Massacre of Buffalos: Southlake Carroll 62, Haltom 0

 

Plenty of drama remained left last night after the glamour guys took a seat.
When the working stiffs shine

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS – You could make a persuasive case that the high points of the mismatch last night between Southlake Carroll and Haltom came after Carroll’s starters had retired to the sidelines for a well-deserved rest.

Up until that point, the natural excitement usually associated with Friday night football had been muted by the scope and the scale of the beatdown administered to the Buffalos (0-5, 0-2 in District 4-6A) by the rampaging Dragons.

Since the opening kickoff, Carroll (5-0, 2-0 in 4-6A) had methodically and dispassionately skinned the helpless Buffalos – much like the buffalo hunters in the 1870s decimated the bison herds of the Great Plains.

The Dragons scored on their first nine possessions, rolling up 608 total yards to the Buffs paltry 160. Quarterback Kaden Anderson connected with 8 different receivers in completing 13 of 16 attempts for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Running rampant

James Lehman, who ran in tandem with rusher supremo Owen Allen, rumbled for 2 TDs and caught a 27-yard strike from Anderson for a third. (Leading receiver Jacob Jordan accounted for Anderson’s other TD, a 39-yard missile capping a 70-yard drive.) Despite the reps assigned to Lehman, Allen still rolled to 108 yards on 16 runs and scored a TD.

Meanwhile, the Dragon D harassed, pursued and pummeled Haltom quarterback Ashton Moore, intercepting him once and holding him to 130 passing yards. His runners struggled to eke out an embarrassing 30 yards. Moore compiled -13 yards for his attempts to run the  ball himself.

Twice, Moore managed to lead his team deep into Dragon territory, but Carroll’s defensive unit quickly ended the threats by unceremoniously sacking him.

In other words, it was business as usual, just another day at the office for the masters of District 4-6A: an efficient and thorough thrashing by Carroll’s rampaging offense and strangling defense.

Ho-hum. Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.

Except there was. There was plenty to see for those of us who stuck around after Carroll's glamour guys surrendered the field and the working stiffs of the action squad took over. Because the backups had their moments last night. Oh, boy, did they.

One special moment came at the beginning of the second half when senior running back Todd Mallory replaced Allen and Lehman.

Tough as nails

Mallory – a tough-as-nails runner who plays with the ferocity of a hungry cougar – has seen plenty of action so far this season. But because he runs behind a backup O- line, he’s had limited opportunities to shine. And he comes into games when the end result is no longer in doubt and the game plan is to end the bloodshed with no further injuries.

But when the backups take over, you can’t expect them to operate at anything other than maximum effort. They want to score touchdowns and shut down offenses. And last night, they did just that.

Behind Mallory’s bruising running and backup quarterback Graham Knowles’ passing, Carroll, already leading 35-0, moved steadily downfield. A 12-yard pass from Knowles (7-11, 108 yards) to Caden Jackson brought the Dragons to the Haltom 2. Mallory took the handoff and burst across the line for the first varsity touchdown of his high school career.

He was immediately surrounded by his offensive line, who hugged him and pounded him on the back. When he reached the sideline, his other teammates repeated the drill. The delight of his entire team was apparent even from the stands.

After the game, head coach Riley Dodge was equally pleased, praising Mallory for his intelligence, his hard work and his dedication.

In a postgame interview, a laconic Mallory was asked how it felt to score his first varsity touchdown.

Without elaboration

“It felt great,” he said without elaboration. Urged by radio announcer Chuck Kelly to provide details, Mallory paused a moment, then added reluctantly, “I got the ball, saw there was only one guy between me and the endzone. So I lowered my shoulder and went in.”

A couple of serious challenges face the Dragons as they chase another district title.
A man of action, not of words, Mallory must have liked the attention because he tacked on a second TD later in the game.

That scoring run came after another one of those high points I mentioned. The Dragons faced an impossible 4^th and 18 at the Haltom 29. In normal times, they’d have settled for a Tyler White field goal. But not on the first play of a 4^th quarter when they already led 49-0. So Knowles lofted a high arching prayer to receiver Evan Watts inside the 5-yard line.

Both Watts and a Buff defender watched and waited as the ball descended. At the last moment, Watts lost his footing and toppled backwards. The Buffalo defender, still on his feet, reached for the ball, but bobbled it, exhausting its speed and altering its trajectory. It dropped on top of Watts, flat on his back, and he seized it with the fervor of a drowning man reaching for a life buoy.

