timing and keeping him scrambling for most of the contest. He fumbled at least three snaps, two of which were recovered by Dragons.

Scorched-earth offense

Guyer’s vaulted rushing defense – which before yesterday had limited the offenses it had faced to an average of 60, or much less, yards per game – wilted before Carroll’s scorched-earth offense.

Penn rushed eight times for 161 yards and a single touchdown. But his impact on the game was much greater since he regularly threaded the Guyer front line to help set up junior Brock Biggers’ second-quarter TD runs of 19 and 7 yards.

Meanwhile, Renda, a Pitt commit, sent a series of well-aimed throws to his ace receiving corps, completing 10 of 16 passes for 235 yards and two TDs. He also rushed six times for 39 yards.

Parker Harris, 6, muscles Wildcat receiver Alex Warren to the ground during yesterday's playoff clash with Denton Guyer. 

In the early going of yesterday’s showdown, however, Dragonheads had to endure a bad case of the heebie-jeebies.

After an opening Carroll drive that lasted only five lackluster plays, the Dragons were forced to punt. But Zac Hays’ kick was blocked by Wildcat defender Caleb Fowlers, and Guyer landed on the Dragon 8. Two plays later, Cobb darted 6 yards to the end zone, but the Wildcats failed to convert the PAT.

Carroll responded quickly enough. On the second play of the ensuing drive, Renda hit a racing Brock Boyd (3-116) in stride, and the Ohio State commit raced 74 yards to the end zone. Gavin Strange kicked the PAT, and Carroll edged into a narrow 7-6 lead.

That didn’t last long. Guyer roared back, with Cobb rumbling 33 yards to the Dragon 40. From there, Morgan launched himself through the Dragon line and sped untouched to a go-ahead TD.

Struggle to midfield

Carroll could only struggle to midfield, where it faced a 4^th-and-15. Time for a little Dragon trickeration. The ball was snapped to Dragon utility player Parker Harris, not to punter Hays, and Harris took off downfield instead.

The fakery failed miserably. Harris, last week’s bright and shining star, managed to make it to the Guyer 40, well short of the first down. The confident ’Cats lined up, determined to widen their razor-thin 13-7 advantage.

And they did. Almost. Five plays later, Morgan carried the ball 22 yards across the goal line. That’s when the earth began to shift underneath Guyer. A holding call wiped out the TD, and the Wildcats ill-advisedly tried and failed to convert a 4^th-and-16.

The Dragons took over on the Guyer 32. Penn ran for 16, and Renda pitched a 21-yard pass to Boyd. Perhaps sensing a subtle shift in momentum, Carroll indulged in a little razzle-dazzle: ball to Renda, Renda to Boyd, Boyd back to Renda, who then hurled it 31 yards to Luc Jacquemard in the endzone.

Thus began a 38-point unanswered scoring run by the Dragons, in which they took control of the game and slammed the door on Guyer hopes.

 “I think we weathered the storm early,” Dodge told the DMN’s Taylor. “They didn’t flinch all night, especially early in the ball game. They just stayed steady. But we’re very capable of doing that.”

The second period was punctuated by Biggers’ TDs on successive drives. With less than 2 minutes left in the half, with the Dragons ahead 28-13, the Wildcats staged a desperate drive downfield. They got as far as the Dragon 19, where the Carroll defense asserted itself.

A menace

Linebacker Marcus Brouse, a menace all afternoon, sacked Morgan at the 29. With 8 seconds left on the clock, the Wildcats lined up for a 46-yard field goal. But they faked the kick, and the Guyer runner was shoved out of bounds.

Time had run out for the Wildcats – in more ways than one.

The pace slowed in the second half, with Gavin Strange’s 31-yard field goal the only score by either squad in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, the Wildcat offense sputtered and stalled. Its first drive ended in a failed 4^th-down attempt, as did its second. The Dragons – behind Penn’s strong running – moved to Guyer 7, where Harris – a fierce presence on both sides of the ball all day – sprang up the middle to paydirt. Carroll now held an insurmountable 38-13 lead.

Give credit to the Wildcats – they were no quitters. On the next kickoff, the receiver grabbed the ball at the 2 and rolled 97 yards before Gavin Strange, the kicker, made a TD-saving tackle at the Dragon 1.

That’s where Morgan – beaten, battered and bruised – fumbled the snap, and Harris – now playing defense – fell on it.

Renda and company then could get no farther than the 39, where Carroll punted the ball away. But Morgan again fumbled the snap a after soul-jarring collision with Brouse. Lineman Crawford Taylor snatched up the ball and took it 30 yards for the score.

Angelo Renda looks for a receiver downfield as a Guyer defender closes in.

Morgan would redeem himself somewhat when he culminated a long, tortuous Wildcat drive with an 8-yard TD pass to Zaye Rowe. It was the first Guyer score since the first quarter.

After a failed onside kick by Guyer, the Dragons ended scoring with Penn’s 1-yard TD plunge.

A critical point

After the game, Penn spoke to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Charles Baggarly about the mindset of the Dragons at this critical point in the season.

