Game Day: Southlake Carroll 42, Colleyville Heritage 23

Call it the “Trinity Hangover.” Or perhaps the “Trojan Letdown.” Whatever you call it, the malady that infected the Southlake Carroll Dragons last night through the first half of their game against the Colleyville Heritage Panthers briefly spooked their fans – a week early – and gave aid and comfort to their foes – at least for a while.

Cruelly, it also gave Colleyville the false hope that it was on the verge of snapping its 12-game losing streak against Carroll and whipping the undefeated Dragons on home turf.

Thankfully, though, at least for the folks who ventured across Highway 26 to Panther-Mustang Stadium, the Dragons had junior RB Lil’ Jordan Humphrey to apply the defib paddles to a lifeless offense and to inspire the Carroll defense to shut down Panther shenanigans in the second half.

Humphrey, who looks better every game, was magnificent last night. He ran 35 times, a personal record, for 264 yards and four touchdowns. The junior standout looks long and lanky, but he runs like a combination battering ram/spinning top. The Panthers had no answer for him.

His runs fueled the three unanswered touchdowns the Dragons staged in the late third and fourth quarters to finally separate themselves from a feisty Colleyville squad that led for most of the game up to that point.

In truth, Dragon missteps in the first half made the Panthers look better than perhaps they are. All three of their first-half TDs came as a result of uncharacteristically sloppy Carroll execution.

The first touchdown was set up by a failed 53-yard Dragon field goal attempt fielded four yards deep in the end zone and returned to the Colleyville 40. Panther quarterback Trevor Anderson (9-20-2, 89), taking advantage both of the good field position and a dazed Dragon D, then marched his team smartly to the end zone.

The next two Colleyville scores came on consecutive interceptions of throws by hurried and harassed Dragon quarterback Ryan Agnew (12-18-2, 138 yards). Both were snatched by Heritage cornerback Nick Felix, who returned the second 32 yards for the score.

It’s a credit to the Dragon offense that despite the miscues, it moved the ball against the Panthers and kept things close, thanks largely to Humphrey, even leading briefly in the second quarter. But when the first half thankfully drew to a close, with the Dragons trailing 23-21, the sweat on the brows of Carroll fans wasn’t just because of the unseasonably sultry temperatures.

The worrisome first-half performance soon was overshadowed by a splendid second-half demonstration of offensive mastery and defensive tenacity. Once the Dragons snapped to attention, the Panthers were finished.

Humphrey’s performance puts him second only to Dragon stalwart Tre’ Newton’s 293 yards gained during a single game.

His twisting, wrenching, striving style of running is amazing to watch, and he’s deceptively strong and fiercely determined. A single tackler can’t bring him down. At times, it takes three or four. Early in the game, the Colleyville stadium announcer brought chuckles from the Carroll faithful by observing that Humphrey had been “brought down by everybody.”

Carroll’s ground game crushed Heritage, but Agnew contributed to the second-half beatdown. His front line, emboldened by the shift in momentum and halftime adjustments, gave him plenty of time to pick apart the Heritage secondary. His favorite targets were Ryan McGiboney (8-75, 1 TD) and Tariq Gordon (3-53).

By beating Colleyville, the 8-0 Dragons almost certainly will take the District 7-6A title. Their next two opponents are district cellar-dwellers Haltom and L.D. Bell. And they will be the first seed in Division II when the playoffs begin in three weeks. Likely first-round opponent: Mansfield. Go Dragons!