Never say die: Southlake Carroll 34, Jenks (Okla.) 33

 

Three-star receiver Brody Knowles caught seven passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns last night.

A fight for their lives

DALLAS – The Jenks Trojans can be forgiven, I think, if it took them a while – after manhandling a sluggish, sloppy and seemingly befuddled Southlake Carroll team for most of the first half – to realize last night they were in a fight for their lives.

In the high-profile venue of the historic Cotton Bowl, the Trojans – one of Oklahoma’s most successful high school programs – had jumped to an improbable four-score lead with shocking ease over a Dragon team that appeared helpless to resist.

For its part, Carroll was the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. Put bluntly, they were having trouble finding their six-shooters, much less aiming them.

The Dragons – hampered by procedural flags, missed blocks, overthrown passes, disjointed timing – to that point had turned in one of the poorest performances I have witnessed from a Southlake squad.

Then everything changed. Before our wondering eyes, the young Dragons transformed themselves from a bunch of embarrassing slubs to gridiron warriors, delivering a gritty, gutsy, never-say-die comeback win that Dragonheads will be recounting with gusto for many moons to come.

It started, as it almost always does, with a single play by a key player. Late in the second quarter, with Carroll trailing 27-0, leading receiver Brody Knowles snagged a 24-yard pass and carried the Dragons into Jenks territory. It was the first offensive sign of life all night.

Up to that point, the Trojans had run rampart over the bemused and confused Dragons. They swept up and down the field at will, scoring on rushing plays of 1, 64 and 48 yards, and on a 25-yard passing play. Only a missed extra point (not to be overlooked!) marred the picture of unchallenged domination.

 As their dejected and sweat-soaked fans glumly watched, the Dragons seemed for all the world to be mere spectators of their own humiliation. But when Knowles, a three-star recruit and one of the state’s best receivers, grabbed that pass, a spark flickered across the Carroll side of the Cotton Bowl.

Dragon quarterback Hudson Tomcheck had a great debut, completing 79% of his passes and making two rushing TDs.

That’s when some of us noticed with a jolt that Hudson Tomcheck, playing his first varsity game as Dragon quarterback, had been replaced by backup Palmer Pensom. In normal circumstances, that’s a move with dire consequences for all concerned.

Finally on the board

Pensom promptly connected with tight end Eason Nied on a 38-yard touchdown pass. And with 3:45 minutes left in the half, the Dragon were finally, thankfully, on the board.

Head coach Lee Munn, still reeling from his nerve-racking debut as Dragon head coach, told Greg Riddle of The Dallas Morning News after the game that the QB switch did not reflect a no- confidence vote in Tomcheck.

“We had planned it ever since spring ball,” Munn told Riddle. “We’ve talked about the quarterback room and how good we feel about it. Palmer is going to get valuable drives in these first three weeks. He did a great job coming in and kind of igniting the offense.”

The Dragon defense, which up to that point had proved largely ineffective, shook off its lethargy and held Jenks to a crucial 3-and-out. Tomcheck then returned to the lineup and went to work. Moving the Dragons to the Trojan 19, he flipped a pass to Knowles at the left edge of the end zone.

Knowles, the star of the night, tap-danced along the line before falling in bounds.

Dragonheads, many no doubt pondering an early exit only minutes before, looked at the scoreboard and shook their heads in wonder, relief and – hope. Jenks 27, Carroll 14. Dare we contemplate a comeback?

The second half provided the answer.

After a facemask penalty stalled a promising Dragon drive, the Trojans bullied their way to the Carroll 2, where they threatened to throttle any resurgent Dragon challenge. However, the young Dragon D, filled with youngsters playing their first varsity ball, stood tall and stopped Jenks on four successive downs.

Tomcheck, who completed almost 80 percent of his passes for 322 yards, led a 98-yard drive that ended with his 1-yard bolt across the line, narrowing the Jenks’ lead to 27-21.

By this point, the Trojans knew they were in trouble. Carroll defenders had adjusted to the speed and timing of playing under Friday Night Lights. Tomcheck’s O-line was giving him more time to find receivers. And, perhaps most significantly, momentum – that most capricious of allies – was shifting their way.

