UIL realignment 2020: Hello, again

Weary resignation

The University Interscholastic League announced its district realignments for this season and next, and its decisions have been met with a loud and sharp, “WTF?!?”

Except in Southlake, where fans of the Carroll Dragons greeted with weary resignation news that they will remain in the same district as the Keller and Northwest ISD 6A schools.

Here are the headlines:

n  Allen, for the first time ever, will no longer be district mates with the Plano schools, ending up instead in District 5-6A with Denton Guyer and the McKinney schools. That’s right, Guyer and Carroll no longer will be in the same district, ending for the time being a budding – and increasingly bitter – football rivalry.

n  District 11-6A immediately has been dubbed the “District of Doom” in recognition of the fact that it now is home to Duncanville, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Mansfield and Waco Midway, a murderer’s row if ever there was one in high school football. There’s probably no tougher district in the country.

n  Euless Trinity was placed in District 3-6A with Fort Worth's 6A schools and Haltom City, almost assuring it a district championship and first seed in the playoffs.

n  The old West Texas district nicknamed “the little Southwest Conference” in the 1960s and ’70s has been recreated by grouping Abilene, the Midland and Odessa schools and San Angelo Central in District 2-6A. Sadly, it’ll be a powerhouse in memory only.

n  In the smaller-school category, Highland Park and Longview will play “this district ain’t big enough for both of us” in 7-5A. This year, the Scotties will have to fight for what they consider to be a birthright – a district championship.

District realignments always are controversial. The separation of mammoth Allen from the mega-schools in Plano drew particular fire. Allen, at 6,000-plus students, will be playing against schools in the 2,200- to 2,600 enrollment category. That’s a mismatch by anybody’s standards.

But the UIL decided against forming a supersize 7A school category in which to dump Allen and some of the other schools whose enrollments either top or near 3,000. So far, logistical considerations have nixed that idea since it would force 7A schools to travel long distances to compete and still not completely solve the inequity problem.

For Dragon Nation, the realignment means all things new are old again. Familiar foes fill 3-6A, and none should pose a particular problem for the Dragons, who return this fall with an impressive offensive arsenal. The only team that might have offered the Dragons a chance to sharpen their claws for the playoffs, the Denton Guyer Wildcats, now must confront the behemoth of the north – the Eagles of Allen.

Carroll will have to settle for using its four pre-district games to test its mettle and hone its skills. And several weeks ago, it took the first step in doing just that.

At the urging of the UIL, which is celebrating the 100^th anniversary of high school football this year, Southlake Carroll and Austin Westlake, reigning Division II state champion, agreed to meet in Jerry's World for the first game of the 2020 season.

Folks are calling it the Dodge Bowl – and why not? Dragon head coach Riley Dodge, a state championship quarterback for Carroll in 2006, will face off against the head coach of the Westlake Chaparrals, who just happens to be his father, the legendary Todd Dodge. He won four state titles at Southlake, including the 2006 game starring his son.

Hollywood couldn’t write it any better than that, wouldn’t you agree?

The hype surrounding this game will be intense and probably a little ridiculous. Fair warning: I intend to be an enthusiastic participant.

The state champs should be favored, but don’t count out the Dragons too quickly.

As a sophomore, returning Carroll quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for more than 4,000 yards and 45 touchdowns last season. Ewers, named by MaxPreps as 2019 National Sophomore of the Year, led the Dragons four rounds deep into the playoffs, engineering a breathtaking 4^th-quarter rally in the quarterfinals against Duncanville before the Dragons fell to the Panthers 49-35.

 Now a seasoned junior, he has potent weapons to employ against the Chaps.

Sophomore Owen Allen, who turned 15 during the 2019 season, returns as running back. Named by MaxPreps to first-team offense of the 2019 Freshman All-American Team, Allen rushed for more than 1,250 yards and 23 TDs last year. He rolled up 100-yard games in seven of his last nine games, including 115 yards and two scores against Duncanville.

 Senior Brady Boyd will form the nucleus of a replenished receiving corps, an aspect of the Dragon game sorely neglected in recent years, but enjoying a new rebirth under Riley Dodge.

And what about the head coach, now in his third year as head of Southlake’s storied football program? Well, his teams enjoy a 26-2 record under his leadership and have reached the quarterfinals twice.

He’s built a strong and confident coaching staff, is adored by his players and respected by the Southlake community, known to be demanding and a little fickle with its favors.

And Riley learned his trade at the knee of one of the best. The Southlake-Westlake match has all the earmarks of a classic.

Alas, the remainder of the regular season looks rather anticlimactic by contrast. Of course, this being high school football, you never know what to expect. So while I might wish there were a little more meat on the District 3-6A bone on which the Dragons can feast as they march to the playoffs, we will have to take what’s given us and be satisfied.

Go Dragons!