Too much to handle: Allen 56, Southlake Carroll 35

 

Allen quarterback Ty Snell threw for three touchdowns last night against the Dragons.

Finding something positive

SOUTHLAKE – From the Southlake Carroll point of view, you can say two positive things about the Allen Eagle beatdown in Dragon Stadium last night without sounding completely ridiculous.

First of all, the outgunned and overmatched Dragons managed to hang 35 points on a team that had limited its first two season opponents – mighty Duncanville and DeSoto, last year’s state champion – to a grand total of 13 points.

Then there’s the undeniable fact that Carroll leaped to a 14-0 lead in the early going of the contest and played the high-flying Eagles even-steven football until deep into the first half.

(Not bad, you could argue, for a team most odds-makers considered 10- to 17-point underdogs. Brother, if only the bookies had been right!)

Of course, the Eagles eventually woke up to the fact that the Dragons weren’t going to go quietly into that good night. And they responded as great teams do: They quickly and efficiently asserted their superiority, rolling up 700 total yards and scoring on a thunderous procession of big plays that left Carroll gasping in their dust.

Take comfort where you can, Dragonheads. It’s not often that our local heroes find themselves 1-2 to start the season.

A sad scenario

It’s useful to remember that Carroll’s rookie head coach, Lee Munn, set this sad scenario in motion when he decided to schedule one of Oklahoma’s best teams and two Top 5 Texas titans as his graduation-depleted squad’s first three 2026 opponents.

He did so knowing the Dragons were replacing every starter on their defensive unit and were breaking in both an unseasoned quarterback and a brand-spanking-new head coach.

Nothing wrong with jumping into the deep end of the swimming pool – provided of course there’s water in it and – oh, yeah – as long as you know how to swim.

Munn had his reasons, of course. By his accounting, he got the head job late in the scheduling process and, thus, had a limited array of opponents from which to choose. And with such a young squad, he said he wanted a way to assess what he had quickly.

Whatever. He certainly didn’t do his young charges – or Dragonheads in general – any favors. For a proud program like Carroll, getting shellacked two weeks in a row doesn’t do much to build confidence or gather momentum.

Wallowing in misery

The Dragons don’t have the luxury of wallowing in their misery, however. District 4-6A play begins next Thursday against Keller Central. The Chargers, of course, don’t pose the threat that the Murderer’s Row of the first three weeks did for Carroll.

The Eagles came out strong last night in Dragon Stadium, eventually establishing their dominance despite trailing early.

But the Dragons had best put the last couple of weeks in the rear-view mirror and concentrate on winning district – which they should do handily – and preparing for another deep dive into the playoffs.

As for last night, it began quite differently than many of us feared it would.

Pinned by Allen’s opening kickoff on its own 3, Carroll QB Hudson Tomcheck promptly moved his team to the 31, then lofted a pass to a wide-open Blake Gunter, who cruised 69 yards to put Southlake in the lead.

The next Allen drive ended in the Carroll red zone where the Eagles fumbled the ball, and the Dragons recovered at the19. Tomcheck ended an 81-yard march downfield with a 17-yard TD pass to Cole Cunningham that gave Carroll a shocking – but deeply satisfying – two-score lead.

The Eagles answered with a 75-yard drive punctuated by a 4-yard dash across the line by Jrue Simmons that finally got Allen on the board with 2 minutes left in the first quarter.

On the next Dragon drive, Allen junior Dominic Butler blocked a punt, which was snatched up by teammate Raiden Johnson and taken to the house, knotting the score 14-14.

Early in the second period, Allen forced another Southlake punt, which the Eagles fielded on their 9. On the second play of that drive, Simmons (8 carries for 151 yards) sprinted a stunning 83 yards for his second TD of the night, propelling the Eagles into the lead 21-14.

Rise to the occasion

But the Dragons rose to the occasion again. While Tomcheck (12-26, 173, 3 TDs) didn’t have a great night, he certainly had his moments. His 25-yard dart to star receiver Blake Gunter (4-104, 1 TD) got this drive going. Dez Bryant Jr. (9 carries for 69 yards) then charged 13 yards into Allen territory.

That’s where Tomcheck, surging through Allen’s defensive front, roared 21 yards to the 17, then plunged through again on the next play to tie things up again 21-21 with 7:37 left in the half.

That sparked a three-score Eagle onslaught that began with a 3-yard TD bolt by Lyndon Spriggs (13-91) that sent Allen ahead.

