Dragon Magic: Southlake Carroll 42, McKinney 35

 

Owen Allen ran for more than 200 yards for the 10th time in his career. Oh, and he scored four touchdowns.

Watching over the Dragons

Southlake Carroll head coach Riley Dodge called it Dragon Magic. And perhaps a little hocus-pocus was responsible for the transformation of the Dragons yesterday from the gang that couldn’t shoot straight to the comeback kids.

Thank goodness someone – or something – was watching over the Dragons in their third-round 6A Division II contest against the McKinney Lions.

Carroll needed all the help it could get to overcome an embarrassing series of first-half gaffes that had Dragon fans scratching their heads in wonder and reaching for the aspirin bottle.

McKinney came to Arlington’s Choctaw Stadium ready to play and hungry for an upset. And the Dragons very nearly played into its hands before they righted the ship at halftime and turned in a superb second-half performance that kept their playoff hopes alive.

For the sixth straight year, the Dragons have made it to the fourth round of the playoffs. Dodge has taken them to the area finals and beyond in each of his five years as head coach.

Playoffs midpoint

They now are at the midpoint in the playoffs. Next up, Carroll will face the winner of today’s contest between Denton Guyer, the clear favorite, and Byron Nelson, Carroll’s nemesis in District 4-6A.

Who would the Dragons rather face? Byron Nelson, of course. Carroll beat the Bobcats 38-23 earlier in the season to capture the 4-6A title. Guyer, on the other hand, is a monster this year and will pose the bigger challenge, by far.

But frankly, at this stage of the playoffs, there are no easy opponents. Take the 8-5 Lions, for instance. Most folks had Carroll as the favorite in yesterday’s match up. But Dodge, who had personally scouted McKinney in the first round, knew his team was in for a dogfight.

“Going into it, McKinney scared the crap out of me, to be honest with you,” Dodge told Arianna Vedia of The Dallas Morning News. “I got to see them first-hand in the first round … That’s a very talented football team that started playing their best football toward the end of the year, and we knew what we were getting coming into it.”

He also acknowledged the Dragons were their own worst enemies for a good chunk of the afternoon.

“Offensively, we couldn’t play any worse than the first half. Just penalties after penalties,” he told Vedia. “We were doing good stuff, it was just — positive yards, then a setback — like a yo-yo effect.”

Things got off to a dismal start. On Carroll’s first drive, the offensive line was flagged five times for false starts, including on the first three consecutive plays. But quarterback Graham Knowles kept the Dragons on track, despite the hiccups. He pitched a 37-yard pass to junior receiver Jacob Jordan, then followed it with a 12-yarder to Caden Jackson to bring Carroll to the Lion 23.

Stupefying sight

But it could get no farther so kicker Tyler White, as dependable as the dawn, was called in to boot a 40-yard field goal. His kick struck the upright, a sight so stupefying, I was tempted to rub my eyes in disbelief. It was White’s first missed field goal this season.

Quarterback Graham Knowles stayed cool and composed while miscues mounted.

McKinney couldn’t do much better. On the Lions’ first possession, quarterback Keldric Luster was sacked on the second play and intercepted by Dragon defender J. David Sparks on the third.

From the 30, the Dragons, behind Allen’s brilliant running, moved to the 11. Facing a 4^th and 2, Allen was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, a failure so rare that I began to fear the Dragons were ensnarled in some kind of bad-luck vortex.

Taking possession of the ball, McKinney promptly marched into Dragon territory, where Luster hefted a 42-yard TD pass to Tyler Stanley, the first of the receiver’s two scores for the night. It would take Carroll until half-way through the final period to finally take the lead and preserve its perfect (so far) season.

Carroll would even the score 7-7 with 29 seconds left in the first half. After a series of pass plays to Caden Jackson (11 catches for 87 yards), Allen moved the ball to the Lion 44. Knowles then connected with Jordan at the 5, and Allen finished the drive.

McKinney responded in a flash, moving to near midfield in two plays. Then, with only 8 ticks before the buzzer, Luster found Khali Best drifting near the goal line, and Best breezed in to score.