Meanwhile, Jenks QB Landon Kizzar, who had a decent first half, was facing a transformed landscape in the second. Harassed by defenders and his receivers well-covered, his effectiveness was reduced sharply.

If only things were that simple. But this is high school football, and it’s best to expect the unexpected. Rather than seize control of the game, the Dragons insisted on making their uphill climb even more difficult.

Not making it easy

They forced the Trojans to punt on the next series. But Carroll fumbled the return and gifted the ball back to Jenks on the Dragon 20. Three plays later, Kyron Scott scampered into the end zone for his second score of the night, padding the Trojan lead to 33-21. Jenks’ 2-point conversion failed.

O-lineman Tristan Dare, 72, QB Hudson Tomcheck, 3, and WR Brody Knowles, 1, celebrate a Knowles touchdown.

That, coupled with that missed first-half PAT, ultimately would prove fatal for the Okies.

But the Dragons weren’t finished with shooting themselves in their lower extremities. On their next possession, running back Gavin Gooden coughed up the ball while pushing for more yardage. Thanks to Dragon defenders, however, Jenks was forced to punt, which Carroll fielded at the Jenks 46. On the next play, Tomcheck hefted a TD pass to the omnipresent Knowles, bringing the Dragons to within 5.

During a subsequent Carroll drive, Dragonheads held their breath while Knowles was helped off the field after he took a big hit. But the football gods were merciful, and he returned a couple of plays later – with a vengeance.

In the final minutes of the game, his 24-yard pass reception energized the game-winning Dragon drive that ended with Tomcheck’s 1-yard dive into the endzone for the winning score.

Knowles, who has committed to Illinois, ended the night with seven receptions, 180 yards and a pair of TDs. Worthy of note were Nied, who had 2 catches for 85 yards and that first Carroll TD, and Blake Gunter (3-55). Dez Bryant Jr., son of the former Dallas Cowboy great, also got into the act, catching five passes for 42 yards.

Tomcheck, despite a quiet first half, had a great first outing as Carroll field general. He completed 19 of 24 passes (79%) for 322 yards, and scored two rushing TDs. The heralded Carroll aerial attack appears to be in good hands.

Munn praised the toughness and dedication of his young charges when confronted with difficult and uncertain circumstances. He singled out Knowles’ performance.

“When we needed a play, we went to him, and he was there,” he told the DMN. “Even after he kind of got the breath knocked out of him, he came back and made a big-time play. A lot of people did a lot of really good things to help us win that football game. But he was the MVP of that game for sure.”

Credit where it’s due

For his part, Knowles gave credit to his coaches. (Smart lad!)

“It just shows how good our coaches are,” Knowles told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Charles Baggarly, referring to the comeback. “They way they pour into us. The way we believe in ourselves. Our preparation that we put in, we couldn’t have done it without them.”

Despite the ups and downs of the night, Munn decreed himself well pleased with the result. A win is, after all, a win, even a precarious one. It’s useful to remember, perhaps, that Riley Dodge’s first game as head coach was an ugly win, too.

“It’s good to win any game,” Munn told Riddle. “I think that’s the biggest message to our kids, whether we win by 1 or 40. We’re going to celebrate wins, and I’m just so proud of the kind of fight and resiliency they showed.”

How do the kids feel about their new coach and the current state of the program?

O-line leader Tristan Dare wasn’t stingy with his admiration of Munn.

“What a way to start,” he told Baggarly. “27-to-nothing comeback in the Cotton Bowl. He has been doing a great job leading. Big shoes to fill, but he is filling them very well.”

I’d have to agree.

Go, Dragons!

Star receiver Brody Knowles goes up for a catch. In the eyes of his coach, Knowles was last night's MVP.

A new chapter: Moving beyond the Dodge era of Dragon football

Lee Munn, new head coach of the Southlake Carroll Dragons

Facing one of Oklahoma’s best

A new chapter in the storied history of Southlake Carroll football begins tomorrow in an old and famous venue.

The No. 8 ranked Carroll Dragons meet the Jenks Trojans, one of Oklahoma’s premier high school programs, in Dallas’ venerable Cotton Bowl in what is being touted as the high school equivalent of the Texas-OU Red River Rivalry.

Pish posh to that marketing malarky. But despite the hype that has descended hot and heavy on this pre-district, season-opening – and thus, meaningless – contest, it could still prove to be a darn good football game for those of us who still stubbornly dote on the last vestiges of high school football purity.

