Next man up
When
word began to circulate in Dragon football circles this week that Southlake
Carroll’s five-star quarterback, Quinn Ewers, would be sidelined by an undisclosed
injury for the next several games, many of us wondered how that would affect
what we had expected would a waltz through District 4-6A.
We
got the answer last night when the next man up, senior Hunter Holden, stepped into
Ewers’ cleats and took full advantage of his moment in the bright lights of
Friday night.
Under
Holden’s calm and steady stewardship, the Dragons made short work of the Keller
Central Chargers, taking gleeful advantage of Charger missteps and extending
their district record to 3-0.
Hand in glove
Holden
eased into the quarterback position like a hand into a well-fitted glove,
completing 6 of 11 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns, including a 67-yard
scoring strike that hit RJ Maryland in mid-stride and propelled Carroll to a
three-TD lead it never surrendered.
In
addition to Maryland, Holden sent scoring missiles to receiving leader Landon
Samson (3-71) and Jake Whillock.
With
Holden controlling the aerial attack, sophomore running back Owen Allen looked
after things on the ground, rushing for 156 yards and three TDs, including an electrifying
58-yard romp he made after Dragon defender Avyonne Jones intercepted a pass
from Charger quarterback Landon Walker. On the very next play, Allen burst
through the Charger line and sprinted untouched to the end zone.
Carroll’s
young defense continued to struggle, allowing the Chargers to amass 419 yards
in total offense, compared to the Dragons’ 373. Walker also outpaced Holden,
completing 11 of 17 passes for 210 yards and two TDs. But he also threw two
interceptions, both of which the Dragons converted into scores.
The march through district continues.
The second Walker misfire came with 6 minutes left in the first half when cornerback Max Reyes enveloped the ball, then gazed at a 61-yard expanse of unguarded turf before darting unmolested to the goal line.
Central
would turn the ball over a third time, when Charger Euisol Jung coughed it up and Carroll’s Logan Anderson fell on it. The Dragons went on to
score their fifth TD as a result.
A different game
Without
the turnovers, it might have been a different game. But you have to credit the
beleaguered Dragon defense for being opportunistic – keeping the worthy Walker
off balance while giving the offense scoring chances it didn’t waste.
By
the time Central could get its offense up and running, the Dragons held a 20-0
lead and were thinking about post-game Mexican food.
Once
Carroll’s attack squad began replacing starters, sophomore quarterback Kaden
Anderson, 3 for 4 for 39 yards and 1 TD, soon made a late-game appearance. The
youngster, who presumably will be Ewers’ backup next year, look comfortable
behind center and gained valuable game-time experience.
As
for Ewers, Dragon head coach Riley Dodge was tight-lipped about the nature of
his star player’s injury or how long he might be benched.
“We want to keep him fresh for the
playoffs,” Dodge told The Dallas Morning News. “He may be out for a
couple of weeks, but I can't really say.”
Rest and heal
Given the nature of competition in District 4-6A,
Ewers’ services probably won’t be needed to keep the Dragons on course for the
district championship and a first seed in the playoffs. So it makes sense to
let him rest and heal, much as we’ll miss his on-field heroics.
Interestingly, Carroll
received word this week that Ewers has been named to the Under Armor Future 50
roster, which is a precursor to the All-America game that honors the top high
school football players in the nation. It was another reminder – as if we
needed one – that Ewers is something special. Dragon fans, who sometimes have
trouble agreeing on the time of day, are united in their hopes and prayers that
his recovery is swift and complete.
At the same time, star kicker Joe McFadden was
selected to take part in the Army All-American Bowl. Unfortunately, the game has
been canceled because of, you guessed it, COVID concerns. But the honor is real
– and most deserved.
Prayers that the remainder of the season continues uninterrupted
Fortunately, the Dragons have a bye next week in this strange, COVID-marred season. If all goes as planned, they'll host Trophy Club's V.R. Eaton Eagles the following week. But nothing much has gone as planned this year so who knows what will happen.
Any more cancelled games because of COVID outbreaks
on the squads will be hard to make up, and since it’s district games for the
rest of the way, how would that impact the district race?
And what about the playoffs? A cancellation
during the six-week playoff period could blow up the whole shebang. Tellingly, all
this is taking place during a time when COVID cases are exploding in Texas and
throughout the country.
The uncertainties are so plentiful that it makes
my head hurt just thinking about them. Best to take it one game at a time and
hope for the best.
The upcoming game against Eaton – if it happens –
could be a tasty one. The Eagles are having the best season in the program’s
history. They’re also 3-0 in district play, and the game on Nov. 20 probably
will determine the winner of District 4-6A.
The road ahead
Dragon fans already are speculating about the
playoffs. Under normal circumstances, we would already be at their threshold. But the UIL delayed the start of the season for 6A schools, and for them,
the playoffs won’t begin until mid-December.
As in recent years, Carroll almost certainly will
end up in 6A’s Division I, the big-school grouping where competition is most
formidable and the road to a championship most rocky.
In the first round, the Dragons will face the
Division I second seed in District 3-6A if they emerge as 4-6A champs. And
honestly, I have no idea who that is likely to be. But Carroll’s second-round
opponent probably will be Euless Trinity, which as expected is dominating 3-6A.
Beyond that, the arcane intricacies of the UIL’s
playoff system overwhelm me as I attempt to pierce the mist-shrouded future.
But I’ll try to make some sense of it all in a future post – at least as it
pertains to the Carroll Dragons.
That is, if I can convince some of the high
priests of Texas high school football who possess that byzantine knowledge to
share it with mortal men.
Until then, stay safe and go Dragons!
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