Game Night: Southlake Carroll Dragons vs. Keller Indians

A funny thing happened to the Southlake Carroll Dragons as they coast toward another championship in District 4-5A. The normally pass-heavy offense is showing some real rushing muscle.

Consider last night’s slaughter of the innocents. The Dragons, led by their senior running back AJ Ezzard, ripped the heart out of the lowly Keller Indians, then stomped on it for good measure. Final score: 52-17. And if the Dragons hadn’t been sleepy and unfocused in the first half, it would have been even more lopsided.

Ezzard has been waiting for a showcase game this season, and last night was the time and Dragon Stadium was the place. Ezzard scored the first Dragon touchdown a little more than a minute into the game, catching a 21-yard pass from junior quarterback Ryan Agnew, who didn’t have a bad night himself.

It was Ezzard’s first passing TD, and he celebrated the occasion by rolling up 151 yards on 21 carries and scoring four (count ’em) rushing TDs. He was fun to watch, spinning and juking past overwhelmed Keller defenders. He scored all three touchdowns in the decisive third quarter, bursting through the line and sprinting to the goal on runs of 23, 16 and 32 yards.

Agnew was his usual efficient self, and more, despite being sacked four times. He threw for 307 yards and three TDs, completing 31 of 35 passes. He ran for another 47 yards. His favorite target last night was senior WR Luke Timian, who came near a single-game receiving record, scoring a TD and grabbing 13 passes, one shy of the record 14 nabbed in a single game by the phenomenal Peyton Williams during his Southlake career.

For the Dragons, the glory was dimmed somewhat by the knowledge they played uninspired through most of the first half. Of course, that’s not a shock to anyone who’s been paying attention to the quality of opponents they have faced all season.

Dragon fans should be grateful I suppose that we’re not enduring the national scrutiny that the mighty Aledo Bearcats have faced all week for “running up” the score against pitiful Western Hills last weekend. I won’t open up that particular can of worms, but suffice to say that it ain’t easy keeping the score down when you’re facing the football equivalent of a defenseless child.

The Indians put up a fight, give them that. I mentioned their success in getting to Agnew. Leading the assault were Sione Teuhema, a senior linebacker committed to Texas, and sophomore lineman Houston Miller. Both were beasts. Miller, in particular, had a memorable night.

 In the first quarter, Agnew and company were backed up against the Keller goal line. As Agnew dropped back into the end zone to pass, Miller was attempting to blast through the middle. Then he broke off, drifted left and snared a rare Agnew miscue and lumbered 11 yards to score.

The other Keller touchdown was set up by RB Brandon Boyser, who rushed for 107 yards last night, when he slipped through the Dragon D-line and sprinted 76 yards before being run down from behind by a speedy Dragon DB at the 1-yard line.

Finally, a tribute goes out to the backup Dragon defenders who staged a magnificent  goal-line stand in the waning seconds of the game to keep the Keller starters from scoring again.

There weren’t many fans left in the stands to see those kids’ gritty determination and skill, but I hope their parents were there with me and a few others to see them shine. Hats off, Dragons.

Next week the Dragons travel back to the Keller ISD dungeon to face the Keller Fossil Ridge Panthers, who now rank No. 2 in 4-5A. Perhaps they’ll put up a better fight that some of the other district cupcakes. They’ve only lost one district game, a 13-9 defensive struggle against Keller Central. Of course, the Dragons whipped the Chargers 59-3 so best to keep your expectations in check. Go Dragons!

Game Night: Southlake Carroll Dragons vs. Justin Northwest Texans

Oct. 19, 2013
The opening minutes of last night’s contest between the Southlake Carroll Dragons and the Justin Northwest Texans were pretty uncomfortable for the Dragon faithful, and it had nothing to do with the cold rain being driven into their faces by a stiff northern wind.