The Lions began the second half in much the same fashion. On their first possession after the break, Luster, a powerful and slippery runner, carried the ball to the 45, passed to the 17 and then handed off to Bryan Jackson, who galloped into the end zone. Less than 2 minutes into the half, McKinney led 21-7.

Lethargy disappears

The lethargy that had haunted the Dragons through much of the first half dissipated at that point, and the game settled into a back-and-forth shootout. For its part, Carroll would score on all five of its second-half possessions.

Leading the Dragon charge were Knowles, who completed 80 percent of his passes for 347 yards and 2 touchdowns, and – naturally – Allen, who rushed 34 times for 221 yards and four touchdowns. It was the 10^th time in his career Allen has rushed for more than 200 yards.

Carroll wasted no time in narrowing the Lion lead. On the third play of the ensuing drive, Knowles lofted a 73-yard bomb to Jordan (7-214), who took it to the house.

The teams traded scores, with the Dragons first cutting the Lion lead to 28-21 with a 2-yard dash by Allen.

That’s when things began to unravel for the Lions. Dragon defensive back Logan Lowandowski sacked Luster, forcing a fumble that the quarterback managed to fall on but that forced a punt.

On the next drive, the Dragons drove deep into Lion territory, where Knowles tried unsuccessfully to connect with Jackson in the end zone. But a pass interference call put the ball on the 2, from where Allen darted untouched to tie things up 28-28.

On McKinney's first play from scrimmage, Lester fumbled the ball yet again, but this time Dustan Marks recovered it at the Lion 20. Allen took it first to the 13, then to the 9, where Knowles connected with Clayton Wayland (6-51) for the go-ahead score.

The Lions weren’t finished yet, however. They came roaring back to tie the game again on a 11-yard Luster pass to Stanley (3-84, 2 TDs) in the end zone.

With 4 minutes left to play, Caden Jackson fielded the Lion kickoff at the Dragon 24. A penalty pushed Carroll back to its 9, where Knowles went to work. Peppering passes to Jackson and Wayland, he led the Dragons into Lion territory.

Two carries by Allen brought the ball to the 26. A quick pass to Jordan landed it at the 13, from where Allen added his fourth TD of the night with less than a minute to play.

Jacob Jordan, the Dragons' leading receiver, caught 11 passes for 222 yards and two TDs.

The night ended on an ignominious note for the Lions. They faced a 4^th and 2 with half a minute left in the game, time enough for McKinney’s explosive offense to hijack the game. Fading right and looking downfield, Luster slipped and fell at his own 29. The Dragons ran out the clock and another playoff classic was in the books.

McKinney’s offensive tandem of Luster, Stanley and Jackson (16 carries, 96 yards) deserve a lot of credit. Luster, a SMU commit, was the Lions’ rushing leader with 139 yards on 19 carries. He also completed 7 of 12 passes for 131 yards and 2 TDs. The Ponies should be licking their chops.

Luster and company couldn’t be completely stifled. But the Dragon D proved disruptive enough to keeps things from careening out of control, making key stops that finally disrupted the tit-for-tat scoring exchange. It sacked Luster several times and forced a fumble and an interception.

In the decisive fourth quarter, when the Dragon surge sealed the Carroll victory, Dragon defenders limited McKinney to a single score.

It’s magic

In his DMN interview, Dodge credited “Dragon Magic” for the Carroll turnaround in the second half. I suspect he had his tongue tucked firmly in cheek. The real ingredients for the shift in focus and execution had more to do with some tough love in the locker room at halftime (call it good coaching if you like), the inherent motivation and discipline that are hallmarks of the Dragon program – and intangibles like pride and brotherhood.

These guys regard each other as family. Many have played football together since grade school and Dragon Youth Football, a subject that frequently comes up in postgame player interviews.

In the playoffs, the imperative is win or go home. These Dragons don’t want to break up the family, and who can blame them? They are willing to fight hard and sacrifice much to keep that family intact. If you choose to call that magic, I have no objection.

