Game Day: Southlake Carroll 45, L.D. Bell 7

When a football coach starts talking about his progress in instilling a “culture of winning” in his players, dollars to donuts he’s presiding over a lackluster program with a dismal record and lowly prospects.

So it was with Hurst L.D. Bell head coach Mike Glaze last night in his pre-game radio interview.

His team was playing hard, learning from its mistakes and executing better every week – all part of the process of learning to win,  he said earnestly. Perhaps he even believes it.

But when his Blue Raiders took the field at venerable Pennington Field, they ran into a Southlake Carroll train that blew them off the winning track and left them dazed and bleeding in the ditch.

In doing so, the Dragons clinched at least a share of the District 5-6A title. They play Lewisville Hebron next week in a game that could assign them sole possession of the championship.

And they did it with a depleted roster. Senior safety/wide receiver Robert Barnes, the Dragons best player, watched the game on crutches. He suffered a broken leg in last week’s matchup with Byron Nelson, thus ending his high school career. The next uniform he’ll wear will be Oklahoma’s red and white.

His teammate, junior wide receiver Cade Bell, one of senior quarterback Mason Holmes’ favorite targets, also watched from the sideline last night. Bell could return to the field if Southlake can mount a lengthy playoff run.

Stellar running back Audrick Gaines saw his seven-game streak of 100-plus-yard games end when back spasms forced him out of the game after only a couple of series. Even so, he gained 65 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown. He was ably replaced by backup Tre Sledge, who had the best night of his career, gaining 108 yards on 10 carries and 2 TDs.

As for Holmes, he’s still a little gimpy from a lingering leg injury, although he played for a full half last night before handing the ball to backup Will Bowers, a sophomore who shows great promise. Before departing, Holmes completed 8 of 13 passes for 88 yards and 1 TD.

Bowers made his presence known immediately. Leading 24-0, Carroll opened the second half by holding the Blue Raiders to a 3-and-out. Then Bowers took over at his own 38, driving the Dragons to the Bell 27 with a single pass and then hitting Sledge with a 27-yard TD throw.

After another 3-and-out by the overwhelmed Raiders, Bowers (a perfect 4-4, 83 yards) engineered an 8-play, 69-yard drive that culminated with him scoring from the 5 on a keeper. He also guided the Dragons to their final score of the night before Carroll coaches started emptying the benches in the fourth to give backups a chance to shine briefly under Friday night lights. In all four quarterbacks took snaps for the Dragons last night.

After the game, Bowers reflected on the events of Friday, his 16^th (!) birthday. He’s now eligible to drive, he’s playing varsity for one of the premier high school teams in Texas, and he just had the game of his young career.

“It’s been a pretty great day,” he admitted.

The starting Dragon defense held the Raiders in complete check last night, limiting them to a total of 172 yards. Bell’s lone score came late in last quarter, long after the starters had surrendered their duties to backups.

That score was set up by a muffed 52-yard field goal by standout kicker Kole Ramage, whose timing was marred by a bad snap. He got Dragon scoring off to the good start in the first quarter by booming a perfect 47-yarder through the still evening air.

Bell promised to make a game of it early, marching downfield 63 yards in 16 plays on its first drive. But freshman Dragon safety R.J. Mickens snuffed out the threat when he stepped in front of an Austin Brougham pass in the end zone.

The Raiders made five first downs in that first drive. They could manage only five more for the rest of the game.

The next three Raider possessions ended in another interception and two 3-and-outs. By that time, Carroll held an unassailable 17-point lead.

Mickens, at the tender age of 15, was the defensive standout. The freshman phenom one year out of middle school snagged his second AND third interceptions of the year to end two promising Bell drives.

Mickens, whose father Ray played in the NFL, was a beast, coming up on several plays to stuff Raider runners at the line of scrimmage. Asked after the game what he likes best, hitting people or making INTs, Mickens didn’t hesitate.

“Honestly, I like to hit because I don’t get to do it much,” he said, his voice squeaky with nervousness. “But interceptions are fun, too.”

As for his youth, Mickens said, “I don’t think too much about it. I just come out here and play. I don’t take anything for granted.”

I love this kid.

Even when things went wrong for the Dragons, the Raiders were ill-equipped to benefit from them. Leading 17-0, the Dragons sent set up shop at their 36 after yet another Bell punt. Holmes led the Dragons downfield to the Bell 28, setting up the wildest play of the night.

