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!