Ignominious exit: Duncanville 51, Southlake Carroll 7

A crushing defense

FRISCO – It wasn’t a victory, it was a slaughter. It wasn’t success, it was a rout. It wasn’t a loss, it was complete humiliation.

The supremely confident and infinitely talented Duncanville Panthers dismissively ejected Southlake Carroll from the playoffs yesterday, bringing to an abrupt end the Dragons’ magical season with a historically domineering performance in The Ford Center at the Star.

It was the worst Dragon playoff defeat in school history. And yes, it was every bit as bad as that sounds.

Five turnovers

The crushing Panther defense ruled the day, forcing five turnovers by the Dragons, sacking QB Will Bowers six times, eventually knocking him out of the game, and rolling up 13 tackles for loss.

Duncanville players told The Dallas Morning News after the game that they have “one of the best defenses in the state.” That’s not hyperbole, either. In fact, they may be understating the power of the Panther defense.

As good as the defense was, and it was breathtakingly good, the Panther offense matched it in athleticism and effectiveness. Dual-threat quarterback Ja’Quinden Jackson, JJ to his teammates, roamed the field at will, charging through gaping holes ripped in the Dragon front by his surging O-line and peppering the flats with short, rifle-aimed passes.

Jackson was rushing leader, running 19 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 124 yards and another score. Running back Trysten Smith (14-91-1TD) also bedeviled Dragon defenders.

But the Duncanville defense will be what Dragon Nation remembers about yesterday’s debacle.

The News said in its game story that the Panthers have scored 10 defensive touchdowns in the last nine games. During that span, they’ve held opponents to only five offensive touchdowns.

Pressure, pressure

“We pressure the quarterback,” Duncanville head coach Reginald Samples told The News' high school columnist Greg Riddle, “so a lot of times he throws in a hurry. And when he is throwing in a hurry, he is not accurate.”

Ask Bowers (12 of 20, 179) about that. Three of his passes were picked off by Panther defensive backs, and two were returned for TDs. Before yesterday, you could count the number of his interceptions all season on one hand and have fingers left over.

Running superstar T.J. McDaniel could do little, rushing 17 times for 91 yards. But that statistic is deceptive since most of those yards came on two lengthy runs, the first a 47-yard burst on Southlake’s second play from scrimmage. That briefly raised Dragon hopes that the day might go differently.

But Carroll would go no further, setting up a 42-yard field goal attempt by kicker Joe McFadden. He flubbed it, the first of two he would miss against the roaring Panthers.

 Two key plays revealed the mettle of the Duncanville squad, its discipline and determination. The first occurred at the end of the first half.

Carroll had just scored its first – and last – touchdown, set up by a 53-yard pass reception by R.J. Mickens, the junior phenom who finished the job two plays later with 16-yard TD catch with 2 minutes left.

 After kicking off to the Panthers, the Dragon defense stiffened, forcing the Panthers to a 3-3 at their own 43. The Dragons, hoping to secure enough time for another shot at the end zone before the break, had called timeouts on the previous two plays.

That’s when the worthy Jackson plunged through the line and darted 30 yards to the Carroll 27. Thanks to the Dragon timeouts, the Panthers had plenty of time. Three plays later, Roderick Daniels Jr. caught a 10-yard Jackson TD pass to send the Panthers into halftime with a 27-7 lead.

A bridge too far

Most of us felt at that moment that a 20-point lead against Duncanville was a bridge too far for the Dragons. That conviction was only strengthened when the Panthers took the second half kickoff and marched authoritatively downfield to extend their lead to 34-7.

To their credit, however, the proud Dragons never gave up. On the next series, Bowers carried his team to its own 45, where the Dragons faced 3-11. He then lofted a ball to Mickens (5-147), who raced for the end zone, closely pursued by Panther defenders.

In the second example of Duncanville resolve, the Panthers caught up with Mickens inside the 5 and knocked the ball loose at the 1. After a scramble in the end zone, Duncanville came up with it, forcing a touchback. From the 20, it swept 80 yards for another TD.

Question: How many teams, with a comfortable 27-point lead and in firm control of the game, would have pursued that particular play to its end?

The rest of the game was academic, and a stream of the Dragon faithful began leaving the Ford Center to make room for Denton Ryan fans arriving to see their team whip Birdville in the third game of the day at Ford.

A thriller

Some of us had arrived early enough to catch the last quarter of the Highland Park-Tyler John
Tyler game, a gut-wrenching, heart-pounding thriller that saw the Scots overcome a 21-point deficit to win 42-35.