The play began with Holmes handing the ball off to junior Darryl Crockett, who usually plays in the secondary. Crockett pitched the ball to a second back heading left who hesitated and then pitched the ball back to Crockett. As Raiders descended upon him, Crockett turned and quickly tossed the ball to Holmes, standing alone in the back field. Holmes immediately hoisted the ball to a sprinting Sledge, who glided into the end zone for the score.

Was the play designed as a double reverse or a flea-flicker or both? Or was it just an improvised broken play? Damned if any of us in the stands could figure it out, but it propelled Southlake to a 24-0 lead at half.

So Carroll, 6-0 in district, sits alone atop 5-6A. Next week, it will host Hebron (5-1), who smashed Lewisville 51-27 last night, for sole possession of the district crown. If Hebron slips past the Dragons, Carroll can end no worse that sharing the crown.

But district championships are made to be won, not shared, so Carroll coaches will seek to keep the Dragons tightly focused on the dangerous Hawks, despite the almost irresistible lure of the playoffs.

In District 6-6A, with which 5-6A schools will be paired in the opening bi-district round, Wylie clinched a playoff berth, beating McKinney 28-21. Playing in its first season in 6A, it is Carroll’s likely first-round opponent in 6A's Division II.

Meanwhile, Southlake’s football mothers are checking their peroxide supplies to prepare for the traditional dye jobs ahead, and Dragon equipment managers are laundering the black pants of the playoffs. But first, the dreaded Hawks of Hebron.

Go Dragons!

Game Day: Southlake Carroll 44, Trophy Club Byron Nelson 13

Southlake Carroll continued its march to the District 5-6A championship last night by overwhelming the upstart Byron Nelson Bobcats, dismissively swatting them aside before they could even dare hope to make the Dragons the final element of their hat trick of upset wins.

But the victory, easy as it was to accomplish, came at a steep cost. How steep a cost is still to be determined. But the loss of superstar Robert Barnes in the third quarter last night, presumably for the remainder of the season, can’t be overestimated.

Barnes, a standout safety on defense, pulled the Dragon offense out of the doldrums early in the season when he was given additional duties as a receiver and occasional running back.

It was in the latter role that Barnes, an oral commit to OU next year, went down last night.

The Dragons, struggling in the opening minutes of the second half after a dominating performance in the first, were operating at their own 9-yard when senior quarterback Mason Holmes handed the ball to Barnes. The senior star headed left and then appeared to lose his footing at the 5 and fall to the turf.

Fans in the stands said Barnes’ right foot was twisted at a grotesque angle, suggesting a fracture.

Trainers, medical personnel and coaches converged on Barnes, and he eventually was helped off the field wearing an inflatable cast on his right leg.

Details of such injuries in high school games generally aren’t discussed much, and head coach Hal Wasson was terse in his postgame radio interview.

“I hurt for Robert because I know how important this year was for him,” said Wasson, who celebrated his 60^th birthday last night. “The good news is that he can heal from this.”

That comment could be interpreted as leaving open the door for a return this season, but the tone in Wasson’s voice suggested that Barnes’ high school playing days are over.

What does that mean for the Dragons, who still face Hurst L.D. Bell next week and Lewisville Hebron in the final regular season game on Nov. 4?

In the first game of the season, the Dragon offense sputtered and stalled against Tulsa Union. When Barnes was shifted to WR the next week, he provided the needed catalyst to get the 0-machine in gear and humming. Meanwhile, he continued to play lights-out on defense, helping meld the secondary into an increasingly effective force.

He missed last week’s contest against Flower Mound Marcus when he went out on the Dragons’ first offensive play. His teammates, after shaking off the disruption in the game plan, came back in the second half to post a convincing win against the stout Marauders.

Given a week to adjust to Barnes’ absence, Dragons coaches should be able to overcome the loss of their best player in order to finish district play on a strong and winning note.

But the Dragons, who clinched a berth in the playoffs with their win against Byron Nelson, have loftier goals than winning district. Their sights are on the playoffs, where Barnes will be sorely missed, particularly if Carroll reaches the decisive second round when it is likely to face the soaring DeSoto Eagles, who demolished Duncanville last night 41-17.