“Just keep improving,” he said. “Don’t get complacent. We won in the fourth round, but the job is not over. We still have two more games against great opponents. We’re still hungry. No complacency.”

That’s the right attitude, particularly in light of the Dragons’ next opponent. They’ll face the 11-3 DeSoto Eagles, another old and respected foe, later this week at a time and venue yet to be announced. The Eagles defeated the Willis Wildkats 60-41 yesterday to reach the semifinals.

This week’s contest will be a rematch of the 2023 state semifinal contest between Southlake and DeSoto, a clash the Eagles won 45-38.

The Dragons have reached the fourth round every year that Dodge has been head coach. That’s quite an accomplishment for the program and for Dodge.

He’s aware of the legacy he represents. His father, the legendary Todd Dodge, brought four state championships to Southlake. Riley Dodge played on two of those championship teams. He was the winning quarterback in 2006, his father’s last season in Southlake.

A special place

During his eight-year tenure, the younger Dodge has reinvigorated the program and brought it to the state finals twice, losing to his father in the COVID-era Dodge Bowl in 2020 and falling to Austin Vandergrift last year.

“This place has a special place in my heart,” Dodge said to Taylor of the DMN. “To hold the standard of this place has been a lot of fun.”

The secret to his success? I dunno.  I strongly suspect it’s his ability to connect with his players. To inspire and teach them about success. About integrity. About discipline and hard work.

If you listen to them, you begin to understand the dynamics of leadership.

“We go by a certain standard every day and that standard doesn’t change,” an ebullient Harris told the DMN. “The culture’s unbelievable.”

Go, Dragons!

Coach Riley Dodge holds aloft the regional final trophy for his exultant players to admire.

Worth the wait: Southlake Carroll 49, Prosper 31

 

Junior receiver Brody Knowles celebrates his touchdown against the Prosper Eagles.

The team left standing

The sturdy Dragonheads who endured a four-hour-plus weather delay last night were rewarded for their patience and forbearance with one of the most outstanding performances by a Southlake Carroll team in the program’s storied history.

And it came on a rain-soaked evening fit for neither man nor beast. Players and fans alike were driven from the field by a prolonged driving downpour and – more alarmingly – by lightning strikes that flashed around Arlington’s Choctaw Stadium like the strobe lights at a 1980s disco.

But when the final buzzer rang, the weary Dragons were the team left standing, having dispatched a talented and determined Prosper Eagles squad in the third round of the Class 6A, Division II playoffs.

Carroll’s reward will be a regional showdown next week against an old and hated foe – the Denton Guyer Wildcats, who narrowly survived a third-round encounter with the Byron Nelson Bobcats 24-21. Time and venue to be determined.

The Dragons were brilliant on both sides of the ball. Their offense, led by supremo quarterback Angelo Renda, ruled rain-choked Choctaw, evading the Eagle defensive effort and picking apart its besieged secondary.

As for the Dragon D, it played – in a phrase favored by head coach Riley Dodge – lights out all night. This defensive squad could well be the finest the Southlake program has ever produced.

Championship hardware

Although the Dragons always have been acclaimed for their high-powered and quick-striking offenses, it frequently has been the success of their defenses that brought home the championship hardware.

And so it was last night.

The Dragon D brought pressure and disrupted the timing of Eagle quarterback Braeden Imhoff, who was sacked a number of times, threw three interceptions and overthrew his receivers all evening.

Despite the harassment, he managed to throw for 298 yards – eclipsing Renda’s worthy 235 – and two touchdowns. Left to his own devices, he and Prosper’s splendid running back, Bryce Robinson, could well have spelled doom for Carroll’s playoff plans.

 But they didn’t. Dragon defenders largely kept Robinson in check, limiting him to only 88 yards on 25 carries and a single TD, and preventing him from blowing the game wide open, a propensity he has demonstrated all season.

Dragon defensemen swarm Eagle running back Bryce Robinson during last night's third-round playoff bout.

Senior lineman Jake Lucky deserves special attention. The Eagle O-line had no answer for him. He was involved in almost every tackle, causing havoc and disarray everywhere and generally being a lugwrench in Prosper’s offensive machinery.

The Dragons signaled early that the four-hour weather delay hadn’t dulled their senses or their scoring appetite.

It took Renda 75 seconds on Carroll’s opening drive to lead the Dragons 70 yards in four plays before sending a 36-yard pass to junior Brody Knowles (2-48) waiting in the end zone.

Renda completed an awe-inspiring 87% of his passes against Prosper (13 of 15) for 235 yards and 3 TDs. He also rushed for 72 yards on 12 carries, proving in the last two games that he can be a threat on his feet as well as with his arm.

His coach heaped praise on his young protegee in a post-game interview with Charles Baggarly of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

“He’s the best in the state of Texas for a reason,” Dodge said. “He has done it for the last two years. He’s just calm. He’s the steady presence for us offensively.”

Interestingly, however, it wasn’t Renda – as special as he undoubtedly was – who took center stage at Choctaw last night.

Stellar team player

That honor goes to senior Parker Harris, perhaps the Dragons’ best all-round athlete and a stellar team player who normally plays at defensive end.