“Dragon Magic is hard to explain,” Allen told the DMN’s Vedia, who obviously was entertained by the idea. “You don’t really know when it’s coming, but once it’s there, you know it. We were feeling it tonight, and I think everybody was, too.”

Go Dragons!

Coach Riley Dodge credited a little "Dragon Magic" for the win. Who's gonna argue with that?

De-clawing the Tigers: Southlake Carroll 69, Wolfforth Frenship 14

 

Owen Allen, for the second time in his career, rushed for five TDs last night.

A brag without much power

On paper, Wolfforth Frenship looked pretty intimidating.

Frenship emerged from District 2-6A – the modern-day version of the legendary Little Southwest Conference that dominated Texas high school football in the 1960s and ’70s – with a share of the district title and only two loses: a squeaker against Odessa Permian and its season opener against Lubbock Coronado.

Until they met their betters last night in the second round of the UIL 6A Division II playoffs, the Tigers averaged 432 total yards a game, thanks to an explosive offense led by dual-threat quarterback Hudson Hutcheson and his two 1,000-yard receivers, Tate Beeles and Leyton Stone.

All things considered, Frenship could legitimately regard itself as among the cream of the crop of West Texas programs.

As it turns out, that’s a brag that doesn’t hold much power these days.

It took only the first Tiger possession to reveal the ugly truth. The cream of the West Texas crop sours rather quickly when confronted by the premier programs of Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and Houston areas.

Caging the offense

With brutal efficiency, the Southlake Carroll Dragons dismantled Frenship, caging its heralded offense and daring its overwhelmed defense to stop Owen Allen, the Dragons’ irresistible force.

Did the Frenship D rise to that challenge? You be the judge.

Against the Tigers, Allen rushed for 149 yards on 14 carries and scored – wait for it – five touchdowns. That’s a remarkable feat all by itself. But when you consider it’s the second time this season he’s done it, well, that’s enough to give you the vapors, ain’t it?

Allen averaged almost 11 yards a carry, but his most crowd-pleasing moment came during Carroll’s second scoring drive. After the Dragons pushed into Frenship territory, a procedural penalty knocked them back to the 50. From there, quarterback Graham Knowles handed the rock to Allen, who darted around the right end and outraced the Tiger secondary to the end zone.

And the senior was just getting started. Allen would add scoring runs of 5, 21 and 12 yards before retiring for the night at half-time.

As much as I enjoyed seeing Allen embarrass the Frenship defensive line, I understand the reason for his early departure. The Dragons are fortunate they can afford – at this point in the playoffs – to rest their most important offensive asset to keep him fresh for the treacherous road ahead.

Nobody really expected the Tigers to carry the day against the Dragons. They were heavy underdogs. But I don’t think many expected them to fold up like a card table with a bad leg, either.

Unfolding disaster

Signs of the unfolding disaster came early for Frenship. Quarterback Hutcheson was sacked by Carroll lineman Dustan Marks on the first play of the game. It would be the first of six sacks Marks would make last night.

Although Hutcheson recovered sufficiently to guide his team into Dragon territory, the drive ended when a Dragon defender snatched an errant pass and gave Carroll the ball at its 46. That’s when Allen took over, marching the Dragons to the 1 before bullying into the end zone to begin the scoring avalanche.

The Dragons would score on all seven of their first-half possessions, taking advantage of the excellent field position they enjoyed all night. They carried a 42-7 lead into the dressing room. Carroll punted only once, and then got a new set of downs on a roughing-the-punter call.

It was that kind of night.

Knowles managed the Dragon offense with his usual steady hand. While the Carroll game plan called for Allen, and still more Allen, Knowles got his licks in, completing 10 of 11 passes for 173 yards.

Jacob Jordan was excellent as well, handling kickoffs and leading the receiver corps with 3 catches for 82 yards. Interestingly, his only TD came on the ground, the result of a pitchout from Knowles, which Jordan took 25 yards to the house. Plug this kid in anywhere. He’s a baller.

When the Dragon offense wasn’t slapping around its High Plains opponents, the defense was busy nullifying, stupefying and generally mystifying the Frenship offense. Hutcheson managed to complete 21 of 30 passes for 284 yards, a respectable night’s work. But it all amounted to nothing much.