The Eagles, who have bounced Carroll from the playoffs on more than one occasion in recent years, stand as a serious threat to the perennial Dragon goal of playing until after Thanksgiving – at least.

Carroll left the playoffs early last year, falling to Denton Guyer in the second round after a stunning first-round win against Cedar Hill, the reigning state champions. The team and its fans would dearly love to avoid that disappointment this year. But DeSoto could have something substantial to say about that.

There are no guarantees in high school football, of course. But at least the Dragons won’t face the returning state champs in the first round. It appears their first-round opponent, if they do indeed win district, will be Wylie, the likely Division II runner-up in District 6-6A.

The good news for Carroll is that both offense and defense are playing well as district play winds down. The Dragons racked up almost 500 total yards in offense last night, scoring on their first four possessions and jumping to 24-0 lead over the Bobcats, who in previous weeks had staged upsets over Euless Trinity and Lewisville.

   Last night, they were unable to sustain a drive until the closing seconds of the half. At that point, quarterback Eli Rusche connected with standout WR Pascal Mondombo, who sprinted 54 yards to paydirt. The PAT was blocked.

Mondombo, a hard-charging playmaker with sure hands and quick moves, was the Bobcats only bright spot. In addition to his TD catch and run, he helped set up Bryon Nelson’s only other score late in the fourth with a 27-yard reception from quarterback Hunter Meacham.

Holmes completed 10 of 16 passes for 166 yards and 1 TD, despite nursing a sore leg from last week’s game. He was pulled early in the third quarter and reportedly should be close to full strength by next week.

But the Dragons crushed the Bobcats on the ground. Stellar running back Audrick Gaines picked up his fifth- (or is it his sixth?) -straight 100-yard game, rushing for 139 yards on 16 carries and 2 TDs. Jack Johansson ran 69 yards on 4 carries and 1 TD, and Tre Sledge made 44 yards on 8. Four of the Dragons' six TDs came on the ground.

With an eye to the future, backup quarterback Will Bowers, a sophomore, got some valuable playing time, engineering two scoring drives. The first was a 28-yard pass to senior Royce Weigel, and the second was a 14-yard run by Johansson to close out Dragon action.

The Dragon defense was superb, holding Byron Nelson to only 7 rushing yards in the first half and keeping the Bobcats’ pair of signal callers off balance. Mondombo could have caused much more damage, but an effective pass rush by the Dragons forced him to chase off-target balls all night.

Perhaps last night’s most impressive performance came from the Dragons' superb kicker, Kole Ramage, who missed his second extra point of the season in the third quarter. But he more than made up for that earlier, when the Dragons, after intercepting a Bobcat pass, went 3-and-out at their 47. Ramage lined up to punt, but the snap sailed high over his head. He snared the bouncing ball inside the 10, as a host of Bobcats bore down on him, turned quickly and booted it, just as he was besieged by Nelson jerseys. The ball landed near the Bobcat 40 and rolled to the 29, preserving field position for the Dragons.

It was the most astounding performance by a kicker I’ve ever seen. Even now, I can’t believe Ramage, a great kid who prefers baseball to football, managed to reach the ball and get the punt off. After the play, the guy in front of me turned around, and we just started at each other, wordless.

Moments like that are why I love high school football.

An interesting side note. I saw considerably fewer mega-mums in Dragon Stadium last night than in previous years. Rest assured, there were more than a few dazzlers, but it wasn’t the shock-and-awe displays of the recent past. What does such a thing mean?

Next week, the Dragons travel to revered Pennington Field to meet the Blue Raiders of L.D. Bell. When Pennington opened in 1987, it was the first of the new generation of multi-use facilities designed not only for football, but soccer and other events, as well. Even now, almost 30 years later, it’s still a great place to play football – comfortable, with good sight lines and easy access and egress.

Glory be, perfect football weather is here, and the playoffs beckon.

Go Dragons!

Game Day: Southlake Carroll 33, Flower Mound Marcus 21

When senior Robert Barnes, Southlake Carroll’s stupendous double-edged threat, went down last night on the Dragons’ first offensive play of the game, a chill swept through the visitor’s side of Marauders Stadium in Flower Mound.

Barnes, an oral commit to OU next year, is the straw that stirs the drink for Carroll on both sides of the ball. On defense, he’s disruptive and intuitive in the secondary, using his considerable athleticism to smother receivers and muck up pass routes. On offense, he’s a sure-handed, hard-running receiver who’s hard to bring down and serves as the spark that ignites the Dragon passing game.

