Game Day – Southlake Carroll 21, Broken Arrow (Okla.) 14

Football sages opine that a win is a win, but the victory salvaged by the Southlake Carroll Dragons in their season opener in Broken Arrow, Okla., last night leaves a bitter aftertaste.

The Dragons turned what should have been a drubbing of their Oklahoma foes into a white-knuckle battle they only managed to survive with some last-minute heroics by junior running back T. J. McDaniel.

Were it not for the four – count ’em, four – turnovers in the game, the Dragons could have enjoyed the ride home basking in the satisfaction that their defense performed admirably against the Tigers and their offense – helmed by junior quarterback Will Bowers – piled up more than twice as many total yards as their overmatched opponents.

But the turnovers – two of which, good lord, occurred in the red zone – kept the Dragons scrambling all night, even as they dominated the statistics, from rushing yards to first downs.

Bowers, who was responsible for three of the turnovers, kept his composure and ended the night with some impressive numbers. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 256 yards and 1 TD, rushing for another 40.

But the miscues marred his first outing as starting helmsman, and they could prolong, at least for a while, the quarterback questions that have hung over the Dragons since the talented Mason Holmes graduated last year.

Bowers got off to a promising start, engineering a second-quarter drive that ended with a 34-yard pass to his favorite receiver of the night, senior Cade Bell, (8 catches for 152 yards, 1 TD). But the problems started on the next possession when a Bowers pass was picked off, thwarting Dragon designs to widened their lead.

The Tigers, however, couldn’t capitalize on their good fortune, thanks to the gutty play of the Dragon defense, who kept them at bay for most of the game. Facing a 4^th and 10 on their 32, Broken Arrow made the ill-considered decision to go for it.

Instead, it lost 18 yards and was forced to turn the ball over on the 14 to a hungry Southlake offense. The Dragon appetite soon was quashed. The hardy Southlake fans who braved the trip north to Broken Arrow’s Memorial Stadium instead watched in horror as Bowers coughed up the ball again.

Quick-thinking Tiger defender Zach Marcheselli snatched it up and darted 84 yards through the shocked Dragon secondary to tie the game.

Carroll continued its domination, and its frustration, into the second half. It opened the 3^rd quarter with a brisk drive in which Bowers completed five straight passes. But the momentum rolled to a stop deep in Broken Arrow territory.

The Tigers then put together their only effective drive of the night, which ended in a 1-yard TD run by quarterback Lafayette Wright to put them ahead 14-7.

Carroll responded to the threat quickly, driving to the Tiger 17, where Bowers was picked off for the second time.

Thanks to the Southlake defense, that turnover and yet another fumble in the fourth had no impact on the game, other than to raise the blood pressure of Dragon fans there and listening to the game on the radio at home.

In the decisive 4^th quarter, T.J. McDaniel, who ran hard all night, compiling 106 yards on 31 carries, came to the forefront.

A Tiger fumble set the stage for an efficient 34-yard drive that ended with McDaniel bullying into the end zone on a 5-yard carry, tying the game at 14-14. A few minutes later, another sustained 8-play, 60-yard drive sent the Dragons ahead for good.

Unfortunately, circumstances conspired to dim the usual luster of Friday night lights in Broken Arrow. Because of the flooding disaster along the coast, Southlake was unable to charter enough buses for its huge student contingent to travel to the game. That means the band, Emerald Belles, Crew and cheerleaders were left behind. Only the team made the trip.

That's lousy for the kids and for the fans, in my considered view. What's Friday night football without the pomp and circumstance that goes with it? I say put an end to this current trend of hunting for worthy opponents north of the Red River. After all, the best high school football in the country is played right here in North Texas. Am I right?

Back to the matter at hand.There was a lot to like about the Dragons’ first outing in 2017. The defense, which usually is a work in progress at this point in the season, seems ahead of schedule in its development.

Its first real test comes next Friday, when the Dragons face Arlington Martin in Maverick Stadium. Martin and its double-threat quarterback, Juma Otoviano, took apart Skyline last night, 57-26.

It also was nice to see a Dragon running back post a 100-yard game at the beginning of the season. Will McDaniel, a transfer from hated Coppell, become a worthy rushing successor to the remarkable Audie Gaines, Southlake’s stellar running back last year? Only time will tell. But maybe. Just maybe.

On another offensive front, several Carroll receivers made connections last night, led by Bell. A reliable stable of fleet-footed, sure-handed receivers is a key to Southlake’s offensive strategy. Last year, injury decimated the Dragon receiving corps, putting more pressure on the running game. A balanced attack this season could be the key to a deep run into the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Bowers survived his trial by fire and still came away with a win. I think it’s safe to say ball security will be a focus of practice in the next week. And while it’s possible that backup Clayton Webb might see some action next week, I doubt it.

The Dragons have a tough predistrict schedule this year, facing Martin next Friday and Rockwall the week after. I predict the cautious and crafty Hal Wasson, who begins his 11^th year as Southlake head coach this year, will stick with Bowers, who has game-time experience and has worked the most with the offensive starters.

Dragon Nation has measured expectations for its team this season. We’re just getting to know these young men and just beginning to assess their potential. At present, they still largely are cyphers to us all.

But my experience with this program is that it produces remarkable young men who understand they have a tradition of excellence, achievement and hard work to live up to.  Remarkably, they almost always do.

Go Dragons!