After a moment of stunned silence, the Carroll side of the Birdville Fine Arts/Athletic Complex exploded in glee. Who says there’s no drama in a blowout? On the next play, Mallory added the cherry on top of the sundae with a 3-yard TD plunge.

But that wasn’t the end of the show. The Dragon D, now in the hands of kids who rarely get to see action under Friday night lights, handed a final indignity to Haltom’s overwhelmed quarterback.

After Mallory’s second TD pushed the score to a ridiculous 55-0, Moore dragged his dispirited troops to their own 38, then sent a pass spiraling downfield. Dragon junior defensive back Zach Engelhardt intercepted it and carried it to the Buff 46.

Dazzling run

Then Parker Thompson, the third Dragon quarterback to take the field, staged a dazzling 38-yard run to the Haltom 8. We don’t see much of this kid, but he’s a gamer. On the next play, Thompson flashed through the line for the Dragons’ final score and perhaps a team record. Before joining Anderson on the sideline, Knowles had zipped a 16-yard TD pass to Jack Van Dorselear. How many times have three Dragon quarterbacks scored in a single game?

Last night saw the second shut out by the Dragon defense in as many weeks. It has toughened quickly into a solid unit approaching elite status. How good can these kids be? That’s hard to say since they've yet to be seriously challenged offensively.

For instance, a chill ran through me when the Buffs’ Moore managed on separate plays to connect with receivers Jaylon Mason and Jeramiah Sanders for passes of 52 and 39 yards, respectively. Neither drive ultimately amounted to anything. But as a friend of mine who is an authority on high school football pointed out, those kind of lapses in the Dragon secondary can be exploited by the juggernauts waiting for the Dragons in the playoffs.

Thus far, District 4-6A hasn’t been much of a proving ground, although that could change before the dust settles and a district champion emerges. Upcoming matchups with 4-6A opponents Keller and Byron Nelson could offer proof of the pudding, regarding both Carroll’s defense and its heralded offense, which is cruising along like a souped-up Chevy Malibu. (Yes, kiddies, that used to be a thing.)

Carroll gets a bye this week, time to rest, recuperate and refine. Then it faces the first of the tough 4-6A nuts it must crack – the Keller Indians at Dragon Stadium on Oct. 7. The 4-0 Indians meet Keller Central (1-3) tonight and should be able to handle the Chargers without too much trouble.

Challenges ahead

The Dragons are another matter entirely. With a bye week to prepare, I like Carroll to spoil the Indians’ unsullied run.

Byron Nelson, now 5-0, 2-0 in 4-6A, would dearly love to be a Dragon slayer when it arrives in Dragon Stadium on Oct. 28. It is scary good this year.

The Bobcats humiliated Denton Braswell 79-20 earlier in the season. And they obliterated Keller Timber Creek 69-2 last night. As you recall, the Falcons were the team Carroll whipped 51-0 just last week.

“I guess that means Byron Nelson is better than we are,” my friend joked last night as we walked to our cars.

“I don’t think I’m ready to accept your algorithm on this,” I replied with a grin.

But Byron Nelson is no joke, and chances are that the Oct. 28 matchup, the ninth game of the Dragons’ regular season, will be a battle for the 4-6A title. What a delicious prospect.

The bye week will give this Dragon fan an opportunity to complete Halloween decorations. The kids are grown, but Marice and I still enjoy putting up ghosts and goblins around Gunnels Manse. We're a bit daft, but it keeps us young.

Speaking of spooky, perhaps Haltom was trying to get a jump on the holiday when it attired the Buffalos in brilliant orange jerseys and pants. It reportedly was the first time they had ever appeared in such startling splendor. If they hoped to distract, distress or discombobulate the Dragons – alas, they were, oh, so very mistaken.

Happy bye week and … Go, Dragons!

The Dragons' two most important district games will take place in lovely Dragon Stadium.

Starting with a bang: Southlake Carroll 51, Keller Timber Creek 0

 

Southlake celebrates its 8th Lone Star Cup, the ultimate recognition of excellence by the UIL.

A decidedly emphatic win

SOUTHLAKE – Southlake Carroll entered the District 4-6A race with a bang last night. Make that several bangs. A plethora of bangs, in fact.

The overmatched Keller Timber Creek Falcons fled Dragon Stadium with shredded wings and tails full of buckshot, administered – figuratively speaking, of course – with the remorseless precision of a hunter on the first day of dove season.