We had hoped for some similar heroics by the Southlake stalwarts against the highly touted Panthers. We comforted ourselves with the hopes that the scary statistics compiled by the Duncanville defense all season were a result of the Panthers’ “strength of schedule” and not a reliable indication of their real merit.

Well, gang, we were wrong. Very wrong.

The Panthers are real, and their next opponents, the No. 1 nationally ranked Allen Eagles, had better keep their heads on a swivel or they’ll get them knocked off by the fired-up Panthers.

The News report offered this historical tidbit. Samples, the Panther coach, has taken three teams to the state semi-finals or beyond – Lincoln, Skyline and now Duncanville.

Back in 2014, his Skyline team met Allen in the semi-finals and surged to an 18-point lead. Eagle quarterback Kyler Murray, who won the Heisman Trophy yesterday, then took charge of the game and led his team to a 52-34 comeback win.

Think Samples would like a little payback for that disappointment? Regardless, the Allen-Duncanville game, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. next Saturday at Jerry’s World, promises to be a classic.

The Dragons are done, ending the season 13-1, and it’s a shame that things had to end with the kind of beat down they suffered against the Panthers. But their achievements shouldn’t be forgotten in the charred refuse of defeat. They exceeded every expectation their coaches and their fans harbored for them. And did so with dignity, integrity and respect.

They played like Dragons.

So many questions

Many of their number are graduating: Bowers and McDaniel, much of the receiving corps, Michael Parrish, Henry Mossberg and sizeable numbers of the offensive and defensive lines.

But Mickens is back, as are Brandon Howell and Preston Forney, Blake Smith and Wills Meyer, Graham Faloona and Quinten Bunten.

There will be questions about their young coach, who enjoyed an historic beginning to his head coaching career. For example, does the dreaded “sophomore slump” apply to coaches, as well as athletes?

Riley Dodge has built a solid foundation in the short time he’s been here. He’s reinvigorated a dispirited program and infused the Southlake community with new enthusiasm for its young Dragons.

The future is a mystery, no doubt. But I can honestly say that for the first time in a while, I contemplate the future with a spirit of optimism and excitement, rather than a nagging dread that the best days of this heralded program are behind it.

Happy holidays, everyone. And go Dragons!

Regional semi-final cruise: Southlake Carroll 35, Euless Trinity 7

A gesture of respect

DENTON – A rather remarkable thing happened after last night’s rain-sogged playoff game between Northeast Tarrant County rivals Southlake Carroll and Euless Trinity.

Carroll head coach Riley Dodge was conducting a radio interview about the Dragons’ decisive – and never really in doubt – defeat of the proud Trojans when Trinity quarterback Laki Ellis walked up with outstretched hand.

“Good game, Coach,” Ellis said quietly. “Good game.”

“Yes, good game, good game,” Dodge replied, shaking his hand.

Ellis then turned and rejoined his crestfallen teammates, who only moments before had performed the traditional Haka for the last time this season.

That simple gesture of respect by a high school athlete, made while the sting of defeat was still fresh and raw, is as vivid an example as you’re likely to find of the unique and unusual relationship between Carroll and Trinity. It’s a relationship based on fierce competition, intense emotions and athletic excellence imbued by respect, admiration and, yes, affection.

No trash talk

And it’s always been that way. Back in 2006, when the two teams clashed for the first time in a playoff battle that those of us who watched it still talk about with awe, Justin Padron, now a color commentator for Dragon Radio, was a standout defensive player for the Dragons.

Thinking back on that game, a hard-fought, desperately close contest that Carroll won when Riley Dodge scored the winning touchdown in the closing seconds, Padron reflected on how two of the state’s premier high school football programs interacted with each other on the field.

“It was an amazing night, or rather afternoon,” Padron said before yesterday’s game. “There was absolutely no trash-talking by either side. We just lined up against each other and played smash-mouth football on every play.”

After that game, Dragon players, instead of celebrating with their fans who flooded the field after the final whistle, stood quietly as the stunned Trinity team performed the traditional Haka. Our kids then embraced the devastated Trojans at midfield.

Hollywood would be hard-pressed to come up with a better storyline.

Yesterday was the eighth time the two programs have met. The Dragons now hold a 5-3 edge in that series, which is noteworthy both for the physicality of the games and the usually slim margins of victory.

Not even close

Such was not the case this year, however. The Dragons shut down the heralded Trojan offense, limiting it to a single touchdown in the first quarter and shutting it out for the rest of the evening. And they stopped Trinity from converting on several critical 4^th down attempts.