The Trojans have 18 state championship trophies in their school display case and are one of less than a half-dozen Okie high schools worth mentioning when it comes to football. Last year, they made Oklahoma’s semi-finals.

They’re no pushovers, you can count on that. And they represent the first of a trio of early contests for a young Southlake squad heavily impacted by the graduation blues – a Murderer’s Row that includes No. 4 North Crowley on Sept. 4 and No. 7 Allen on Sept. 11.

The here-and-now

Like the Trojans, Carroll also made the state’s semi-finals last year before falling to the eventual state champs, the mighty DeSoto Eagles. It was a particularly disappointing finale to a season in which the Dragons fielded one of the strongest squads in program history.

But that was then. What about the here-and-now?

Good question. To begin with, the Dragons have a new coach, Carroll veteran Lee Munn, who takes over for the departed Riley Dodge. Dodge, a Dragon star in his own right and son of the legendary Todd Dodge, moved to the college ranks at the end of last season and will serve as SMU’s tight-end coach and passing guru.

It’s a shrewd choice by the Mustangs. Whether it’ll be a good move by the younger Dodge is yet to be determined. Big Daddy Dodge, who brought four state championships to Southlake and three more to Austin Westlake, didn’t fare well when he shifted to the college scene and decided wisely to stick to the high school territory he knows like no other.

Munn, Riley Dodge’s defensive coordinator and associate head coach, was the odds-on favorite to succeed his old boss. He was one of Riley’s first hires when, with great (and understandable) fanfare, Dodge was named Dragon head coach in 2018.

Munn occupies a sturdy branch of the Dodge family coaching tree, having worked for Big Daddy, both in Marble Falls and at Austin Westlake, where he was an integral cog in the Dodge coaching dynasty.

An important part

As an important part of Riley Dodge phenomenally successful tenure at Southlake, Munn was heavily recruited for a head coaching job. At Carroll, a defensively challenged program in most years, he was able to get maximum effort out of his young charges. The Dragons fielded one of their most talented defenses last year, and its labors were a large reason Carroll nearly made into the state finals for the third time under Riley’s leadership.

As Munn explained to Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Charles Baggarly in a preseason interview, he chose to stay at Carroll because “being the offensive coordinator or the defensive coordinator here sometimes can be better than certain head coaching positions.”

Junior Hudson Tomcheck, Dragon quarterback

Munn knows only too well what’s in store for him. Expectations run high in a community like Southlake. Early success will be expected. The failure to deliver will bring the boo birds out early. He says he’s ready.

“I think you want to be in a place that’s competitive, and the expectation is to win,” he told Baggarly. “There’s a lot of places in the state of Texas where the expectation is not as high as it is here. I don’t think you want to live in those environments.”

Brave talk. And just the kind of attitude Dragonheads want to hear.

But Munn certainly hasn’t made his job any easier by loading up the Dragons’ pre-district schedule with such heavy hitters. He says he did so partly by design, but also out of necessity.

His appointment as head coach came late enough to create a scramble to fill the three empty slots in the Carroll schedule. It was a case of accepting what’s available. Strong programs often have difficulty finding pre-district foes willing to take a beating.

Facing stout opponents like Jenks, North Crowley and Allen is hardly “beggar’s choice” and is likely to produce some exciting competition. But it isn’t something his predecessor ever attempted.

Riley Dodge’s pre-district roster of opponents never packed near the punch of the ones approved by his successor.

Munn says playing hefty opponents early is just what his staff needs to evaluate a young squad like this year’s Dragons.

Deep water

“We realized we were super young, and we’re going to need to know pretty early on what we’ve got,” he told the Star-T. “We jumped in head first.”

Let’s hope the water is deep enough, eh?

Munn and his staff certainly have their work cut out for them. Last year’s entire starting defense graduated. This year’s squad will be anchored by senior linebacker Landon Harris, who got playing time last year and will form a cornerstone for rebuilding. Keep an eye on senior linemen Kyle Duross and Kaden Hodges.

On offense, things look brighter.

Junior Hudson Tomcheck will start at quarterback. He reportedly struggled a bit during the preseason scrimmage with Aledo, but word is he’s accurate, has a strong arm and is an elusive runner.