So it was no surprise that senior quarterback Mason Holmes turned to his superstar as the Dragons prepared to answer Flower Mound Marcus’ opening touchdown drive. Barnes grabbed the ball from Holmes and headed left before being jerked to a stop for no gain.

His forward momentum halted, Barnes was struck by a vicious helmet-to-helmet blow that felled him face down on the turf. As coaches and trainers scurried to his aid, I had a flashback of another game and another standout Dragon leader downed at a critical moment.

In 2007, in the second round of the playoffs, the Dragons faced the Abilene Eagles in old Texas Stadium. As the first half ebbed, the Dragons lined up at the Eagle 2 and prepared to widen their comfortable lead. That’s when an Eagle defender crashed through and struck star quarterback Riley Dodge, who left the game with a separated shoulder. The Dragons, led by an inexperienced backup, lost that game in the final seconds on a botched goal-line snap, thus ending Carroll’s run of state titles.

That memory no doubt was sparked by the knowledge that the same Riley Dodge, now embarked on a coaching career like his dad, legendary coach Todd Dodge, was an offensive coordinator for the Marauders last night. Lordy, it’s a small world, ain’t it?

Fortunately for the present-day Dragons, Barnes’ injury wasn’t as devastating for him or his team as Riley Dodge’s back in the day. The edge of his opponent’s helmet sliced his lip and required a trip to the hospital and the attentions of an oral surgeon. How long he’ll be sidelined is unknown.

But the injury-plagued Dragons, after posting a lackluster first-half effort, managed to overcome the absence of their best player and limp to a solid victory against the upstart Marauders.

For the second week in a row, Southlake has faced a determined Lewisville ISD foe in a district road contest. Last week, it smothered an ambitious Lewisville squad fresh from a win over the Marauders. This week, it was Marcus’ turn to take a shot at the Dragons, the odds-on favorite to capture the District 5-6A crown after their inspiring win over Trinity two weeks ago.

Marcus indicated early it was prepared to assume the role of king killer by staging an 8-play, 75-yard opening drive that gave it a 7-0 lead. That impressive drive was highlighted by a 50-yard dash up the middle by Marauder running back Justin Dinka, a scary-good sophomore who can out-maneuver and out-run the field once he’s unleashed.

Dinka finished the night with 189 yards on 28 carries and 2 TDs. His yardage is somewhat misleading, however, since the Dragon defense played lights-out for most of the game, keeping the Marauders out of the end zone for the remainder of the half and limiting Dinka and the Marcus offense to relatively short yardage.

That success came despite a spat of injuries that has decimated the Dragon secondary. In addition to Barnes, both starting corners, senior Barrett Buck and freshman R.J. Mickens, had been sidelined with injuries before the game. Their backups didn’t miss a beat, however. Marauder quarterback Michael Henry could only manage 52 yards in the air last night.

Asked about the impact that Barnes’ injury had on the Dragon game plan, Carroll players repeated the mantra drilled into them by their coaches.

“We were let down because he’s our friend, and we didn’t want to see him hurt,” defensive back Jake Murphy said in a post-game radio interview. “But it didn’t affect the game plan. The coaches say, ‘The next man up,’ and that’s what we did.”

But from my spot in the stands, Barnes’ absence did appear to disorient the Dragons, at least on offense. Holmes struggled in the first half, his timing off, many of his passes off target. Meanwhile, the Marauders succeeded in bottling up RB Audrick Gaines, threatening to end his string of 100-yard games.

The only first-half score the Dragons could manage was a 23-yard field goal by Kole Ramage, set up by an interception by Zion Sales as the first quarter ended.

The second half, in which there were five lead changes, was like a different ball game. Holmes and his offense finally found its mojo, and the defense, with two notable exceptions, kept the Marauders largely on their heels.

Carroll began the scoring spree by pinning Marcus to its own 1-yard line with a beautiful punt by Ramage. After a 3-and-out, the Dragons took over at the Marcus 44.

Holmes (10 of 23 for 246, 2 TDs) lofted a 39-yard pass and run to WR Clayton Keyes (3-139), who drove to the 5. From there, Gaines (21 carries for 126 yards, 1 TD) took it in to snare the Dragons’ first lead of the night, 10-7.

