Football, drill teams and the magic of Friday Night Lights

The next chapter begins

The last time we saw the Southlake Carroll Football Dragons, they were licking their wounds after a definitive ass-kicking by the Duncanville Panthers in last year’s quarterfinal playoff round.

It was a miserable end to a marvelous season in which the Dragons, under new coach Riley Dodge, exceeded even the most optimistic predictions to make it to the fourth round of the UIL 6A-Division II championship playoffs.

The mighty Panthers manhandled the Dragons 51-7, handing them the worst playoff defeat in school history before falling themselves two rounds later in the championship game before the unstoppable Houston-area North Shore Mustangs.

Despite the humiliating sting of that playoff debacle, last season offered a rejuvenating kick in the pants to Dragon fortunes.

Dodge, son of legendary Carroll coach Todd Dodge and an acclaimed former Dragon quarterback, led his team to a 13-1 record in his inaugural year as a head coach. He thus silenced the boo-birds who argued he was too wet behind the ears to lead a storied program like Southlake Carroll and only got the job because of his old man.

What’s next?

So, Coach Dodge, what have you got in mind for an encore?

“I’m very excited about the group we have coming back,” Dodge told Art Garcia of 76092 magazine. “We lost some veteran talent for sure, but we’ve still got some guys who have played a lot of football. On the offensive side of the ball, we’ve got a couple of guys who are two-year starters that played 14 ballgames last year. We have some youth on the offensive side of the ball, but we’ve still got some veterans at the same time that we can lean on. I’m excited about the youth, as well, because they’ve got a lot of talent.”

As might be expected, expectations are soaring in Dragon Nation as Dodge’s second season beckons. And preseason polls have been kind to the Dragons, despite a less-than-exemplary scrimmage last week against Arlington.

MaxPreps ranks the Dragons No. 5 in the state, while Dave Campbell’s Texas Football puts Carroll at No. 10. (For the first time this year, the Campbell ranking will replace AP’s weekly high school football poll, an “it’s about time” development welcomed by – well, just about everybody.)

The Arlington scrimmage revealed a team still feeling its way, with a sophomore quarterback in the saddle and an injury-riddled secondary. Distressingly, Clemson commit R.J. Mickens, the Dragons’ best player, will begin the season sidelined with a foot injury.

 Mickens, ranked by MaxPreps as the No. 3 safety in Texas, is a major Dragon playmaker on both sides of the ball. He is expected to be a sure-handed target for fresh-faced signal caller Quinn Ewers, who looked a little rough around the edges against Arlington.

Rocket arm

Ewers (6-3, 190), who led Southlake to the 7-on-7 state championship game earlier in the summer, has a rocket for an arm and already is fielding offers from D1 schools. But the youngster threw one interception in the Arlington scrimmage and had two or three other overthrown balls dropped by Eagle defensive backs.

Under Dodge’s steady tutelage, Ewers will settle down, of course. He couldn’t be in better hands. Riley learned the trade at the feet of his father, a state champion quarterback at Port Arthur who continued his success at Texas, and the younger Dodge led the Dragons to a 2006 state championship. Injuries spoiled his college career.

 Let’s see how Ewers does against tonight’s Dragon opponent, South Grand Prairie, which is a classy program in a tough district that includes Cedar Hill, DeSoto and Mansfield.

Ewers can depend on a solid receiving corps, with or without Mickens. And that’s good news since it’s likely the Dragons will ride the skies more frequently this year, given the lamented departure of stellar running back T.J. McDaniel, who now plays for SMU.

McDaniel was the roaring engine of the Dragon offense last year, with his 2,122 rushing yards accounting for a shocking 37 percent of its offensive success.

No program easily replaces a talent like McDaniel, and Carroll is no exception. So far, the Dragon running game remains a big question mark. No one really expects it to become an exclamation point. As of now, it’s an ellipsis … while we wait for what comes next.

WR John Manero, who gained 425 yards and three touchdowns last season, had a good outing against Arlington last week. I expect to hear his name called a lot this season.

Another offensive standout likely will be senior Blake Smith (6-5, 205), a Texas A&M commit who will line up as tight end, but could play a number of roles, including backup quarterback. He’s a complete athlete who was named first-team all-district tight end last year and has the heart of a lion.

 Bright prospects

While both 0- and D-lines lost valued veterans to graduation, prospects are brighter than normal for both squads. Nose guard Quentin Bunten (5-11, 245) may be the key to the Carroll defense. Other defensive players to watch out for will be linebackers LB Preston Forney (6-2, 180) and Graham Faloona (6-2, 200), a Utah commit.

Offensive linemen Andrej Karic (6-5, 245), committed to Texas, and Addison Penn (6-3, 255), committed to Boston College, promise to be standouts on the offensive line.

The Dragons had best get their ducks in a row quickly. District 5-6A isn’t considered a powerhouse district, but Carroll will not have an easy time of repeating as district champion. On Oct. 4, the Dragons travel to Denton to face the Guyer Wildcats, a district rival much hated and greatly respected in Southlake.

Last year, Carroll barely squeaked by Guyer 33-27 in the closing seconds of a tummy-twister.

Guyer is back and stronger than ever. In fact, it sits at No. 8 in Dave Campbell’s Texas Football ranking, two spots ahead of Carroll at No. 10. In MaxPreps’ Top 25, it comes in at No. 16, compared to the Dragons at No. 5.

Hoppin’ and boppin’

But first comes South Grand Prairie. The Dragons would be well advised to approach the disciplined, well-coached Warriors with care. This is just the kind of early-season trap game that can trip up a team still finding its rhythm. Even though tonight is a non-district game with little significance, I expect Dragon Stadium to be hoppin’ and boppin’. 

A community-wide pep rally last weekend drew a huge, noisy crowd, dispelling any fears that the excitement generated by Riley Dodge taking over the family business and by the team’s phenomenal success had ebbed.

Helping feed some of that enthusiasm, no doubt, was the Emerald Belles’ success on America’s Got Talent earlier this summer.

No football player on the Dragon Stadium turf tonight has worked harder in past weeks and months to represent his school and community than the girls on Carroll’s acclaimed drill team. They put in countless hours of rehearsal time to create a series of performances that captivated audiences and most of the judges on the popular TV show – eat dirt, Howie Mandel.

The Belles were eliminated in the quarterfinals, but not before their dedication, determination and disciplined talent served as a welcome antidote – a soothing balm – to the chicanery, stupidity, mendacity and basic evil we see played out daily on the national stage. If you missed any of their performances, check them out on YouTube. You won’t be sorry you did.

It’ll be a special pleasure to greet the Belles tonight. I expect a roar of approval as they take the field with the Carroll Marching Band. Clap extra hard, Dragon Nation. These girls deserve it.

Go Dragons!