All this, despite losing one of their best defensive weapons, right tackle Henry Mossberg, who left with an injured knee.

Meanwhile, the Dragon offense, helmed by quarterback Will Bowers and powered by runner extraordinaire T.J. McDaniel, scored on Carroll’s first three possessions and never looked back.

Bowers, 18 of 23 for 244 yards, was cool, calm and collected in the pocket, passing for two touchdowns and getting another on the ground.

His rushing touchdown, a 12-yard sprint that broke a Dragon scoring drought in the second half, put the Dragons up by three TDs and sealed the Trojans’ fate.

The second half of the game was delayed more than 1 ½ hours by lightning, driving rain and a tornado warning in the Denton area. It was the third time this year that a Carroll game has been delayed by weather.

When play resumed, Trinity came out swinging. Running back Brandon Theus (23 carries for 98 yards), who earlier scored Trinity’s sole TD of the night, powered an impressive drive to the Dragon 5. A worried murmur ruffled through the Dragon side of UNT's Apogee Stadium.

Then the wheels fell off. A series of penalties, including three on consecutive plays, propelled the Trojans out of the red zone. Dragon defenders took advantage of the miscues and dug in, forcing Trinity to turn over the ball on downs.

Couldn’t capitalize

That drive, which took almost 7 minutes off the clock and gained Trinity no points, proved decisive. The Trojans forced 3-and-outs on the next two Carroll possessions but couldn’t capitalize on either opportunity.

The Carroll game plan, aided by some special plays that have characterized Dodge’s brief tenure as head coach, worked to perfection. Bowers was superb, completing almost 80 percent of his passes and managing the game flawlessly.

One play deserves special attention.

With the score knotted 7-7 after the Trojan TD, the Dragons drove to the Trinity 26 in five plays. Bowers dropped back, clearly signaled he was passing to McDaniel in the left flat, where a Trojan crowd was gathering, then lofted the ball to an insanely open John Manero (6-83), who slid untouched into the end zone with nary a Trojan within 10 yards of him.

It’s the kind of play Dodge and his coaching staff have tossed into the offensive mix all season, picking exactly the right moment to do so.

As expected, much of the work against Trinity fell to McDaniel, listed by The Dallas Morning News as the Dallas area’s leading 6A rusher. He brushed past the 2,000-yard season rushing mark last night, rolling up 115 yards on 22 carries and scoring twice. It was the 10^th time this season that McDaniel has rushed for more than 100 yards.

All three phases

R.J. Mickens, brilliant in all three phases, led in receiving for Carroll, catching 7 Bowers passes for 99 yards. He got Dragon scoring started 5 minutes into the game with a 26-yard reception.

Most observers expected the Trojans and Dragons to keep it close. And initially it appeared that might be the case. After Carroll’s first score, Ellis (15-30, 175) methodically carried his offense downfield to even things up.

He was excellent in the first half, completing most of his passes and managing an offense that moved up and down the field until it neared the red zone.

In the second half, Ellis was less effective, stymied by Trojan missteps and by Carroll’s 21-7 halftime lead. That forced the Trojans out of their comfort zone and compelled Ellis to a long game he and his receivers couldn’t sustain.

Meanwhile, the spectacular Dragon defense, a major reason for Carroll’s unblemished 13-0 record this year, kept the pressure on all night. As usual, it was disruptive and fierce, forcing throws and keeping Trinity runners Theus (23-98) and A.J. Barnett (4-19) out of the end zone.

As usual, Dodge put the credit for last night’s win on his kids, a trait he shares with his father, the renowned Todd Dodge.

“These kids are just amazing,” he told Dragon Radio. “No matter what the situation is, no matter what the circumstances are, they’re up for it. They just want to play football.”

Elite 8

So for the second straight year, and for the seventh time in the last 10 years, Carroll reaches the fourth round of the playoffs, one of only eight teams to remain.

It meets the undefeated Duncanville Panthers next Saturday at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco.

No one, not even the most green-blooded Dragon fan, could have predicted Carroll would reach this stage. As a good friend of mine said before last night’s game, “No matter what happens, we’re playing on house money.”

In other words, when you play beyond all reasonable expectations, you can’t really lose.  Duncanville will be a tough nut to crack, no question. It’s a good team. But so are we. Against all odds, against all predictions, So Are We.

The Star is a dazzling development, and the Ford Center is a great venue to watch football. And hey, it’s indoors so no freaking rain delay! I'll see you there.

Go Dragons!