Last night, Harris enjoyed the best game of his life. He was everywhere, roaming the field on both sides of the ball. He scored two rushing TDs, passed for another (you read that right: He threw a TD pass!), intercepted an errant Imhoff throw, and generally made a nuisance of himself to the struggling Eagles on every play.

Dodge told Baggarly that Harris was a spark plug for his team. And I’d say that “electrifying” is a pretty apt description of his performance in Arlington on a storm-tossed fall evening.

Harris’ interception was a key moment in the game. After Carroll’s initial score, both teams had traded punts, and the Eagles had driven to midfield. That’s where Imhoff – evading grasping Dragon defenders – sent an ill-advised pass downfield.

Harris snatched it away, and Carroll immediately capitalized on the misstep. Renda marched the Dragons to the Eagle 35, where he zipped the ball to star receiver Brock Boyd.

Boyd, the night’s leading receiver, headed for the end zone, and the Dragons pulled to a 14-0 lead with less than a minute left in the first period.

It was Boyd’s first TD of the game, but not his last. He would score again in the second half on his way to a 5-reception, 126-yard game.

It looked for a while like the game might evolve into a shooting match. After Prosper got onto the scoreboard with a 30-yard field goal, it held the Dragons to a 3-and-out.

The Eagles then blocked the Jack Hays punt and covered the ball at the Dragon 21. Five plays later, Imhoff scored from the 1, and Prosper narrowed the Carroll lead to 14-10.

Momentum shift

Momentum can shift in an instant, and this Dragonhead leaned forward in concern.

But not to worry. Much. Luc Jacquemard returned the Prosper kickoff to the 47, handing the Dragons excellent field position. One play later, Renda sent a 43-yard arc to Boyd, who carried it to the Eagle 2. A penalty backed Carroll to the 7.

At that point, Harris lined up in the wildcat formation and took the snap. Dropping back, he zipped the ball to junior Blake Gunter in the end zone. Score: 21-10.

It was a good night to be Parker Harris, who rushed for two TDs, threw a TD pass to Blake Gunter and snagged an interception.

But Prosper responded quickly. It staged a 6-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 20-yard bolt to pay dirt by Robinson, pulling the Eagles once again to within 4 points.

But another excellent kickoff return by Jacquemard set the Dragons up at the Prosper 46. Two plays later, Renda tossed a 31-yard pass to Gunter, who rumbled to the Eagle 10.

Running back Davis Penn carried it to the 1. Then Harris – remember him? – sped untouched across the line with 21 seconds left in the half.

Southlake carried a 28-17 lead into the locker room. It would never trail by less than 11 points for the rest of the game.

The third quarter saw both teams trade touchdowns. Renda connected with Boyd on a 29-yard TD pass, a perfectly executed play that prompted Dragon Sports colorman Robert Clayton to exult to his online audience: “Are you entertained?”

Um, yes. We were.

Meanwhile, Imhoff hit Eagle receiver Lathon Latiolais with a 16-yard missile to keep Prosper close: 35-24.

Dragon defensive back Austin Bussmann opened the final quarter by intercepting an Imhoff pass (his second INT) at the Dragon 45. Harris, who had lined up largely unnoticed in the Dragon backfield, grabbed the ball from Renda and took off 55 yards for the end zone.

What a night to be Parker Harris! I mean, seriously.

Never gave up

To their credit, the Eagles never gave up, never let down. They quickly moved to within 11 points again with a 16-yard Imhoff pass to Robinson, his first passing TD of the year.

With less than 6 minutes left, the Dragons staged a clock-eating 5-play, 70-yard drive on the ground, with Penn and Harris pounding inexorably downfield. From the 31, Penn, who had been bottled up during the first half, dashed up the middle to the end zone. He would end the night with 74 yards on 14 carries.

And in a final stab to the heart, Gavin Strange ended any thought of a last-gasp Eagle comeback when he intercepted Imhoff, the embattled Eagle signal caller’s third INT of the night.

Some may question the decision of the Southlake and Prosper coaches to insist on playing last night. Kickoff was delayed by 4 hours and 15 minutes. The contest started at 11:15 p.m., and the final buzzer sang out at 1:42 a.m.

That put a lot of stress and pressure on the young players of both teams. And it posed a difficult challenge for the coaching staff to keep the youngsters focused and physically ready.

But postponing a playoff game is a complex affair, coming up with last-minute venues a nightmare and rearranging pregame practices a harrowing experience. Coaches would rather play late and face the consequences.

“We put a lot of work into playing a game on Friday,” Dodge told the Star-T’s Baggarly. “Obviously, we had a lot of delays, stops and starts. It felt like we had 20 meetings underneath Choctaw just trying to figure out what was going on. Credit to coach (Tyler Moore of Prosper) over there. ... We both decided we wanted to get this football game in, and, you know, there was no other option.”

It worked out all right – for the Dragons, at least. And it reveals, I think, the importance of preparation and leadership in the locker room. From both players and coaches.

It is a strength, an important one, of the Dragons. It’s a major part of what makes this program special – and oh so successful.

Go, Dragons!

The waiting game: Lightning strikes delayed last night's game for more than four hours, giving these Dragons plenty of time to stand and think.

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.