How bad was the slaughter? Bad. Plenty bad.

Timber Creek managed only 29 yards of total offense. The two quarterbacks it sent into the grinder combined to lose a total of 70 yards on the ground, mostly by being dragged down behind the line as they pursued errant snaps.  In the air, their feeble attempts to reach their bedraggled receiving corps were batted disdainfully away.

The Dragon defense – which has been scary good in the first four games of the season – revealed itself last night as a steely-eyed, black-souled pack of assassins who very well could help carry Carroll to its much-desired and long-delayed ninth state championship.

Carroll defenders harassed Falcon quarterbacks Lior-jire Mendji and Anderson Lewis all night, forcing two fumbles by Mendji in the first three minutes of the game. Later came a Mendji interception and a couple of blocked punts. Folks, the Big Guys put on quite a show.

Fumbling around

Disaster unfolded early and progressed quickly for the Falcons. The first fumble, recovered by senior linebacker Jack Petkus, set up a 7-yard TD sprint by runner extraordinaire Owen Allen that initiated Dragon scoring.

A Homecoming photo from the recent past. Things haven't changed.
Mendji managed to fall on the second – which occurred after a bad snap on the second play of the very next drive. Unfortunately, he was in his own endzone when he did it.

Before you knew it, as Dragon fans settled into their seats after tearing themselves away from their Homecoming tailgating, Carroll led 9-0.

Senior lineman Cade Parks was his usual disruptive self, a danger to Falcon runners and blockers alike. Linebackers Aaron Scherp and Logan Lewandowski covered Timber Creek receivers like custom-made suits.

Even when things looked up for Timber Creek, the Dragons quickly snuffed out hope.

After the Falcons blocked a Carroll punt and set up shop on the Dragon 21, Scherp was the one who spoiled the party. The junior snagged a Mendji pass and bullied his way to the 31. Quarterback Kaden Anderson flipped a 9-yard pass to Caden Jackson and then handed the ball to Allen.

Allen charged through the line and shook off several tacklers. He looked certain to fall, but nimble as a cat, he recovered at last moment. He sprang into the secondary and turned on the speed. At the 20, he was met by 2 – or perhaps it was 3 – Falcon defenders. He wouldn’t get away this time. Or would he? Allen staggered, started to tilt and then pulled a spin move as slick as any Olympic skater. He sped unchallenged to the endzone.

Like most Dragon starters, Allen only played the first half. He still managed to gain 80 yards and 3 touchdowns on only 5 carries. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. It’s a privilege to watch this young man play football.

Turning over the shop

Anderson completed 11 of 14 passes for 149 yards and 2 TDs before he turned the shop over to junior Graham Knowles. Knowles played for most of the 2nd half, completing 9 of 14 passes for 136 yards, including a 16-yard pass at the end of the 3rd quarter to junior receiver Trey Ferri (6-52) to ring up Carroll’s final score.

Knowles and Ferri could get plenty of playing time this season, particularly if the Dragons continue to bash opponents in the same fashion they blew up the hapless Falcons. That could translate into another solid offensive core next season.

As usual, Anderson’s favorite receiver was junior receiver Jacob Jordan, who caught four passes for 81 yards and 2 TDs.

His first came in the initial period when he snatched a 42-yard Anderson pass. He set up the second when he fielded a Falcon punt and carried it to the Timber Creek 14. A procedure penalty sent the Dragons back to the 19, and a pass to Ferri cost Carroll another yard. Undaunted, Anderson found Jordan at the 1, and the receiver bulldozed his way over the line.

Now leading 16-0, the Dragons saw nothing but clear skies free of Falcons for the rest of the contest.

Three important things happened last night.

First, Carroll won its opening district game, staging the kind of soul-ripping, spirit-draining, brain-freezing takedown that should send shivers up the spines of its District 4-6A brethren.

Right now, the second-best teams in 4-6A appear to be the Keller Indians, 4-0 for the season and 1-0 in district, and the Byron Nelson Bobcats, also 4-0, 1-0. Keller defeated Haslet Eaton 35-28 last night, and the Bobcats smashed Keller Fossil Ridge 55-15.

The Dragons play the Indians on Oct. 7 in Dragon Stadium, but they’ll have a bye week to prepare for the upstarts. They face Byron Nelson on Oct. 28, also at home. If Carroll continues on its current trajectory, it could be a truly fearsome obstacle for both teams.