It had everything to do with a frisky Texan offense guided by quarterback Jesse Drummer, which took the opening kickoff and cruised unheeded into Dragon territory. At that point, a little over a minute into the game, Drummer hit wide-open receiver Emmanuel Moore, who trotted into the end zone untouched and unnoticed by the Dragon secondary, which must have taken time out for a cappuccino.

 The Dragons responded 40 seconds later, when junior quarterback Ryan Agnew connected with WR Joe Heineman to tie the score. Undaunted, Drummer came right back, tossing a 50-yard TD pass to WR Brady Bird, who enjoyed a lonely lope to paydirt while the Dragon defenders ordered a scone to go with the cappuccino.

A half-minute later, Agnew, who had a stellar game that earned him “Best of the Week” recognition in this morning’s Dallas Morning News, dashed 51 yards for the Dragons’ second TD. It looked like a classic shootout was shaping up in Texan Stadium, an excellent football facility a stone’s throw from Texas Motor Speedway.

 But on the next Texan possession, the Dragon defense, apparently refreshed from its break, abruptly ended Drummer’s upstart offensive display, and turned the game over to Agnew and company.

 It was all over by the end of first quarter, with the Dragons leading 28-14. They added another TD seconds into the second quarter and led the stunned Texans 56-14 at half. The final Texan score didn’t occur until the fourth, long after Dragon backups had taken over duties from the starters.

Final score: Dragons 63, Texans 21.

 Agnew completed 18 of 19 passes for 315 yards and five TDs. He ran for 143 yards and another TD. His only incompletion of the night was on his 16th attempt, a deep end-zone pass slightly behind WR Keaton Duhon, who came within a foot and a half of keeping Agnew perfect. The pair did better on three other TD connections.

 To give you some idea of Carroll offensive efficiency, it took the Dragons only 7:32 minutes to roll to their 56 points in the first half. In the decisive first quarter, the offense was on the field only 2:57 minutes. Its longest drive was 51 seconds. (Stats thanks to the Star Telegram.)

 Dragon fans expected a bit more from the haughty Texans, who came into the game with the same season record as the Dragons, losing only to District 4-5A rival Keller Fossil Ridge. Carroll now takes sole possession of first place in 4-5A.

 The Dragons return home next week after three straight road games. They face the Keller Indians in the annual Pink-Out game for breast-cancer awareness. Pink isn’t exactly my color, but I’m game for a good cause. Go Dragons!

Game Night: Southlake Carroll Dragons vs. Richland Rebels

Oct. 12, 2013

At first blush, last night’s contest between the Southlake Carroll Dragons and the Richland Rebels was just another dreary drubbing by the Dragons of another overmatched District 4-5A opponent.

But behind the impressive statistics – and there are plenty to choose from, beginning with the 48-9 final score – lurk dark shadows that give one pause in assessing the slaughter.

 True, the Dragon offense romped to 603 total yards, with junior quarterback Ryan Agnew, who played most of the game, gaining in command and control with each passing series. He threw for 266 yards and four TDs and rushed for 120 yards and another score.

 Agnew’s target for all four passing TDs was senior WR Luke Timian, who had an absolutely splendid game. On his first reception in the end zone, he and a Rebel defender connected with the ball at the same time, with both wrestling desperately for control. By the time, the entangled pair hit the turf, the powerful Timian had wrenched the ball out of his rival’s grasp.

 The Dragons held the Rebels to only 42 yards of offense in the second half, rolled up three times as many first downs, and gained more than twice as many rushing yards and five times more passing yards.

 So what’s the problem? Well, perhaps the fact that Agnew, who in district play has rarely seen the far side of the third quarter this season, was still in the Richland game until late in the fourth last night indicates something was amiss.

 A series of sloppy missteps by the sleepy Dragons emboldened the Rebels and seemed to elevate their level of play, convincing Dragon coaches the smart thing to do was to keep a boot pressed firmly against the Rebel neck.