Marcus soon responded. Beginning a drive at the Carroll 34, Henry handed the ball to RB Aaron Kovacevich, who swept past Dragon defenders to regain the lead.

The Dragons continued the scoring flurry. Beginning at their 25, Holmes connected with Cade Bell for 52 yards. One play later, he pitched a 20-yard TD pass to Jackson Davis (5-51, 2 TDs). Score:17-14.

After the kickoff and a penalty, the Marauders set up shop at their own 19. Three plays later, Dinka tucked the ball and skittered 81 yards to the end zone, making a deft deflection at midfield that left befuddled Dragons in his wake.

With the score 21-17, that set up the decisive 4^th quarter, which belonged entirely to the Dragons.

A 39-yard Ramage field goal brought the Dragons to within 1. The Dragon defense then dug in and held the Marauders to consecutive 3-and-outs, freeing up the Dragons to seize the lead for a final time with a 3-yard run by Gaines and then widen it with a 15-yard toss to Davis.

Dinka’s heroics aside, the Marauders (4-2, 2-2) could manage only 281 total yards to 512 for Carroll (6-1, 4-0). The Dragons gained 21 first downs to Marcus’ 8.

Next week is Homecoming, and Southlake’s mum factories have been humming for some time. Southlake’s young ladies are doing neck exercises in preparation for the mountains of mums they will reveal to the world under Friday night lights. And the town is braced for the expected grumbling about excess, waste and uncontrolled hubris that homecoming here provokes.

To all of that, I say pish-posh. I like homecoming, I love the glorious abundance of mums, mini-teddy bears, flashing lights and ribbons, ribbons, ribbons. I can think of a lot of things more wasteful and less gratifying than the money spent on mums,  homecoming dresses and limousines.

But on to more serious topics. I’ll say one thing for District 5-6A. It poses more of a challenge than the Dragons’ last district home. The Lewisville schools have proven to be worthy opponents, well-coached and disciplined, full of determination and dedication. The path to district offers good preparation for the playoffs, and the Dragons need to stay focused and alert between now and the end of district play.

A reminder of what’s to come came last night from the radio commentators, who observed that DeSoto coaches were in the broadcast booth scouting Southlake. In all likelihood, Southlake meets the Eagles in the second round of this year’s playoffs, a prospect that comes with a certain degree of dread. The Dragons don’t have a good playoff history against DeSoto.

That’s for the future, however. Now is the time to hope for the quick and sure recovery of our injured young men and for a successful, injury-free outing against Trophy Club Byron Nelson next week.

Byron Nelson, who knocked off the mighty Trinity in this season’s biggest upset, schooled Lewisville last night, 38-21. They appear unwilling to accept the accustomed role of homecoming cupcake so Carroll had best be prepared.

Go Dragons!  

Game Day: Southlake Carroll 49, Lewisville 7

The Lewisville Farmers strode into Max Goldsmith Stadium last night full of confidence and a bit of swagger, convinced their unexpected 41-14 victory last week against Flower Mound Marcus signaled the return of their storied program, which dominated in the 1990s on the way to two state championships.

They believed they were ready for the next challenge: a District 5-6A matchup with Southlake Carroll, which in five previous encounters had easily rolled over the Farmers. Not this time, they vowed.

And why shouldn’t they feel good about themselves? Their sturdy defense had enjoyed good success thus far in limiting offense firepower, even in losing efforts, and their lively offense operated behind a wall of flesh that included three 300-pound-plus O-linesmen.

Not only that, their head coach, Greg Miller, had been schooled in the heady confines of Katy High School football, a perennial powerhouse and reigning state champions. As an assistant at Katy, Miller knew well what it took to build and maintain a top-flight program and had been hired to do so in Lewisville.

Perhaps the Farmers could even take advantage of a possible hangover effect from Southlake Carroll’s stunning win over Euless Trinity last week. Rumors reached the Dragon locker room that Lewisville players had even dared to engage in some trash talk.

Big mistake.

“We heard about the trash talk,” offensive/defensive standout Robert Barnes observed grimly in a post-game radio interview. “We came with a chip on our shoulder.”