Second, the Dragons officially were presented with their 8th Lone Star Cup, the award given by the University Interscholastic League to the most successful program across all UIL competitive events.

In many ways, winning the cup is the ultimate honor for a school. It represents the comprehensive success of a school and its devotion to academic and athletic excellence, not just proficiency in any given event or sport.

It was an inspiring and emotional sight at halftime to see the hundreds of Carroll students who competed in UIL events gather to be recognized in the center of the outline of Texas formed by the Dragon Marching Band.

And third, it was Homecoming for the Dragons, and they observed it in the time-honored way by thrashing their opponent.

Homecoming games often are blowouts. Although coaches deny it, everyone knows they schedule patsies for Homecoming to make sure an untimely defeat doesn’t spoil the celebration.

 Last night was no exception. The mismatch eventually became tedious to watch, particularly during the hard slog through the final period. Even the Timber Creek band appeared ready to call it a day when it launched into “Hey, Baby” late in the 4th.

Considering the number of times these teams have played each other, it’s hard to imagine Timber Creek’s band director doesn’t know that Carroll always plays that tune in the waning moments of a Dragon victory. It’s one of the traditions we’re so insistent on protecting.

Rude and tasteless

For the Falcon musicians to play it – in Dragon Stadium no less – at that point in the game seemed rude and tasteless. But I won't launch into another band rant lest you think I’ve got a complex or something.

Besides, no harm done. Timber Creek’s presumptions didn’t deter the Carroll band one iota. While its rival’s version still was echoing around the stadium, it provided the authentic article for the die-hard Dragon fans who still languished in the stands.

Homecoming means mums, of course, and in Southlake they frequently are big (very) and ostentatious (wildly).

At halftime, one young woman visited her parents sitting a couple of rows below me. She was hot and sweaty and had long since shed her mum – seven large white mums and a teddy bear mounted on stiff cardboard the size of a trashcan lid. It now was slung over her shoulder like a knapsack -- a classic example that there can be too much of a good thing.

Speaking of Homecoming, Carroll head coach Riley Dodge told a funny story on himself on Dragon Radio last night. Play-by-play man Chuck Kelly asked Dodge if he had given his wife a mum for the occasion.

Dodge laughed and said no, and then related his first encounter with the mum tradition as a youngster at Carroll High.

“I didn’t know anything about it, really,” he said. “In fact, I was so clueless that I got my freshman girlfriend a boutonniere instead of a real mum.

“That didn’t go over well, at all. Not at all. It wasn’t a great move by the young Riley. I never did that again. Lesson learned.”

 What’s next

On Thursday, the 4-0 Dragons meet the Haltom Buffalos at the Birdville Fine Arts/Athletic Complex in North Richland Hills, which despite its name is a good venue for football. Alas, it could be a long night for the winless Buffalos.

Perhaps it’s a good thing that buffalos are no longer an endangered species because I fear more than a few hides could be decorating the stadium by game’s end. (I know. It’s a graceless allusion, but I just couldn’t help myself.)

Go Dragons!

A rousing start to District 4-6A play is something to celebrate.

High note: Southlake Carroll 47, Cedar Hill 6

 

There's no better way to enter district play than with a spotless record.

A loud noise amounting to nothing

Please note: This post has been edited to correct inaccurate information about the Sept. 16 game. Apologies.

SOUTHLAKE – Southland Carroll’s pre-district schedule ended on a high note last night.

And I'm not talking about the noise coming from the visitor’s side of Dragon Stadium, where the Cedar Hill Longhorn Marching Band was making a damned nuisance of itself.

 On the field, the Longhorns, now a disappointing 0-3 for the season, were rendered largely speechless by a merciless Dragon team, which now sails into District 4-6A with a spotless record.

Carroll head coach Riley Dodge told The Dallas Morning News he couldn’t be happier with his team’s hot 3-0 start.

“We still have a lot of things to clean up, but we accomplished what we wanted in non-district,” he said. “We got a lot of questions answered, so I really like where we are at heading into district.”

Carroll capitalized on a series of Longhorn miscues, running roughshod over the Cedar Hill defense, limiting the proud Longhorns to a single score, then rudely stuffing the Longhorns’ curious attempt at a 2-point conversion. They trailed 40-6 at that point.

Operating behind his superb offensive line, Southlake quarterback Kaden Anderson (9-13, 116 yards) passed for three touchdowns, one each to receivers Jacob Jordan, Clayton Wayland and James Lehman.

