He’s back!
(Information has been added to this account that wasn't available when it originally was posted.)
The secrecy surrounding the health and playing status of
Quinn Ewers, the most coveted high school junior quarterback in the nation, was
lifted yesterday when the youngster led the Southlake Carroll Dragons onto the
field at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
Ewers had been out since Oct. 30 when he suffered a sports
hernia injury during the Keller game. Only people within the program were aware
that he underwent surgery to repair the damage. The nuclear launch codes were
better known than his condition and the date at which he might return.
But return he did and what a homecoming. His performance
last night against the potent Arlington Martin Warriors helped propel the
Dragons into the Regional Final Round of the playoffs for the fourth straight
year. It’s the eighth time in the last decade they have reached the fourth
round, a fact supplied by The Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt in his
excellent game story.
Admittedly, Ewers exhibited a few flecks of rust and a certain fragility against the Warriors. After all, a 55 percent pass
completion rate is a little low for the five-star phenom. And there was that awkward slide on one of the few attempts he made to run. That said, Ewers’ 20 of 36
for 251 yards and three touchdowns demonstrated he’s ready to pick up where he left off two months ago.
Pick your poison
And just in time, too. The Dragon 30-26 victory over the
Warriors means they face the winner of today’s match between the Allen Eagles
and the Euless Trinity Trojans. My money is on the Eagles in that one, but the
Trojans are having a stellar year, so who knows? For Carroll, it’s pick your
poison.
After all, nothing is easy in the fourth round. Although, frankly,
it wasn’t exactly a snap to survive yesterday’s regional semi-finals yesterday.
Landon Samson evades a Warrior.
Ewers started hot last night, completing 6 of his first 8
passes. He threw a 26-yard TD pass to Landon Samson (10 catches for 169 yards,
2 TDs) and followed it later with a 8-yard toss to Brady Boyd (9-78, 1 TD),
providing the Dragons a thin first-quarter cushion that would prove necessary.
Because despite Ewers’ heroics, the Dragons had their hands
full with the Warriors, whose powerful running game, led by RB Javian Toviano (12 carries for 107 yards and 1 TD), damned near carried the day.
Last moment
The Carroll win wasn’t secure until the last 10 seconds of
the game. That’s when Warrior quarterback Zach Mundell, facing a desperate 4th
and 7 at the Dragon 20, lofted a pass to a receiver at the goal line. At the
last possible moment, Dragon defensive back Logan Anderson, a sophomore,
slapped the ball away. The Carroll sideline erupted in pandemonium.
Penalties played a role in the Dragon victory. Martin saw
several promising drives slowed and sometimes stopped altogether by the rain of
yellow flags that cost the Warriors 168 hard-fought yards.
Truthfully, the refs could have thrown a lot more -- and probably should have. The Warriors, while immensely talented, showed a wild lack of discipline and no class in defeat. You can lay most of the blame for that at head coach Bob Wager's feet.
The Martin teams he has sent against the Dragons in the past always have been mouthy and played dirty. Last night was no exception, particularly in the second half, when the Dragons choked off Warrior comeback efforts.
Late hits and post-play chatter don't win games, however. Not when you face a stubborn Dragon defense
that stopped the Warriors when it mattered. It stepped up big in the decisive 2nd
half, when Martin directed immense pressure on Ewers and bottled up
hard-charging Owen Allen, who was limited to only 70 rushing yards. Senior Parker
Schnieders broke up a certain Warrior touchdown when he batted away a Mundell
pass in the end zone.
Head coach Riley Dodge, who has guided his team into the
quarterfinals every year since he was hired, praised his defensive squad.
“We started this season with 11
new starters from the year before that took us to the state quarterfinals,”
Dodge told DMN’s Hoyt. “And now we’re back in the quarterfinals … They’ve gotten better each week, and I’m super proud of the way they responded at
the end of the game.”
Punch for punch
The two teams traded punch for punch in the second half.
After Martin senior Lenard Lemons returned a kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown,
giving the Warriors a 26-20 lead, the Dragons responded immediately. One play
later, Ewers threw a TD pass to Samson, the receiver’s second of
the night.
Samson reaches for a TD pass.
The Dragons clung to that razor-thin 27-26 lead until kicker
Joe McFadden booted a three-pointer, his 3rd of the night, midway
through the 4th.
It's worth noting, now that Ewers is back, that Carroll enjoyed the luxury of waiting until their superstar quarterback
healed. His backup, the worthy Hunter Holden, performed exceedingly well in his
caretaker role. He kept the Southlake offense operating smoothly and has contributed greatly to Dragon success during this
strange, COVID-impacted season.
As for Ewers, he’s back and eager for the road ahead. In a
Tweet after the game, he said the crushing pressure Martin directed at him in
the second half, which resulted in at least one roughing the passer call, only added
“fuel to the fire, baby.”
He told The DMN: “Being back just feels amazing, and
it feels so good to be back on this field with pads and a helmet and a football
in my hand.”
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