Rampaging offense, opportunistic defense
SOUTHLAKE – Pity the poor fans of the Byron Nelson Bobcats.
For the second straight week, they have watched helplessly
as their team has lost in widely divergent – but equally horrific – ways.
Last week, the Bobcats dropped a heartbreaker to McKinney
Boyd in a freaky twist of fate.
Trailing 26-20 in the final minutes of the game, the
Bobcats desperately fought their way to the end zone to tie things up. But on the
winning point-after attempt, Nelson coughed up the ball, which a Boyd defender grabbed and returned 70 yards for 2 points. Boyd wins 28-26.
Then last night, the Nelson faithful sat in numb disbelief
as their team disintegrated into complete disarray, shamefully falling 68-7
before a rampaging Southlake Carroll offense and a greedily opportunistic
defense.
Two games. Two heart-twisting defeats. Sometimes life can be
cruel under the glare of Friday Night Lights.
Resounding roar
For Dragon fans, the circumstances couldn’t be more
different. Carroll entered district play with a resounding roar, extending its
winning streak to five straight. It now is ranked No. 1 among area teams by The
Dallas Morning News, No. 2 in the state by MaxPreps and No. 3 by The
Associated Press.
The Dragon defense continues to collect accolades and win
games. Last night, the Dragon secondary ravaged the Nelson air attack, intercepting
Bobcat quarterback Jacob Wilson five times, twice on throws into the end zone
that could have been touchdowns.
Five separate defensive backs feasted on the normally
reliable Wilson. In fact, he ended the night with respectable numbers – completing 23 of 41
throws for 244 yards and the Bobcats’ only score – if you discount the
mistakes.
But that’s a mighty big “if.”
Four out of five of the Wilson missteps resulted in Carroll
scores. The exception occurred after defensive star Avyonne Jones grabbed a
Bobcat pass in the end zone and set Carroll up for business on its 20. Two plays
later, Dragon quarterback Kaden Anderson crashed through the line and was
fighting for yardage when the ball popped loose. Nelson recovered.
The ensuing Bobcat drive stalled at the 18, and Nelson attempted
a 35-yard field goal, but a Dragon defender got a hand on the ball at the line
of scrimmage.
DBs Aaron Scherp, Logan Anderson and Sloan Miller also
snatched errant Wilson throws. And backup corner Logan Lowandowski snared yet
another one in the end zone and returned it to midfield. Two plays later,
sophomore running back James Lehman exploded 34 yards up the middle to hand
Carroll its penultimate touchdown and a 55-6 lead.
Scoring at will
The Dragon offense manhandled the Nelson defense with ease, scoring on 9 of its first 10
possessions before its starters left the field. Junior standout RB Owen Allen, who
rushed for the Dragons’ first four TDs, and sure-handed WR Landon Samson, who
caught three Anderson TD passes, led the slaughter.
Allen, who now has rushed for at least two touchdowns in eight
straight games, finished the night with 16 carries and 146 yards. Leading the way, Allen's inspired offensive line shredded the Bobcat defense, allowing him to barrel repeatedly
up the middle in averaging more than 9 yards a carry.
Samson, who missed the third game of the season because of injury and who was neutralized by Arlington Martin last week, returned to his old habits last night. He caught eight passes for 131 yards, including TD throws of 37, 38 and 20 yards.
Dragon starters were ordered to the sideline by the end of the 3rd period. Head coach Riley Dodge said one of the most satisfying
aspects of last night’s game was the opportunity it afforded Carroll backup
players to have a few moments in the spotlight.
“They’ve earned the right to be there,” he told Dragon
Radio.
As a result, Dragons fans got a taste of what the future
holds, as revealed in a series that unfolded long after the outcome had been decided.
After a Sloan Miller interception gave Carroll the ball at
the Bobcat 36, sophomore RB Maddux Reid, a speedster with a low center of
gravity, darted 19 yards to the 17, then another 5 to the 13 and 8 more to the
5.
And on the first play of the 4th, sophomore
quarterback Caden Jackson, who showed poise and good judgment when he stepped
in for Anderson, bolted in for the score. Jackson ended the night with 55
rushing yards on 4 attempts.
No shootout
It sounds ridiculous now, but in the first few minutes, it
looked like it might be a shootout between the Dragons and Bobcats.
Carroll scored first on an efficient 6-play, 76-yard drive highlighted by a clutch 51-yard reception by Lehman on third down. Anderson, who
ended the night with 244 passing and 66 rushing yards, pushed for another 11 yards
before handing things over to Allen, who scored two plays later.
Byron Nelson responded immediately, staging an 8-play,
75-yard drive than ended in a 25-yard TD pass from Wilson to Gavin McCurley,
Nelson’s leading receiver with 93 yards from 7 catches.
On the following kickoff, Lehman collected the ball at the goal line
and skittered around grasping defenders to the Bobcat 42. From there, Allen,
aided by a 9-yard pass to Samson on a 4th-and-6, powered the drive across the goal line. That
gave the Dragons a 14-7 lead with 3½ minutes to play. They never looked back.
It’s always good to begin
district matchups with a big splash. The Dragons' entry into District 4-6A
play looked more in the nature of a tsunami.
But a better test may come next week, when the Dragons travel to ramshackle KISD Athletic Complex to confront the ascendant Keller Indians.
It will be your classic battle of the unbeatens. The 5-0
Indians, who obliterated Keller Central last night 41-7, are enjoying their
best start since 1967, when they won their first 11 games and ended the season
11-1.
Mostly hapless
They’ve been mostly hapless since then, but this is the kind
of game that makes coaches nervous. Most observers would agree that Carroll is
the superior team – on paper and in practice. Before the season, most experts
had predicted Haslett Eaton, not the Indians, would be the biggest challenge to
a repeat district championship for Carroll.
The DMN pointed out in its game story that Carroll has never
been defeated in district play (21-0) in the four years Dodge has been head
coach. That’s an interesting statistic. But it’s basically meaningless.
The real determination always comes on the field. And part
of what makes high school football fascinating is the role that intangibles
like spirit, discipline, momentum and youthful exuberance can play on outcomes.
But the Dragons have positioned themselves well for the road ahead.
In an interview with DMN writer Randy Jennings last night, the young Allen gave his perspective of the importance of the evening's entertainment.
"This is a statement game for the rest of the district," he said.
Go Dragons!
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