Running amok

Lehman rushed for an additional TD, as did star running back Owen Allen, who rolled to 109 yards on 11 carries, and junior backup quarterback Parker Thompson, who closed out Dragon scoring late in the game with a 17-yard sprint behind a substitute front line.

 Even kicker supremo Tyler White got into the act, booting a pair of field goals, including a 48-yarder early in the first period to begin Carroll’s march through Cedar Hill’s finest.

Dragon defensive leader Cade Parks was everywhere, providing the spark for the surging Carroll D. He recovered a couple of Longhorn fumbles and spent more time in the Cedar Hill backfield than starting quarterback Anthony Edwards. Parks and his comrades kept Edwards (9-21) on a short leash, holding him to a puny 71 passing yards.

From where I sat, it looked like Longhorn running back Jaylen Jenkins had a decent night, scoring Cedar Hill’s lonely score. Then I looked up his stats. He gained only 38 yards in 14 carries. Pitiful for him, brilliant for the Dragon D.

“We played lights out defensively,” Dodge told The News. “The defense gave our offense short fields all night, so we didn’t have to do a whole lot. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be flashy or cool; you just have to get the job done.”

At times, the Longhorn looked completely hapless. After a 3-and-out on their first possession, their kicker flubbed the punt, setting the Dragons up on their own 43.

Cedar Hill managed to hold the Dragons to White’s field goal, but Edwards quickly fumbled the ball on the following first snap from center. While Cedar Hill managed to fall on the ball, Edwards was sacked on the very next play.

Heavy pressure

Forced to punt, the Cedar Hill kicker, under heavy pressure, folded again, and the Dragons started their next drive on the Cedar Hill 49. They extended their lead to 10-0 after Anderson connected 14 yards with Lehman in the end zone.

Cedar Hill then seemed to come out its coma momentarily. On its next series, Edwards led his team into the Dragon red zone, despite the harassment his receivers were getting from Dragon defensive back Logan Lewandowski.

They got as far as the Carroll 5 before the Dragons dug in and pushed them back. But when the Longhorns attempted a 26-yard field goal, Carroll lineman Wyatt Duffy blocked it and fell on the ball at the 25. Allen took over, capping a bruising series of runs with a dramatic 34-yard surge in which he broke free of the enveloping arms of a Longhorn defender and staggered another 10 yards to the Cedar Hill 27. From there, Anderson found Jordan in the left end of the end zone.

Now leading 17-0, the Dragons never looked back.

This is the 14th time the Dragons have started the season 3-0 since 2000.
Cedar Hill, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to tell its backside from the hole it was digging for itself.

When it began its next drive from the Dragon 25, Edwards promptly fumbled the ball, which Parks claimed as his own. The Dragons were forced to settle for a 36-yard field goal by White, extending their lead to 20-0.

But Carroll’s beatdown was far from over. The next play, in fact, harkened back to the days when Todd Dodge, father of Riley, was Southlake coach. The elder Dodge promoted the idea of “killing the will” of opponents by piling on the points until he broke their spirit. It was a factor in the four state championships he brought to Carroll.

Dad’s philosophy

The younger Dodge is known to espouse his dad’s philosophy, and he demonstrated it last night.

 On the next kickoff, White sent an onside kick squibbing Cedar Hill’s way, and the race for the ball was on. The Longhorns initially fielded it, but in the subsequent scrum, Dragon Michell Paulson ended up with it.

Five plays later, Allen took it 8 yards for yet another Dragon score. To add insult to injury, Carroll tried for a 2-point conversion, the kind of knife in the gut the senior Dodge would have loved. It failed, but when the half-time buzzer rang, the scoreboard read 26-0. Carroll had made its point.

Now, a few words bout the damned Longhorn band.

It didn’t show up at Dragon Stadium until the end of the first half, whether because of traffic or merely bad planning.

As a result, perhaps it felt it had to made up for its tardiness. Or perhaps that’s just the way it performs at all Longhorn games to give support to the team, distract its opponents and inspire its fans. I don’t attend those games so I don’t know. Frankly, I don’t care.

Full volume

What I do know is that during most of the second half, the band, seated in the western section of the visitor’s side of Dragon Stadium, blasted one freaking song after another at full volume, mostly when Carroll had possession of the ball.

