Game Day: Southlake Carroll 17, Austin Westlake 14

Todd Dodge didn’t get the victory he wanted when he came to Dragon Stadium last Friday with his Austin Westlake Chaparrals. But he came damned close, and he left Southlake with the immense satisfaction, I suspect, of knowing that his determined lads scared the bejeezus out of the Dragons and their coaches.

It started badly for the Dragons and didn’t get a whole lot better after that. After receiving the opening kickoff, senior quarterback Ryan Agnew, working behind a young, inexperienced and – as the night would demonstrate – outclassed offensive line, could manage nothing better than a sputtering three-and-out.

It then took the Chaps only four plays to march smartly to the end zone.

The shellshocked Dragons never were able to establish an offensive rhythm. Agnew scrambled all night and never had the chance to establish timing with his new batch of receivers. He completed 11 of 18 passes for only 100 yards and was picked off twice. Those aren’t the kind of stats we expect from the supremely talented Agnew.

But the offensive problems didn’t stop there. The O-line couldn’t deal with Westlake’s swarming defensive line, failing to open rushing lanes for junior running back Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, who is poised to have a stellar year. Instead, Humphrey, a 6-1 speedster who has bulked up over the summer, managed only 76 yards on 12 carries. Even the slippery Agnew, a skilled scrambler who gave D-linemen fits last season, was held to only 92 yards on 21 carries.

As a result, the Dragons could only manage a field goal by Jake Oldroyd in the first half.

Thankfully, the Dragon’s defensive squad, led by tackle King Newton and safety Andy Chelf, stepped up big time, shutting down the Chaps’ offensive firepower after their initial heroics until late in the fourth quarter.

In the critical third quarter, Agnew and Humphrey managed a rushing touchdown apiece, and that was enough to ensure a Dragon victory. But not before some last-minute histrionics by the Chaps, who staged a vintage Dodge-inspired rally that kept Dragon fans’ stomachs in knots until the final seconds.

A late score brought Westlake to within three points, 17-14, and everyone knew what was coming next. Despite the inevitability of the on-side kick, the Chaps managed to recover it, and moans were heard in my section of the home stands. But the Dragons’ Big Guys kept a lid on things and Westlake was held outside field-goal range.

Todd Dodge has reason to feel good about his young squad, which faces a tough district that includes powerhouse Lake Travis. He has a talented bunch of kids who fought hard and never quit. And it goes without saying that they are well coached. Don’t be surprised if they do well down Austin way, and make some noise in the playoffs.

As for the Dragons, defensive coordinator Tim Wasson has some work to do with the O-line, which needs to come together quickly to give Agnew both time to find his receivers and openings he can slice through to daylight.

If it doesn’t, this could be a very long season in District 7-6A for the Dragons, who meet Oklahoma’s Tulsa Union on Friday at Cowboys Stadium. The problem with being considered one of the best programs in Texas, and that means the country at large, is that you must defend that reputation every Friday night.