The Dragons blunted the Frenship offense and rampaged through its defense at will.

He was sacked 10 times by the Dragon D, which spent almost as much time in the Tiger backfield as Hutcheson did. It also forced one interception and three fumbles, although it fell on only one.

As mentioned above, Marks was a rampaging beast, but his brilliant performance was aided and abetted by outstanding effort from his defensive comrades, who easily turned in their best game of the year. And for this bunch, that is saying a lot.

Under a pile

The Dragon D held Frenship to a modest 279 total yards, well below its usual output. the Tigers' rushing yardage stood at -30, a result of Hutcheson spending much of the night under a pile of Dragons.

Hutcheson’s highlight reel won't include any plays from this game, save perhaps one.

Near the end of the first half, after the Dragons had cruised to a 35-0 lead, Hutcheson began the ensuing Tiger drive by completing a 73-yard pass and run to Leyton Stone (3-118), which landed Frenship on the Dragon 5. Three plays, Hutcheson found his brother, Landon (12-116), in the end zone.

The score gave shivering Tiger fans something to cheer about – oh-so-briefly – as they endured the icy West Texas wind sweeping across San Angelo Stadium. Frenship would manage one more score, a 34-yard TD pass from Hutcheson to Stone (3-118) in the final seconds of the third period.

That was long after Carroll had cleared the field of its starters to give its backup players some time in the limelight.

 These kids, sometimes referred to as “the 2s and 3s,” are the stalwarts who labor largely unheralded to prepare the starting squad for each game. Also known as the action squad, they are an essential – but too frequently overlooked and unappreciated – ingredient in Dragon success.

Head coach Riley Dodge understands their value and works hard to spotlight their contributions. And to let them know how essential they are.

It’s a lesson he learned at the knee of his father, legendary coach Todd Dodge, who led Carroll to four state championships in five years in the early 2000s. And it’s a lesson Riley’s predecessor, Hal Wasson, sadly never learned.

Given a chance

After the game, the younger Dodge spoke of his ability to give his secondary players a taste of gridiron glory, a luxury not often possible in the post season.

“At this point in the playoffs, you don’t anticipate that you’ll have this kind of opportunity,” he told Dragon Radio. “But our guys went out and got the job done tonight so we were able to do it. It was awesome.”

For their part, the backups did themselves proud.

Running back Davis Penn, who like Allen is starting his varsity career as a freshman, scored on a 3-yard run during the Dragons’ opening drive of the second half. I expect we’ll be seeing a lot of this youngster in coming years. It’s clear the coaches have their eye on him and have been giving him an opportunity to stick his toe in the water during the last couple of games.

Backup quarterback Parker Thompson, a junior, also got into the scoring act. The tall and lanky Thompson, a facile and elusive runner, warmed up the Dragon side of San Angelo Stadium with blood-pumping TD runs of 67 and 41 yards.

Lord, this kid is fun to watch. When he gets the chance, he makes the most of it. And while his achievements occurred long after the game was decided, he was running against Frenship starters.

In between Thompson’s electrifying runs, senior Todd Mallory also added to Carroll’s massive lead with a 3-yard bolt to the blue.

Four TDs by backup players. You don't see that very often. Maybe ever.

A confession

(I feel the need to confess. I passed up the long trek to my old West Texas stomping grounds in favor of watching NFHS Network’s live stream of the game. I had to endure the play-by-play commentary of two San Angelo yahoos, who were painfully inept and ill-informed, but I did so in the warm comfort of my home office. For the hardy souls who did venture west, they were treated to frigid blasts of mist-filled wind and a nighttime drive home on lonely West Texas highways. No thanks. I’m an old man and should start acting like it.)

And so the Dragons have achieved another of their seasonal goals. The first was to win the district championship. Done. The second was still to be playing on Thanksgiving. That, too, has been accomplished.

The Dragons will face the McKinney Lions next Friday at Choctaw Stadium, the new moniker for old Rangers stadium. McKinney breezed past Dallas Jesuit to reach the third round. They won’t have as easy a time with the Dragons.