I probably sound like that crusty old coot who’s continually ordering the neighborhood kids off his lawn. And I know, I know it’s not uncommon for a team’s band to offer musical support from the stands. Like most fans, I love it when the Carroll band gets involved in the game.

But most programs refrain from deliberate attempts to impact play on the field. They moderate the volume or don’t perform at all when play is in progress on either side of the ball. Not last night.

The Cedar Hill band fully intended to be painfully loud. To be utterly obnoxious. To be totally irritating.

Mission accomplished.

I was only mildly put out at the boorish behavior until the visitors launched another full-throated number that completely overpowered the Dragon band’s version of “Hey, Baby,” a popular signal of another Dragon victory.

THAT, pardner, was a step too far.

It wasn’t a coincidence or merely an unfortunate example of bad timing. It was an in-your-face f-you to our kids on the field and their parents, relatives and friends in the stadium. It showed, in my opinion, a definite lack of class.

Cedar Hill has a rough road to travel as it enters district competition. District 11-6A is one of the state’s toughest, including powerhouses like Duncanville, DeSoto and the Mansfield schools. Given the state of its program at this point in the season, Cedar Hill is likely to get battered unmercifully.

My friends and family know that I believe in kharma – what goes around comes around. If I’m right, the Longhorns, bless ’em, could be headed toward a needed lesson in humility.

As for the Dragons, they begin district play next Friday, meeting Keller Timber Creek in Dragon Stadium. It's Homecoming, folks, and that means mums -- and plenty of 'em. Forget the days when mums could be pinned on your date's blouse. 

These days, many of the girls need sturdy ropes to hang them around their necks. John Prine said it best: "It's a big old goofy world."

Go Dragons!

Dragon Nation is ready for another District 4-6A championship.

Rude guests: Southlake Carroll 38, Flower Mound Marcus 7

 

Owen Allen and Kaden Anderson have something to celebrate!

Nothing to worry about

FLOWER MOUND – Southlake Carroll head coach Riley Dodge – now in his fifth year leading the storied Dragon football program – says one of the things he likes about his players this year is their patience.

“They don’t get rattled when things don’t go as planned. They don’t panic. They remember what they’ve learned in practice, and they get it done,” he told Dragon Radio’s Chuck Kelly after last night’s victory over the Flower Mound Marcus Marauders.

I guess you can trust Dodge to know what he’s talking about. After all, he’s only lost one regular season game since he got the top job in Southlake. And everyone in Dragon Nation knows – with the certainty of a mother’s love – that his kids would run through a wall for him. Or, as they demonstrated last night, run through a highly experienced, thoroughly capable, rough-and-tumble defensive line that returned every starting member from Marcus’ playoff run last year.

Put down the teacups

 So when the Dragons managed only five measly yards in their first eight plays last night, nobody in the visitors section of Marauders Stadium wet their pants. Oh, one or two of us may – or may not – have swallowed the lumps forming in our throats. Mostly, we sat back and waited for Riley and his boys to put down their teacups and demonstrate to their Flower Mound hosts just how rude and disruptive a bunch of guests they could be.

And that’s just what they did.

In handing the Marauders their second straight defeat, Carroll badly punished, in the air and on the ground, Marcus’ heralded defense – you know, the one with all the returning starters. Dragon running back Owen Allen rolled to 213 rushing yards and two touchdowns before Carroll showed its rivals mercy and finally granted him a well-earned breather.

It was Allen’s driving fury that finally jolted the sluggish Dragons into action when he barreled his way through the Marauder line and outran the secondary in a 40-yard footrace to the end zone halfway through the 1^st quarter.

His second score, a 4-yard plunge seconds before the end of the 1^st half, handed Carroll a 14-point lead that iced the game. Later in the second, he put a definitive punctuation mark on his performance by forging 56 yards to set up his team’s final TD – a 28-yard reception by leading receiver Jacob Jordan.

Roaming the field

Meanwhile, senior quarterback Kaden Anderson (14-20, 210) roamed the field as if he owned the place. Upon reflection, I guess you’d have to say he did.

Anderson threw for three touchdowns – all to Jordan (5-97), two for 30 yards and that final 28-yarder. As he did last week in the Dragons’ victory over El Paso Eastwood, Anderson liberally distributed the ball to his voracious receiving corps, including key passes to Clayton Wayland (3-54), Caden Jackson (3-31) and the just-gimme-the-damn-ball Allen (2-27).

Defensive back Logan Lowendowski was a disruptive force all night long.