Allen quarterback Ty Snell expanded the Eagle margin with an impressive 73-yard drive in which he completed four straight passes, culminating in a 40-yard TD throw to receiver Zach Williams (8-130, 2 TDs) with 2 seconds left in the half.

Snell racked up a 72% completion rate, throwing for three TDs and gaining 305 yards in the air, easily surpassing Tomcheck, who was harassed and hurried all night by Allen’s beefy defensive line.

Rather than coast on its two-score lead, Allen came out strong in the second half, with Snell connecting with Williams again for a 22-yard TD catch that widened the Allen lead to a now unassailable 42-21.

Tomcheck tossed a 28-yard TD to Knowles as the third half dwindled. But a 70-yard throw from Snell to Josyah Johnson restored the Eagle lead to three scores and signaled that no comeback would be tolerated.

The last word

The final period featured some admirable running by Dane Wilson against Allen’s backups. Wilson ended the night as the Dragons’ top rusher with 11 carries for 111 yards, including a 13-yard TD sprint in the waning minutes of the game.

Allen, by right of conquest, insisted on having the last word. On the very next play from scrimmage, Allen backup Devorian Hambrick sprang through the exhausted Dragon line and dashed 70 yards to the goal line, nailing a humiliating end to a humbling evening for Carroll.

Allen head coach Lee Wiginton was generous in his assessment of the game. He told Allen American reporter John Knope that the Eagles didn’t panic when they fell behind by two scores early on. That’s to be expected when facing teams like the Dragons.

“You didn’t go down 14-0 in a flukish manner,” Wiginton told Knope. “You go down 14-0 against one of the best programs in the state, who you know could make it 50 in no time. To see the way they responded after that, it makes you feel good moving forward.”

Thus ends the Dragons’ trial by fire. Are they the better team for it? Time will tell. We’ll see if the old adage is correct: “What doesn’t kill us, only makes us stronger.”

Go, Dragons!

An Eagle receiver stretches out along the Carroll sideline during last night's beatdown.

Humble pie: North Crowley 40, Southlake Carroll 10

 

North Crowley running back G'Yrell Smith ran roughshod over the Dragons, rolling to four touchdownsin the runaway Panther victory.

A baleful, merciless glare

FORT WORTH – This time, there was no dramatic, breathtaking comeback. No stunning reversal of fortune. No overcoming fearsome odds to seize sweet victory from the jaws of defeat.

This time, the Southlake Carroll Dragons – facing the baleful, merciless glare of the North Crowley Panthers – got their butts beat. Badly.

Not only that, but they went to the slaughter Friday night meek as lambs – and just about as threatening.

The Panthers wielded a potent defense and a wicked offense to deflame the Dragons. They offered Carroll no opportunity for the come-from-behind heroics it employed last week in erasing a 27-0 deficit and eking out a 34-33 win over the Jenks (Okla.) Trojans.

It’s been a while since the Dragons have fallen so hard. You have to look back to 2018 to find a similar drubbing. In the playoffs that year, a juggernaut Duncanville team humiliated Carroll 51-7. (It later lost the state title to Galena Park North Shore.)

That was a bad one. So was this.

North Crowley, hosting the Dragons in its showy south Fort Worth stadium, wasted no time in establishing its dominance.

On the third play of the game, Panther quarterback Jacob Torres lofted a 63-yard ball to receiver Kade Smith, who cruised smoothly into the end zone. Only a missed PAT spoiled the precision and workman-like quality of the drive.

The Carroll defense initially responded to the Panther challenge, stymying Torres and company for much of the first quarter. Then the Dragons managed a drive that ended in a 32-yard TD toss from quarterback Hudson Tomcheck to WR Easton Nied, rewarding Carroll with a brief and tenuous 7-6 lead.

Tomcheck completed 10 of 20 passes for 185 yards. But he was bedeviled by the swarming North defense, as were his star receivers, Blake Gunter (6-36) and Brody Knowles (3-44).

A coach favorite

Sophomore cornerback Brayley Cunningham was a big reason why. He had a stellar night, intercepting two errant Carroll passes, one from Tomcheck, playing in only his second varsity game, and one from Palmer Pensom, brought in late to witness the tragedy’s finale.

Cunningham is obviously a coach favorite. Here’s what North head coach DeMarcus Harris told The Dallas Morning News’ Ismael Johnson after the game.

“Man, he has superpowers, I'm telling you,” Harris said. “He knows routes before they happen. If you guys ever go back and watch him at camps, I'm always wondering, did they tell him the route? He jumps stuff, he feels it and he plays every receiver different.”