 At one point early in the second quarter, in fact, Richland closed within 5 points of the Dragons, who should have allowed the bedraggled Rebels no closer than three scores. This surreal moment came after a rare blocked extra point by kicking superstar Drew Brown was returned by Rebel defender Carter Barke for 2 points and after a momentarily befuddled Dragon defense allowed Richland to march down field for another 7.

 Adding to sense of malaise were two Dragon fumbles and an Agnew pass interception in the Rebel end zone. Finally, even late in the game, Agnew was getting heavy pressure from the Richland D-line, although it never managed to nail Carroll’s slippery junior phenom.

 Let's don't even mention the two mishandled punt returns by the Dragon's normally sure-handed receiving corps.

 I know this doom and gloom seems ridiculous considering the outcome last night. The Star-Telegram game story this morning gushed about the Agnew-Timian partnership and how hapless Richland was sliced and diced by the Dragon bullies. Sportswriter Mark Zeske pointed out that since the beginning of the Keller Central game two weeks ago until the fourth TD reception by Timian in the third quarter last night, Agnew has thrown 54 passes in 10 quarters, scoring eight TDs and making only eight incompletions. Not too bad, not too bad at all.

 But to repeat the mantra I’ve been chanting since August, winning a district championship ain't near enough for this team. A state championship – or at least a deep playoff run – is the goal. Sloppy, unfocused and uninspired play like the Dragons displayed last night won’t achieve it.

 Facing opponents like Richland doesn’t help sharpened skills and expose weaknesses, but you have to play the teams on your schedule. It’s up to the coaches – and the kids themselves – to keep their heads in the game – even in the midst of the annual Cupcakes Parade in District 4-5A.

 The good news is that Carroll faces Justin Northwest next week in the last of a three-game road trip. The Texans are tough customers, relatively speaking, and will pose the strongest 4-5A challenge so far this year. Let’s hope for a good game and no injuries. Go Dragons!

            

Game Night: Southlake Carroll Dragons vs. Keller Central Chargers

Oct. 4. 2013

My son, who’s on the Crew spirit group at Southlake Carroll Senior High, figured he was going to have a busy night.

 Members of the Crew, chosen for their high energy, creative flair and general goofiness, do pushups at football games after every Dragon score, the number matching the Carroll total at the time. It’s all part of the traditions to which Southlake devotes so much T-shirt real estate promoting and protecting.

 So when I tell you that the Dragons last night obliterated the Keller Timber Creek Falcons, 77-6, you’ll understand why Ethan came home with sore arms and a dim assessment of the Falcons. “It wasn’t much of a game,” he opined.

 Indeed, it wasn’t.

 The Dragons scored on 10 of their 12 possessions. Five of their six possessions in the first half were for six plays or less. As usual, it was the Ryan Agnew show, with our junior QB completing 13 of 17 passes for 255 yards and two TDs and rushing for another pair.

 RB AJ Ezzard led Dragon rushing, rolling to 117 yards and three TDs. Sophomore Lil’ Jordan Humphrey bullied his way to 111 yards on 10 carries, and Grant McFarlin, another hard-charging sophomore, shredded the exhausted Falcon D-line in the meaningless fourth quarter, rolling to two TDs.

 In fact, the Dragons could have hung 80+ on the poor, pitiful Falcons even with their backups playing most of the second half. Some football parents thought the coaches kept the starters in too long, and they’re probably right.

 Even when the backups got in, they were handed the thankless task of not running up the score on a virtually defenseless foe. It’s a damned dirty shame, too. These kids – who play an essential, but largely unheralded, role in preparing the starters for Game Day during the previous week’s practice – want to play full-bore when they finally do get in the game, and who can blame them? In my mind, they’ve earned that right.

 But if they had done so last night, the final score could have been in the 90s, for God’s sake. Our critics would have had a field day, crowing about Southlake Carroll arrogance and bad sportsmanship. So the Dragon coaches shackled our sturdy backup quarterback Garrett Hale to a clock-consuming, slow-tempo ground game. Even then, our boys did everything but collapse after the snap to keep from scoring on the final Dragon drive.