Before the Carroll D demolished it, Marcus’ offense enjoyed a smash-mouth reputation for its four-man rushing rotation and for its lethal combo of junior quarterback Cole Welliver, a 6-6, 200-pound giant with a big arm and enviable accuracy, and senior Ashton Cozart, his four-star receiver.

The Dragon D, already playing with the intensity and timing it usually doesn’t develop until late in the season, shut down the Marcus running game, allowing it only an embarrassing 15 total rushing yards. And it removed the Welliver-Cozart connection as a factor in the game, sacking Welliver four times and limiting the pair to a single spectacular play – a 90-yard pass reception that handed the struggling Marauders with their only score of the night.

Carroll’s defensive domination came into sharp focus in the opening moments of the last quarter. Guarding a comfortable 35-7 lead, it remained wary of Marcus’ as-yet-unrealized explosive potential to score quickly.

After the Dragons fielded a punt at their 43, the normally sure-handed Anderson fumbled. Marauder lineman Luke Shankel quickly snatched up the ball and scrambled to the Dragon red zone before Caden Jackson dragged him down.

Line in the turf

A pair of 15-yard penalties pushed Marcus to its own 34, but a couple of Welliver passes brought the Marauders back to the Dragon 3. That’s where the Dragon D-line drew a figurative line in the turf, blocking any Marcus advance on two successful plays.

Facing a last-gasp 4^th down at the 4, Welliver arced a ball along the right side of the end zone, connecting with a leaping receiver. As the Marcus player desperately tried to stay in bounds, a Dragon defender (whose name I didn’t get, dammit) pushed him across the line before his toes touched the round. Threat over.

Owen Allen ran roughshod over Marauder defenders all night.

But the game wasn’t. With more than 10 minutes left to play, Carroll proceeded slowly, methodically, inexorably to drive the length of the field, eating up yardage and clock. Anderson rifled passes to Wayland while behemoths of the Carroll O-line punched holes in the exhausted Marcus front for Allen and backup Todd Mallory to run through.

Master class

Radio color commentator David Stoltzman watched that final drive in admiration.

“You’re watching a master class in clock management,” he told his listeners.

Dodge, who had kept his starters in until almost the very end, eased off the pedal as the Dragons neared the end zone and the clock ticked down. The drive – and scoring for the night – ended 9:45 minutes after it started when Tyler White booted a 26-yard field goal.

Dodge told The Dallas Morning News after the game that his squad hadn’t just beat down a bunch of cream puffs.

“That’s a good team that is going to have a good season and make some noise,” he said of Marcus. “It wasn’t always perfect for us tonight, but I like the way we’ve responded.”

For his part, Marcus head coach Kevin Atkinson offered no excuses.

“We got our butts kicked by a good team tonight,” he told Star Local Media website. “But there is an old saying that you get better as you play and against tougher competition. And we must get better.”

They will. Marcus is a proud program, its players well coached and disciplined. They played hard last night, even after the game got away from them. And while Dodge subscribes to his father’s philosophy of “killing the will” of an opponent, he had no stomach for running up the score against a team in which he once served as an assistant coach.

A sad side note to the Marcus contest: In the pregame runup to the game, Dragon Radio commentators discussed Atkinson’s health problems. The coach is suffering from what was described at the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. Best wishes to Atkinson and his family as he battles this implacable disease with courage and grace. By all accounts, he is a good man and a good coach, just the type of guy to whom you’d trust the safety and well-being of your sons.

Next up: Cedar Hill

The Dragons have started the season with two solid wins against quality opponents. Their evenly balanced offense is generating sparks and power, thanks to stellar play by Anderson and Allen. At the same time, their defense has jelled quickly into an effective and stubborn unit.

They’ll spend the week preparing for their Friday encounter in Dragon Stadium with the Cedar Hill Longhorns. The Longhorns, normally a powerhouse, have stumbled in the opening stanza of the 2022 season.

They fell to Rockwall 34-12 in the season opener, then got battered 44-6 by Arlington Martin last night. The Horns aren’t accustomed to such rough treatment, and they’ll arrive itching to take out their frustrations on the Dragons’ home turf.

Good luck with that. Carroll doesn’t take kindly to any threat to its practically pristine record at home. At the same time, while Cedar Hill may not be the bullying horde of old, the Dragons best come prepared for a dog fight. After all, they tend to bring out the worst – and the best – in their opponents.

 Go Dragons!

The Dragons are off to a good start.