His coach gives him high marks.

“He’s got all the talent in the world, and he’s going to be a special player for us,” Munn told The Dallas Morning News earlier this summer. “We need to make sure that he doesn’t try to be superman and win games on his own. Because we don’t need him to be, and he’s got a lot of help.”

Proven assets

Munn probably was referring to Tomcheck’s experienced and talented receiving corps, which promises to be a game changer. Three-star seniors Brody Knowles, committed to Illinois, and Blake Gunter, a California commit, are proven assets. Some accounts rate them as the best receiving duo in the state.

Senior Blake Gunter, Dragon wide receiver

Time will tell, but if Tomcheck can manage to get into sync with those two, Carroll could be a potent offensive powerhouse. An early test will come tomorrow, when Tomcheck and company face Jenk’s four-star safety Kailib Dillard, a Florida commit.

On the ground, things are less clearcut. Running back Brooks Biggers will handle the bulk of rushing chores. The potential he showed last year will depend this season in part on the success of his offensive line, which will be led by lineman Tristan Dare.

Truth be told, tomorrow will be a challenge for everyone concerned. The heat will be a problem for players – and for fans. Dallas’ rush-hour, week-day traffic will be a nightmare. And at the end of the day, what does it all mean?

Nothing much. But winning is always better than losing, particularly in Southlake, where success on the field almost is considered a birthright. I can’t help but worry that front-loading the season with three powerhouse programs may be a recipe for trouble.

I admire Munn’s philosophy of challenging his young squad early to give his staff an opportunity to evaluate weaknesses and capitalize on strengths.

No sure thing

But losing early can also be a disheartening experience for young players. And for a demanding – and often unreasonable – fan base. Keep in mind, after the Trojans come North Crowley and Allen. Whipping either one is no sure thing.

When is the last time the Dragons started the season 0-3? I dunno. But it’s longer than even the most keen Dragonhead can remember. And it could happen, may the gods of football forbid.

Munn says he understands the Southlake mindset. Pressure, however, comes from all sides and all angles.

“Whatever the expectation is from the outside, we double it on our end,” he told the Star-T. “But we’re just trying to focus on what’s ahead of us. We talk about being process-oriented and just focusing on the journey instead of the end goal.”

And so the Carroll Dragons’ tale continues. A new season. A new chapter. Stay tuned.

Go, Dragons! 

 

Senior Brody Knowles, Dragon wide receiver

Stopped short: Southlake Carroll 44, DeSoto 57

Davis Penn heads for the end zone during yesterday's losing effort against the DeSoto Eagles.

A titanic slugfest

It turned out to be the titanic slugfest everyone expected it to be. And it came down, as it inevitably must, to a single play. And a controversial one at that.

But in the end, Southlake Carroll’s dogged pursuit of a ninth state championship came up short yesterday at that hands of a DeSoto Eagles juggernaut that surged from behind to defeat one of the best teams the Dragons have fielded in many a year – maybe ever.

I’m not saying the Eagles didn’t deserve the win. They played magnificently, made the plays they had to make and showed determination, disciple and desire when it counted. They’ll give the Houston C.E. King Panthers all they can handle when the Class 6A, Division II state championship is played in AT&T Stadium next Saturday.

The Dragons, bless ’em, came close. Oh, so close. But that only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. So it goes.

The semifinal contest was everything a late-round playoff game should be – a thrilling, back-and-forth shootout between two of the state’s premier programs.

DeSoto, which has spoiled Southlake hopes before, signaled its intention to do so again by jumping to a 7-0 lead with a 56-yard TD pass from quarterback Legend Howell to Courtly’on Jackson (10-136).

Dragon QB Angelo Renda (19-39, 282 yards, 5 TDs) answered promptly with TD throws of 58 and 44 yards to splendid junior receiver Blake Gunter, who ended the contest with 111 yards and four scores.

Roaring back

With the Eagles trailing 14-7, Howell roared back in the second period with a 1-yard TD pass to Ethan Feaster (4-106) to tie things up. He performed superbly, completing 20 of 27 passes (74%) for 344 yards and three TDs. He rushed five times for 49 yards and another score.

Blake Gunter charges toward one of the four touchdowns he scored against the Eagles.