 The Timber Creek game was the first of a three-game road show for the Dragons. They meet the Richland High Rebels next week in the Birdville Fine Arts/Athletic Complex, an excellent football venue that the unfortunately named Rebels (at least they don’t wave Confederate flags at games) will be hard-pressed to live up to. Go Dragons!

Game Night: Southlake Carroll Dragons vs. Keller Central Chargers

Sept. 28, 2013

You might call it the “Parade of Cupcakes.”

Southlake Carroll opened District 4-5A play last night with a total dismantling of the hapless Keller Central Chargers, cruising – with time for a milk shake and an order of fries – to a 59-3 win.

 Ho-hum, thus begins the Dragons’ district race, which won’t be so much a race as a stately victory parade, a dignified and inevitable progression to another district championship. The Chargers – overmatched in almost every area – were just the first of seven “cupcakes” on the Dragon schedule. For the Southlake faithful, it will be a largely joyless, thrill-less chore until the playoffs, when the Dragons’ real season begins.

 I know, I know. Pride cometh before the fall. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Etc., etc. I get it. But consider this. Even when the Chargers managed to do something right, the Dragons swatted them away like flies at a picnic. On two occasions when Central’s D-line battered its way to Dragon QB Ryan Agnew and sacked him, he responded on the very next play with long touchdown passes. More on him a little later.

 Central isn’t the worst of the 4-5A lot, by any means. The Chargers are well-coached and always play tough. They just were outgunned last night. At one point late in the third quarter, after the Southlake Homecoming crowd had thinned considerably, my wife turned and delivered the unkindest cut of all for the Chargers. “You know,” Marice said, “I feel sorry for these boys.”

Imagine you’re a 16-, 17-, 18-year-old football player on the receiving end of a world-class beatdown. Your nose is bloodied; you’ve got aches in muscles you didn’t even know you had; your girlfriend, for God’s sake, is watching you get spanked; and a mother on the opposing side says, essentially, “Poor, poor, baby.” How is THAT gonna make you feel? Better or worse?

 For the Dragons, there was a lot to like about the game, even if assessments are hard against such a definitively inferior opponent. Agnew, who’s only a junior, continues to impress. He rushed for 106 yards and four TDs, and completed 17 of 20 passes for 216 yards and another two TDs. He would have had a fifth rushing touchdown but for a holding call near the end of first quarter. And with his top receiver, Ryan Weigel, out for the season, he passed the ball to, count ’em, six members of Southlake’s talented receiving corps, with seniors Luke Timian and Chris Hogan each snagging a TD throw.

 Senior RB AJ Ezzard was back from an ankle injury, but he continues to be overshadowed by a pair of sophomores, Lil’ Jordan Humphrey and Grant McFarlin. Humphrey is a tall, gangly lad who runs with deceptive power. McFarlin is a short whip of kid who looks like a 7th grader from the stands. But he’s quick and slippery and squeezed through an exhausted Charger D-line in the fourth quarter, sprinting 71 yards for a touchdown. I'm beginning to have flashbacks to the years when Tre Newton, former Cowboy Nate Newton's kid, ran roughshod over opposing defenses.

 The Dragon’s D-Line had a field day, too. The Big Guys limited the Chargers to 150 yards of total offense, forcing them into seven 3-and-out series for the night and holding them to a single first down in the second half. Star linebacker Steven Bergmark even enjoyed a brief moment in the offensive sun. When a Dragon drive stalled in the third, Bergmark, who briefly flirted with playing running back, lined up as a backfield blocker for punting ace Sam Downey. There was an audible gasp from the football parents in front of me when Bermark took the snap and rumbled 41 yards to set up another Southlake TD.

 Trick plays from the Dragons? Well, the coaches had to do something to keep us awake in the second half.