The Carroll lead evaporated quickly after the Panthers blew open the doors in the second period, capitalizing on a series of Carroll mistakes that doomed any attempt to keep up with take-no-prisoners North Crowley.

The cavalcade of disaster started when Carroll was forced to punt. The snap sailed over the kicker’s head, and North defenders recovered it at the Dragon 18.

Dragon receiver Easton Niel celebrates his TD catch that briefly gave Carroll the lead on Friday.

Stellar running back G’Yrell Smith (11 carries for 96 yards) promptly took the ball into the end zone for the first of his four TD runs of the night.

North struck again 2 minutes later when Pryce Demerson snagged a 28-yard TD toss from Jehzeel Mccradic, who shared signal-calling duties with Torres.

Now with a comfortable 20-7 lead, all the Panthers had to do was sit back and watch Carroll trip over its own feet.

On the next series, Carroll running back Brooks Biggers fumbled twice, recovering one loose ball but losing the second. Six plays later, Smith sprinted 35 yards and racked up his second TD, leaving North with a 27-7 lead.

With 5 minutes left in the half, the Dragons knew they had to score before the bell if they had any hope of staying in the game. They moved the ball steadily downfield, helped immeasurably by a roughing-the-passer call and a 21-yard reception by Knowles, ending up 1^st and 10 at the 5-yard-line.

But the North defense stood tall and denied the Dragons the end zone on four straight plays. It was a goal-line stand that sealed the Dragons’ fate. Harris said he told his squad it was a play for which they would long be remembered.

The second half started in the same way the first half had ended: In a series of costly, embarrassing missteps.

Costly mistakes

It began with two more Carroll fumbles, on successive plays, and provided evidence of the fierce struggle taking place in the trenches. The second turnover was the most costly.

Tomcheck, aided by a pass interference call, had moved his team to the North 27. Keeping the ball, he darted up the middle and headed for the end zone. Inside the 5, a Panther defender ripped the ball out of his arms and fell on it at the 4.

Mccradic then presided over a methodical march downfield to the Carroll 26. From there, Smith notched TD No. 3, leaving the Dragons 34-7 in the hole.

That sparked a Southlake exodus for the parking lots.

Smith added No. 4 to his record shortly before the end of the third period. Carroll booted a who-cares 47-yard field goal in the fourth, and then – thank you, Jesus – it was over.

Carroll head coach Lee Munn, now 1-1 as a head coach, gave credit where credit was due.

“They are such a momentum team,” Munn told Charles Baggarly of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Part of the reason we turned the ball over was they just took it away, right? Defensively, they are very aggressive and very physical. The punt that went over our punter’s head was on us. But with some, it was them just actively pursuing the football and punching it out. Props to them.”

The Panthers' smothering defense left little room for the Dragons to manuever.

In other words, the best team won. No argument there – even from the most diehard Dragonhead.

But Munn, bless ’im, didn’t shy away from the obvious.

“We had way too many mistakes,” he told Baggarly. “We played very undisciplined and very uncharacteristic football. There were a lot of opportunities for us to stay in the game and play the kind of the style of game we wanted, and it got away from us with the turnovers.”

The Panthers and Dragons could well face each other again later this season. If both schools end up in Division II of Class 6A, they could meet in the playoffs. If that happens, lordy, let’s hope it’s a different Carroll team that takes the field. Amen.

North Crowley, based on the splendid performances it has recorded so far this season, can rightly claim to be one of the best of the best in Texas high school football this year. Trouble is, it may not be the best.

Next up: The Eagles!

That team could very well be the Dragons’ next opponent – the high-flying Allen Eagles, who obliterated the DeSoto Eagles Friday night, 50-6. They're currently ranked No. 4 in the state, but they're dangerously talented and hungry for a state championship.

The Eagles – old and bitter foes whose matchups with Carroll always provide smashmouth, take-no-prisoners football – will arrive at Dragon Stadium next Friday with blood in their eyes and mayhem and murder (figuratively, of course) in their hearts.

Mama mia! The saints preserve us!

If memory serves – and it’s often an unreliable source – Allen is one of only a handful of visiting teams to emerge from Dragon Stadium with a win. You can bet the family farm it would love to humble Southlake on its home turf.

I wouldn’t miss it. But why is there a knot already forming in the pit of my stomach?

Go Dragons!

A fast and aggressive Panther defense had Dragon quarterback Hudson Tomcheck on the run all night.

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 Cowboys 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 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.