Bi-District Round: Southlake Carroll 28, Wylie 3

Southlake Carroll’s convincing win over the Wylie Pirates in the first round of the playoffs last night was deeply satisfying, but a nagging question followed fans out of Dragon Stadium.

What the hell does AHMO mean?

After the outmatched Pirates put their first and only points on the board – a 20-yard field goal by kicker Wariebi Jitaboh as the first half ended – Wylie’s spirit squad ran flags across the field bearing the letters A, H, M and O. The same letters are emblazoned across Pirate jerseys.

The answer to the question is too convoluted to relay here (Google it if you’re interested). Suffice to say, it’s a nod to Wylie’s glory years as a state title contender in the 1970s.

Last night, the mojo it represented was no match for the Dragon defense, which held Wylie to only 71 rushing yards, 280 total. The Dragon D harassed and harried highly regarded Pirate quarterback Emilio Ames (19-41, 210 yards) all night, intercepting two of his passes and damned near snaring a couple more.

For its part, the Dragon offense, led by senior quarterback Mason Holmes (9-20, 195, 1 INT and 2 TDs) and powered by senior running back Audie Gaines (26 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD), brushed past the Pirates during a decisive 21-point second quarter.

It took Holmes and company a full quarter to shake off the cobwebs, but once they did so, the Dragon ground game and an effective aerial attack left the Pirates sputtering.

Wylie’s only sustained drive of the night came in the final moments of the first half. After marching his team from its own 16 to the Dragon 2, Ames ran the ball twice up the middle and tried a pass into the end zone, all to no result. Finally, after taking a time out to contemplate a risky fourth-down TD attempt, Jitaboh booted a 3-pointer, bringing the score to 14-3 with 54 seconds left.

Carroll quickly snatched momentum back, however, and killed any sprouting Pirate hopes. Holmes quickly moved the Dragons into Pirate territory with a couple of sharp passes to senior receiver Clayton Keyes (6-130, 1 TD). From the 39, he found senior receiver Jackson Davis (2-64, 1 TD), who made a diving catch in the end zone with 23 seconds on the clock.

On their first possession of the second half, the Dragons made it clear there would be no change in fortunes, methodically stitching together an 80-yard scoring drive that showcased powerful running by Gaines and senior running back Jack Johansson (9-97, 1 TD), who carried it in from the 1.

At that point, Carroll took its foot off the gas, and the rest of the half was a wash.

The Dragons won’t have that luxury next Friday, when they meet the DeSoto Eagles in Plano’s Kimbrough Stadium. The Eagles, who destroyed Killeen 51-7 last night, have been unstoppable this season, and next week’s game is shaping up to be another classic between the No. 2-ranked Eagles and No. 8 Dragons.

The last time the two teams met was in the fourth round of the 2012 playoffs. The Dragons were returning state champs, with Kenny Hill under center and all the talent necessary to win back-to-back titles again.

That game, a well-played, hard-fought affair judged by many to be one of the best of the year, came down to a heroic goal-line stand by the Eagles, with seconds left and the Dragons only two yards away from taking away DeSoto’s fragile 49-45 lead.

On three consecutive quarterback keepers, the Eagles barred Hill from the end zone and emerged exhausted winners. One week later, they were bounced by Allen.

For the last two years, DeSoto has been booted from the second round of the playoffs by undefeated Allen teams. This year, they’re playing in Division II and yearn to escape the second round to make a deep run.

To do that, they’ll have to get past the Dragons, who would dearly love to avenge the heartbreaking 2012 loss. That won’t be easy. The Eagles’ potent offense, led by star quarterback Shawn Robinson, will be a tough nut to crack for the Dragon D, which in five of its last six games has held opponents to 7 or fewer points in the first half.

Asked last night about the prospects of being the underdog in a DeSoto-Carroll matchup, Audie Gaines dismissed the idea.

“I don’t think we consider ourselves underdogs,” he said in a post-game radio interview. “Teams that think like that don’t win games. We’re the Dragons. We’ll fight hard.”

They’ll have to, sure enough. And while the smart money has to be on the Eagles, there’s more to Texas high school football that sheer athletic talent and smart coaching. Heart, desire and disciple play important roles, too, and the Dragons are well stocked in both tangibles and intangibles. It would be foolish to count them out entirely.

So come Friday, I’ll make the long northeast trek to Kimbrough. You’d be well advised to get your tickets early for this one. Word is that it’ll be a quick sellout. Go Dragons!