The Dragons eased that burden by demolishing the Farmers in an offensive and defensive display that solidified their grip on the 5-6A championship and bodes well for an extended playoff run. As for Lewisville (3-3, 1-2), it fell to earth with a solid thud, knowing it still has serious work to do.

If the goal of the Dragons is to improve from week to week, which of course it is, then they can consider last night’s performance on both sides of the ball as an indication of  mission accomplished.

Senior quarterback Mason Holmes (18 of 27, 223 yards and 4 TDs) masterfully guided the Dragon offense to six consecutive touchdown drives, scattering passes to a half-dozen receivers and sharing rushing success with RB Audrick Gaines, who is running stronger and smarter with each passing week.

Gaines was the top Dragon rusher, piling up 125 yards on 15 carries and 1 TD. Tre Sledge ran 62 yards on 8 carries, followed by Holmes with 61 on 3. Most of Holmes’ yardage came on a 55-yard keeper around the right end that brought the Dragons to the Lewisville 14 as the first half waned.

Two plays later, Holmes connected with senior wide receiver Clayton Keyes, who twisted into the end zone to push the Dragons to a 21-7 lead.

After holding the reeling Farmers to a 3-and-out, the Dragons staged another scoring drive with 4 minutes left. Holmes marched Carroll downfield, surmounting two penalties that threatened to stall the drive before bringing the Dragons to the Lewisville 35. Facing a 3 and 7, Holmes dropped back, found Barnes (6 for 91, 3 TDs) in the end zone and shot him a zinger with 45 seconds left.

Bright spots for the Farmers were few and far between. They started off smartly, staging an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive after the opening kickoff that saw backup Farmer quarterback Jarvis Brooks throw a pair of passes to star  receiver Tyrell Shavers for 46 yards and the touchdown.

After that success, however, the Dragon D-line stiffened and the secondary started giving Barnes help in covering the speedy, sure-handed Shavers, rendering Lewisville’s offense toothless and slack-jawed.

It showed only one other sign of life, in the third quarter, when the Farmers took advantage of a pooch-kick to their 39 to drive to the Dragon 20. Brooks then tried to find Shavers near the end zone, but senior defensive back Jack Murphy read the play and snagged his second interception of the year at the 3.

Four plays later, the third quarter ended and out came the Dragon backups. To add to its misery, Lewisville’s overwhelmed first string had trouble stopping them. Sophomore quarterback Will Bowers got valuable experience as he led a clock-eating drive that brought the Dragons to the Lewisville 9, where he faked a handout and twisted around the left end to score 6.

Four district games remain in the regular season, and Lewisville represented perhaps the Dragons most serious challenge, after Trinity. Next week, they travel to Flower Mound Marcus, then host Trophy Club Bryon Nelson on Oct. 21 at Dragon Stadium. They finish with lowly L.D. Bell on Oct. 28 and Lewisville Hebron on Nov. 4.

And while nothing is guaranteed in Texas high school football, it’s not too outlandish to suggest the Dragons could enter post-season with a 9-1 record.

Bryon Nelson, by the way, accomplished the improbable last night by beating the formidable Trojans in overtime, 21-20. It’s hard to figure that one out.

Bryon Nelson, which only opened in 2009, was 0-5 before last night. Trinity, coming off a bruising defeat at the hands of the Dragons last week, was 5-1 and ranked No. 10 in the state 6A AP poll.

Call it an a fluke, and it almost certainly was, but it’s a humiliating turn of events for the proud Trojans, which despite that still are odds-on favorites to be Division I first seed in the playoffs. As for Bryon Nelson, it’s a signature win that almost certainly will go down in school history as its most important athletic achievement for the foreseeable future.

The air was nippy at Goldsmith Stadium last night, heralding the cool winds of autumn. It's perfect football weather and the Dragons are winning. What more can you ask for?

Go Dragons!

Game Day: Southlake Carroll 42, Euless Trinity 28

No one really expected to see a shootout at Dragon Stadium last night when the Euless Trinity Trojans came calling on Southlake Carroll in a District 5-6A matchup that most expected would decide the eventual district champ.

But as the first half wound to a breathless close, the scoreboard registered a 28-28 tie, and most of us already had concluded that the winner would be the team that forced its opponent to break serve first.

The half had been a wild affair that saw both the Trojans and the Dragons display their offensive weaponry. Carroll scored on four consecutive drives, while the Trinity saw paydirt on four of five possessions.