Renda responded to his rival with a 6-yard toss to Gunter and a 22-yard zipline to Brody Knowles (3-50, 1 TD), giving the Dragons a 27-14 lead at the break.

Kicker Gavin Strange opened the second half with a 42-yard field goal. But Howell kept the Eagles within striking distance with a 56-yard pass to Sarod Baker (38-366, 3 TDs), the Eagles’ rushing phenom who would take control of the game in the decisive final period.

After Renda regained the 16-point Dragon lead with a 3-yard pass to the ubiquitous Gunter, Howell scored from 28 yards to make it a single TD game after Baker’s successful 2-point conversion.

Momentum shifted dramatically toward the Eagles in the fourth. Jordan Stevens intercepted a Renda pass and ran 85 yards for a touchdown. Another 2-point conversion by Baker knotted the Division II powerhouses at 37-37.

But not for long. After fielding the Eagle kickoff at the Carroll 40, Renda handed the ball to Davis Penn (12-202), who raced 60 yards untouched to the endzone to send Carroll ahead 44-37.

That’s when Baker, who Carroll's besieged defense had been unable to stop but kept out of the end zone except for that passing TD, finally cut loose.

He tied things up by churning 41 yards to the end zone. Then, after Carroll was forced to punt the ball away, he carried the Eagles to midfield, where Howell hit Feaster with a 49-yard pass to the Dragon 1. Baker’s ensuing dash across the line sent DeSoto into a 51-44 lead with almost 7 minutes to play.

The high-scoring matchup then devolved into a defensive struggle, as the Dragons labored to regain the initiative. They turned the ball over on a failed 4^th-down attempt, then forced DeSoto to punt the ball as time dwindled away.

Aided by DeSoto penalties, the Dragons clawed their way to the Eagle 2. After three thwarted attempts, they faced a 4^th-and-goal with only 11 seconds left.

Desperate dash

Renda wanted to pass, but with his receivers covered, he was forced to make a desperate dash for the end zone. Confronted at the line by a swarm of Eagles, he fought to push his shoulders across.

Quarterback Angelo Renda is stopped short of the goal line in the closing seconds of yesterday's game.

A line judge signaled a touchdown, and Dragonheads heaved a sigh of relief that the game appeared to be headed for overtime and another shot at victory.

But the referees huddled and ultimately decreed that Renda had been stopped short. Four seconds remained on the clock.

In the chaos that ensued, an Eagle player was called for shoving an official and kicked out of the game. (He’ll sit out the state title match.) Offsetting unsportsmanlike-conduct calls were issued against the Eagle bench and against a Dragon player who had thrown his helmet down in dismay.

Finally, the two teams lined up for the last time. Baker took the handoff from Howell and – to the disgust of Dragonheads everywhere – loped 99 yards to score the final slap in the face.

57-44. An insult added to soul-jarring injury. What a bummer.

No explanation

After the game, a surprisingly composed Riley Dodge told Charles Baggarly of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he was never given an explanation from officials on why the initial call of the line judge had been overturned.

“I was proud of our kids,” Carroll’s head coach told Baggarly. “We are going to win and we are going to lose – with class. The kids laid it on the line. You couldn’t ask for anything else.”

So ends the Dragons’ season and their quest for another state title. They had all the ingredients for success this year, but the football gods have decreed yet again, “Not this year.”

And with that, I end this final report on the 2025 Dragon season. Like all Dragonheads, I’m disappointed, mostly because I know how distraught the young Dragons are. They are a remarkably dedicated and close-knit group of kids. More than a few of them have played football together since they were in grade school.

For them, the defeat marked the breakup of their family – a family forged in competition and hard work and dedication to a common goal.

They’re heart-broken, but not permanently so. They’re young and resilient and have their whole lives ahead of them – lives of promise and joy and fulfillment.

This, too, shall pass. With it, I hope, will come illumination and understanding. As I tell the journalism students I teach at the University of North Texas, you can learn as much – actually you can learn much more – from your failures as you can from your successes.

For now, it’s time to embrace the season. Happy holidays to the Southlake Carroll Dragons – and to all of those who love them.

Go, Dragons! 

 

DeSoto running back Sarod Baker led the Eagle victory, scoring four touchdowns in yesterday's semifinal playoff game.

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.