As for the final goal – a state championship – we’ll have to wait and see. It won’t be easy, but good things rarely are.

Happy Thanksgiving, all. And go Dragons!

The Dragons face the McKinney Lions this Friday on their march to a ninth state title.

Right time to shine: Southlake Carroll 52, Crowley 13

 

Photo flashback: Dragons celebrate a 2018 playoff victory against Euless Trinity.

A giant leap forward

SOUTHLAKE – With perfect timing, Southlake Carroll quarterback Graham Knowles’ evolution from stand-in to stand-out continued apace last night, as he confidently led the Dragons in dismantling a feisty but outmatched Crowley squad in the bi-district round of the Division II playoffs.

Quarterback Graham Knowles, a replacement player no more, took firm command of the Dragon offense, passing for a career-high 324 yards and 4 touchdowns. It was his second consecutive game to score four passing touchdowns, demonstrating his impressive performance last week against Keller Fossil Ridge was no fluke. And he did it last night against a much better team.

Knowles made TD throws to three different receivers – Clayton Wayland (3 catches for 59 yards), Trey Ferri (2-14) and a pair to junior Jacob Jordan, the night’s other breakout offensive star.

 In easily his best game of the season, Jordan caught 11 passes for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns. But he’s no shrinking violet just emerging from the shadows. Jordan has been the go-to receiver for both Knowles and the sidelined Kaden Anderson all year. Last night, however, was special.

Sheer beauty

His first TD came early in the 2^nd period after he fielded a Crowley punt at his 35-yard line. On the next play, he snagged a Knowles pass and raced down the left sideline toward the end zone. At the 20, a pursuing Eagle defender desperately tried to push him out of bounds. But Jordan nimbly shifted his weight and kept inside the line. It was a thing of beauty.

He was still a little dazzled by it all when he was interviewed after the game by The Dallas Morning News’ Rick Kretzschmar.

“I’m amazed at this especially considering this is my first playoff game,” he admitted. (This is his first year on varsity.)

Jordan gave credit to the Dragon O-line for protecting Knowles. And he praised his quarterback for “some great plays” and head coach Riley Dodge – who does double duty as the quarterback coach – for calling good plays. (Praising the boss: He’s no dummy.)

His general conclusion about where the Dragon offense now stands?

“I think now we can kill them with the run and the pass,” he said.

Jordan's reference to the run was a nod to Carroll’s phenomenal running back, the esteemed Owen Allen, who darted, dashed and rumbled to 138 yards on 13 carries against the Eagles, scoring a TD in the process. It was the eighth time this season that he has rushed for more than 100 yards.

Allen, who already has passed the 1,600-yard rushing mark this season, left the game midway through the third period or his numbers would have been more impressive. But Carroll coaches want to keep him fresh and upright for what the Dragons hope will be a deep playoff run. Besides, his departure coincided with Jordan’s second TD, achieved when he caught three consecutive Knowles passes, propelling the Dragons 53 yards to extend their lead to 38-7.

Light’s out play

The Dragons not only displayed a super-charged offense to dispatch Crowley. They brought a smothering, swarming defense, as well.

Photo flashback: Carroll players celebrate a 2019 playoff victory against DeSoto.

In effect, Carroll’s defensive starters held Crowley to a single score. That occurred in the 2^nd quarter when Eagle quarterback Caleb Williams lofted a pass to Jordan Green, who then sped 74 yards down the left sideline to finally put the Eagles on the scoreboard after the Dragons had leaped to a 21-0 lead by scoring on their first three consecutive possessions.

The Eagles wouldn’t score again until the last play of the game, a 1-yard plunge by Treyshuan Ford against the Dragon action squad that played much of the 2^nd half.

The Dragon secondary played soft against the Eagle passing attack, allowing Williams – when he wasn’t flat on his butt – to complete13 passes for 218 yards. Except for Ford’s big play, however, it amounted to nothing much.

That’s because the Carroll D guarded its home field with the ferocity of a – well – fire-breathing dragon. In the first half alone, it limited Crowley to only 38 rushing yards on 23 carries. It totaled 14 tackles-for-loss and sacked Williams eight times. Frankly, it seemed like more from where I sat. One thing’s a fact: Williams will remember his visit to Southlake for some time.