 Next week, we travel to the embarrassment Keller ISD calls a football stadium to play Timber Creek, which was humbled last night by lowly Haltom, 24-17. Because the ramshackle stadium must accommodate all four of Keller’s 5-A high schools, kickoff will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Go Dragons!

Game Night: Southlake Carroll Dragons vs. Temple Wildcats

Sept. 14, 2013

Part of a phone conversation between my wife, Marice, and me while I was coming home from the Southlake Carroll-Temple football game in Waco last night.

 Her: What was the score?

 Me: 38-7.

 Her: So we won big.

 Me: Not big enough. We didn’t play up to our potential.

 Her: We won by 31 points! Are you nuts?

 The question was rhetorical, so I left it unanswered. But Marice may have a point. The Dragons scored on their first offensive play and completely dominated the game, rolling up 481 total yards. Quarterback Ryan Agnew accounted for 385 of those yards, rushing for two TDs and passing for another two.

 Dragon defenders knocked out the starting Wildcat quarterback on the first play of the game, stopped Temple drives inside the Dragon five-yard line twice, and shut down the Wildcats running game in the second half.

 So why was there a vague air of depression among the hardy few of us who braved rush-hour traffic to make the long drive to Floyd-Casey Stadium in Waco? In the light of a new day, it does seem kind of nutty. After all, this was a Temple team who hung 41 points in a losing effort against always potent Austin Westlake last week.

 And last night was a similar result to last year’s Carroll-Temple contest in Jerry’s World, when the Dragons roasted a more talented Wildcat team than this year’s version 34-0, beginning a Sherman’s-march-through-Georgia advance to a District 4-5A championship and a deep run in the playoffs.

 We begin a similar district race in two weeks against Keller Central that almost certainly will end in another Dragon district championship. But district titles are no measure of success for the Southlake program. Thankfully, our 4-5A opponents look to be a little livelier this year, which will help us prepare for the always grueling playoffs.

 Why the gloom, then? Perhaps it’s the coalescing assessment that this isn’t the same Dragon team that Kenny Hill helmed last season, and that a repeat of last year’s playoff success is not guaranteed.

 For one thing, our defensive backfield is deeply suspect. True, they snagged two Wildcat passes and held backup QB Chase Truelove to 167 total passing yards for the night. But you don’t expect to see a play-caller wearing No. 26 on his jersey (Truelove’s a wide receiver by trade) connecting with receivers all over the field. Watching from the sparsely populated Southlake side of Floyd-Casey, Truelove looked more impressive than the stats box indicated.

 Meanwhile, the Wildcats dominated time of possession in the first half, giving our Big Guys fits with their delayed option scheme and stringing together a collection of impressive runs up the middle for good gains. The Dragon D-line adjusted adequately at half, but watching our defense, which is supposed to be one of our strengths, get shredded was distressful and probably overly influenced our impressions of the game as a whole.

 I could go on about the trouble Agnew was having with his long ball, but it seems churlish now to bitch about a 38-7 win. I must be nuts.

 Next week is a bye week for the Dragons. Then comes the Homecoming game against Keller Central. Dig deep high school parents, mum season is upon us. Go Dragons!

Game Night: Southlake Carroll Dragons vs. Midland Lee Rebels

Sept. 7, 2013

How much do the Southlake Carroll Dragons miss Kenny Hill, their brilliant quarterback now waiting on the sidelines in College Station for Johnny Football to implode?

 Well, consider last night’s game against the Midland Lee Rebels, who had a long bus ride home after getting trampled 63-14 by a surly, vengeful Dragon horde still smarting from an ass-whooping in Week Zero at the hands of the regal Allen Eagles.

 Junior quarterback Ryan Agnew, who saw his debut as Hill’s successor ruined by a punishing Eagle defense last week, showed his true potential last night. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for another 144 yards and four touchdowns. Yep, you read that right. The youngster put seven TDs on the scoreboard before being sent to the bench for a well-earned rest near the end of the third quarter. Hey, Peyton Manning, whaddaya say about THAT?