The Dragons scored at will against Trinity’s vaunted defensive line, led by senior Audricke Gaines’ powerful running and – bless me, look at this – quarterback Mason Holmes, who scampered 76 yards on 12 carries.

Gaines, who just gets better every time he suits up, ran for 170 yards on 31 carries and scored three touchdowns, muscling through the beefy Trojan D-line time after time for good yardage.

Meanwhile, Holmes (14 of 20 for 214 yards and 3 TDs) was superb, in the air and on the ground. During the Dragons’ second TD drive, Holmes faced a 3^rd and 7 at the Trojan 17. Chased out of the pocket, Holmes deftly eluded oncoming Trojans, scurrying back to his own 30 before lofting the ball to senior Jack Johansson as he drifted along the right sideline.

Johansson (2 catches for 39 yards, 1 TD) caught the ball and appeared headed out of bounds. But he stopped dead in his tracks, spun out of the grasp of a Trojan defender and scooted into the end zone.

With the score knotted at 21-21, the first half’s scoring blizzard culminated in a pair of scoring drives.

The Dragons struck first, with a 75-yard drive that featured an18-yard keeper by Holmes and a 29-yard pass to standout receiver Robert Barnes (2 for 94, 1 TD) that brought them to the 9. At that point, senior Jackson Davis (5 for 68, 1 TD) snagged a Holmes thrown and put Carroll in the lead.

It looked for moment that Southlake would carry that momentum into the dressing room, but the Trojans weren’t ready for a break yet. Starting at their own 22, they bullied the ball on the ground to their 40. Then junior RB Courage Keihn (23 carries for 225 yards) took the handoff from QB Malini Maile and sped 60 yards past aghast Dragon defenders to the end zone to bring scoring to a close.

Although no one expected that at the time, it would be the Trojans last score of the night as Dragon defenders dug in and shut down its bruising ground game.

Holmes told the Star Telegraph after the game that his offense delivered a message to the defense at halftime.

“We told them that if they could stop them, we would keep on scoring,” he said.

And the Big Guys made it happen, bless ’em. The defense put on a magnificent show in the second half, holding the Trojans to 100 yards of total offense and intercepting one of Maile’s rare passes. Barnes, who played both sides of the ball last night to brilliant effect, was an offensive standout. OU should be giddy to have him next year.

Holmes, when he wasn’t tucking the ball and sprinting up the airy center of the Trojan line, was spreading the wealth among his receiver corps. He connected at least twice with six different receivers on his way to three passing TDs. Senior Jackson Davis was his favorite target, catches five for 68 yards.

It was the effectiveness of the Dragon ground game that was the subject of conversation after the game. Traditionally, Trinity is a tough nut to crack on the ground. This season is no exception. But Carroll coaches have given Holmes, who was held in rigid check on the ground last year, different marching orders this year, and he followed them last night with excellent results.

“Last year, we had three stud running backs, and the coaches told me not to run, to play it safe,” a delighted Holmes confided to radio interviewers after the game. “But this year they said I should run it when I see an opening so that’s what I’m doing.”

The added dimension of a running quarterback apparently scrambled the Trojan defensive scheme, which never seemed to be able to adjust to the new reality. And the Dragons (239 total rusing yards, 263 passing) capitalized on it all night.

The Trojans got their yardage, of course. They almost always do. They had a total of 408 yards total offense, almost all on the ground. But for the sturdy Dragon defense, this could have been another wild, down-to-the-wire nail-biter instead of the second-half beat-down it turned out to be.

Last night was the fifth time these two friendly rivals have met, the third time as district foes. In the previous two district matchups, which the teams split, the winner of this game went on to become district champions.

Southlake Carroll (4-1, 2-0 in 5-6A) probably will viewed as the favorite to take district, but Lewisville Hebron, which also boasts a 4-1, 2-0 in 5-6A record, will have something to say about that. The Hawks whipped Hurst L.D. Bell last night 21-7. They face the Dragons Nov. 4 in the last game of the regular season. That could be dandy.

Next up for the Dragons is a road trip up SH121 to Lewisville to face the Farmers, who staged an upset win last night over Flower Mound Marcus in the traditional Battle for the Axe.

The Farmers are tough this year so the Dragons must shake off quickly the euphoria of humbling the noble Trojans.

Go Dragons!