Seizing control
The Byron Nelson Bobcats may have hoped
they could slip into Dragon Stadium last night and catch the Southlake Carroll
Dragons still groggy from the emotional high of their impressive win over Denton
Guyer last week.
No chance. Instead, the Bobcats, winless
in District 5-6A and 0-6 for the season, ran into a buzzsaw. The Dragons seized
control of the game on their first drive, scored at will and never allowed
Byron Nelson within 30 yards of the goal line – save for a drive that ended at
the Dragon 15 to close the half.
It was the Dragons’ first shutout of the
season, and head coach Riley Dodge contemplated the result after the game and
declared himself satisfied.
“It nice to see a goose-egg on the
scoreboard,” said Dodge, who turns an ancient 31 today. “It’s been a while
since we’ve seen that.”
Mickens is back
Carroll’s defense saw the return to action
of R.J. Mickens, who has been sidelined since the first of the season with a
foot injury. Clemson commit Mickens, a double-threat at safety and receiver, also
returned kickoffs last night.
And while he didn’t demonstrate the
explosiveness of which he’s capable with the ball in hands, his presence had a definitive
impact on his defensive teammates.
“It was great to have him back,” said
cornerback Dylan Thomas, who had a great night. “He’s a ball hawk, and when he’s
around, we’ll all better.”
The Dragons confronted the hapless Bobcats
with a balanced offensive attack. They accounted for 537 total yards, roughly
double the total for Byron Nelson.
Sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers continues
to excel. He completed 82 percent of his passes (23 of 28), racking up 289
yards in the air and making three TD throws, all to senior Wills Meyer (10 for
197 yards).
Ewers played almost the entire game,
despite the lopsided scored, apparently to give him all the experience he can get
as the Dragons march inevitably toward the playoffs. (They already have all but
guaranteed themselves a consecutive District 5-6A title.) Last night was only Ewers’
sixth varsity game.
Cementing into No. 1
Freshman phenom Owen Allen, another member
of the Dragon youth movement, shined bright last night as he continues to cement
himself into the role of No. 1 rusher for Carroll. He scored three times, carrying
13 times for 113 yards.
Allen, elevated from the freshman squad when
injuries felled RBs Kannon Kadi and Cade Wood, made the most of the opportunity
and has impressed his coaches – and Dragon fans – with his hard-running style
and effectiveness up the middle.
Wood has returned but now plays a
supporting role at rusher. Also giving the hard-working Allen some rest last
night were several Dragon receivers, who used their speed to whip around the
edges on several plays.
A key to the dynamic success of the
Carroll offense is its powerful, hard-charging front line. The O-line Big Guys kept
Bobcat defenders reeling backward all night long, opening lanes for Allen and
giving Ewers plenty of time to find his receivers.
His
favorite target was Meyer, but four other receivers caught in double digits: John
Manero (5-32), Kasen Loveless (2-20); Brady Boyd (2-16) and Jake Baldwin (2-12).
It will be a short week for the Dragons. They
travel to Keller on Thursday to meet Keller Fossil Ridge in ramshackle Keller
ISD Athletic Complex.
Dismal and dark
That stadium, a dimly lit embarrassment that
four Keller teams must share, is my least favorite place to watch a game in the
Metroplex. Its visitors’ side is disgraceful, with seats located too far from
the field to get a decent view of anything.
And playing on Thursday nights – necessitated
by Keller ISD voters’ refusal to greenlight another stadium for their
multiplying high schools – well, that just ain’t natural.
The Panthers are 1-5 for the season,
falling to Keller Central last night 13-10. Their only win so far has been
against hopeless Byron Nelson, so it could be another slaughter of the
innocents when the fired-up Dragons show up. Let’s hope so.
Go Dragons!
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