 The Dragon faithful heaved a sigh of relief at Agnew’s performance. With a strong arm at quarterback and a stingy defense, all’s right with the world in Dragonland. Like Agnew, the D-line rebounded strongly from last week, when Allen’s high-octane offense – led by superstar QB Kyler Murray – shredded it for 49 points.

 Dragon defenders shut down the Rebel offense that had scored 48 points in Week Zero against El Paso Coronado. The only Rebel scores came as the result of turnovers, the last after one of backup QB Garrett Hale’s passes was nabbed and returned 60 yards.

 For the Dragon offense, the bounty was plentiful. Carroll receivers had a field day, in particular Keaton Duhon (7-99) and Luke Timian (3-61), who snatched a 31-yard Agnew pass out of the hands of a Rebel defender in the corner of the end zone for the prettiest play of the night.

 Perhaps the most unexpected treat came in watching the impressive debut of a couple of sophomore running backs. Lil’ Jordan Humphrey (love the name!) was particularly impressive when he came in for starter AJ Ezzard (who may have been injured), scampering for 61 yards and one TD. Grant McFarlin, meanwhile, rolled for another 57 yards.

 Midland Lee is no Allen, of course. But our kids responded to their clawing by the Eagles this year just as they did last season, when they mauled Lee’s sister school, Midland High, 63-3, the week after getting schooled by the Eagles, who went on the win the State Championship. Who says history doesn’t repeat itself?

 I’d almost feel sorry for Midland Lee, if memories of my high school years aren’t littered with scenes of the humiliation of the Big Spring Steers at the hands of the Rebels. My senior year, the usually hapless Steers actually were in a tight district race with Lee when the two teams met on the last game of the regular season in Steer Stadium. I’ll spare you the bitter details, but a tight game ended in an extremely controversial call by officials that negated a Big Spring TD and gave Midland Lee the victory and a district title. Chaos ensued.

 The Big Spring broadcaster who announced Steer games got his FCC license suspended for the names he called the officials on the air. And regrettably, students from the two schools brawled under the stands and in the parking lot, and the windows of the Lee football and band buses were shattered by a cascade of rocks. Big Spring High ended up on UIL probation. Such sweet memories.

 But I digress. Back to Friday Night Lights, 2013. Last week, one of our premier wide receivers, Ryan Wiegel, was injured when an Eagle defender, running full tilt, slammed a shoulder pad into his midsection. It was a brutal, but clean, hit and laid out Wiegel. After a few minutes of tending, he was helped gingerly off the field. No one thought much of the incident at the time. Turns out, he suffered internal injuries and may be out for the season. He’s a splendid young man, a fine athlete, and our prayers are with him and his family.

 Next week, the Dragons travel to Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco to meet the Temple Wildcats. I’m devising a strategy for getting off work in time to make the game. (Does my forehead feel hot to you?) Go Dragons!

Passings: Steve McGonigle, Reporter Extraordinaire

Aug. 31, 2013

I'm feeling sad and nostalgic this weekend. Yesterday, I attended a memorial service for Dallas Morning News reporter Steve McGonigle, one of the finest journalists I've ever known -- and I've had the privilege of working with some good 'uns. The overflowing audience heard stories about Steve and his journalistic accomplishments, his take-no-prisoners approach to his work, his bedrock integrity and his outrageous, infuriating, endearing, over-the-top personality. Former colleague Craig Flournoy captured Steve perfectly when he asked, "How do you say goodbye to a hurricane?"

 I just got off the phone with Ed Timms, another phenomenal DMN reporter and Steve's frequent partner and best friend. He was returning from Houston, where Steve was buried today in one of the city's oldest cemeteries. He reports that Steve is resting in a beautiful spot, peaceful and tree-shrouded, the hustle and bustle of the city held at bay. A place of restoration and contemplation.

 A short distance away lies the final resting place of billionaire eccentric Howard Hughes. With a chuckle, Ed said, speaking from the perspective of Hughes (but the same could be said from Steve's viewpoint, too), "Well, there goes the neighborhood." Maybe. But I suspect those two will have a lot to talk about...d his outrageous, infuriating, endearing, over-the-top personality. Former colleague Craig Flournoy captured Steve perfectly when he asked, "How do you say goodbye to a hurricane?"

I just got off the phone with Ed Timms, another phenomenal DMN reporter and Steve's frequent partner and best friend. He was returning from Houston, where Steve was buried today in one of the city's oldest cemeteries. He reports that Steve is resting in a beautiful spot, peaceful and tree-shrouded, the hustle and bustle of the city held at bay. A place of restoration and contemplation.

A short distance away lies the final resting place of billionaire eccentric Howard Hughes. With a chuckle, Ed said, speaking from the perspective of Hughes (but the same could be said from Steve's viewpoint, too), "Well, there goes the neighborhood." Maybe. But I suspect those two will have a lot to talk about.

Game Night: Southlake Carroll Dragons vs. Allen Eagles

Aug. 31, 2013

For only the third time since Dragon Stadium was built in 2001, the Southlake Carroll Dragons suffered defeat on their home field. Last night, the job was accomplished with brutal efficiency by the defending 5A Division I state champions, the Allen Eagles, who systematically stymied the Dragon offense and overpowered its defense to coast to a 49-27 win.

 In handing the Dragons their collective ass in such a manner, the Eagles convinced me and most of the Dragon faithful around me that we were looking at some cold-eyed assassins likely to repeat as state champions.

 The Eagles’ junior phenom quarterback, Kyler Murray, quickly snuffed out Carroll’s hopes of getting revenge for last season’s 24-0 shellacking, completing 17 of 24 passes for 464 yards and three TDs. Lord-a-mercy, what is this kid going to be like as a senior?

 Truth be told, Carroll never had a chance. Allen demonstrated its superiority even while a series of penalties kept the score close. Then, close to the end of the first half, WR Cole Carter slipped virtually untouched past Dragon DBs into the open, nabbing a couple of Murray passes and loping leisurely for TDs of 88 and 74 yards, all within minutes of each other. What had been a tie game suddenly was out of control.

 Dragon kicker Drew Brown, whose brother Kris played in the NFL, put 3 on the board as the half ended. But most of us looked at the 28-17 halftime score and knew that grim business lay ahead.

 It took only a handful of seconds into the second half for Murray to hoist another 75-yard pass that set up another Eagle score, and …

But what the hell. Let’s just say my wife, Marice, went to sit with friends rather than endure my bitter commentary as the disaster unfolded.

 On the bright side, my son – who’s a member of The Crew, the spirit group that helps whip up student support from the sidelines and runs the flags at the beginning of each half – seemed to have a good time flirting with the cheerleaders and letting his freak flag fly. Last night, you had to get your enjoyment where you could. Did I mention how god-awful hot it was?

 For the Dragons, last night was a lesson in humility and in the need to work harder and get better. Some of us had been quietly nurturing hopes all summer of another state run, particularly if we could play No. 1-ranked Allen close. Those hopes look pretty goofy now, but it’s only the first game.

 And as followers of high school football know, anything can happen. And does. Junior Carroll quarterback Ryan Agnew – slipping into the big shoes left by Kenny Hill, who reportedly might start for the Aggies today – had a rough outing as a starter. But he still managed to connect regularly with his talented and experienced receiving corps. Expect big things from this guy. He’s a gamer. His older brothers are Dragon defensive legends.

 Next up for the Dragons, the Midland Lee Rebels. It’ll sorta be like homecoming for me. Back in the day, the Rebels were formidable members of the so-called Little Southwest Conference, the West Texas district that included football powerhouses Abilene, Abilene Cooper, Odessa Permian, San Angelo Central and – yes, alas – Big Spring, my hometown and the perennial cellar-dweller.