Dragon defensive star Cade Parks was his usual disruptive self, forcing a fumble in the 1^st half and sacking Williams twice. He joined fellow linemen Dustan Mark and Zach Scarborough in making three tackles-for-loss each. (Thanks to the DMN for the defensive stats.)

Dodge keeps his enthusiasm under strict control during post-game interviews, reserving his unbridled joy at winning for celebrations with his players. As usual, he expressed satisfaction last night with his team’s performance and its prospects going forward.

Better and better

“Our offense settled in and performed well, and the defense made several key stops when it mattered,” he told the Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Robert Thomas. “Our guys continue to get better and better each week, and tonight was a good way to start the playoffs.”

For Crowley, better days are ahead. This is its first year of competition in 6A, the UIL’s largest and toughest bracket, and it deserves a lot of credit for making the playoffs at all. Its kids never quit, but they were outgunned from the get-go.

 Even their few bright spots were dimmed by disaster.

Crowley stalled a Dragon drive midway through the 2^nd quarter, forcing Carroll to settle for a 26-yard Tyler White field goal to widen its margin to 24-7. On their next drive, the Eagles were moving steadily downfield when Parks forced a fumble and Mark fell on it at the Crowley 44.

After Jordan ran 29 thrilling yards to the 27, Knowles dropped back to pass. But the Eagles’ Jonathan Blake snatched the ball at the goal line and darted to midfield. A 15-yard penalty against the Dragons set the Eagles up at the Carroll 37.

Things unraveled quickly. The Carroll defense sacked Williams on three consecutive plays, snuffing out the Eagle threat. After fielding a short Crowley punt at its 19, Carroll marched 81 yards in 9 plays to score on a 16-yard Knowles pass to junior Trey Ferri. Carroll carried a 31-7 lead into halftime.

Methodical beatdown

The 2^nd half settled quickly into a methodical beatdown of the Eagles. Jordan captured his 2^nd TD on a 23-yard reception, backup running back Todd Mallory plunged 2 yards to add the Dragons’ sixth TD and backup quarterback Parker Thompson finished scoring for Carroll with a thrilling 25-yard untouched romp up the middle.

The Dragons’ opponent in the area round will be decided by tonight’s game between Wolfforth Frenship, located on the High Plains near Lubbock, and El Paso Eastlake – at a time and date to be determined.

 I don’t know anything about either team, except that historically, West Texas programs don’t fared very well in the playoffs. The days when juggernauts like Odessa Permian, Abilene High and San Angelo Central dominated the playoff scene are long over.

But you never know. In high school football, particularly during the playoffs, anything can happen. And usually does.

Go Dragons!

Photo flashback: Brady Boyd's memorable catch in a 2019 playoff victory against Midland Lee.

Unbeaten: Southlake Carroll 45, Keller Fossil Ridge 14

 

Quarterback Graham Knowles, man of the hour.

This post has been substantially edited to reflect the results of tonight's games.

Looking cool and comfortable

KELLER – If Southlake Carroll fans had any doubts about the ability of Graham Knowles to carry the Dragons deep into this year’s playoffs – and we did – they had to be somewhat reassured by how the youngster handled things last night against Keller Fossil Ridge.

Knowles, who took over from Dragon signal-caller Kaden Anderson when the talented senior went out with a season-ending injury, threw for 189 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Panthers. And for perhaps for the first time since he assumed the starting job, Knowles looked cool and comfortable doing it.

The timing of his breakout performance couldn’t have been better. It comes on the cusp of the unbeaten Dragons’ eager plunge into the post season next week. With Knowles’ steady hand now on the tiller, the Dragons will host District 3-6A's Crowley, a second-seed team now headed for the Carroll meat-grinder (we sincerely hope).

 But more later on the convoluted playoff picture, which can be as difficult to explain – and comprehend – as quantum physics.

The important thing for the Dragons right now is the knowledge that star running back Owen Allen won’t have to carry this team alone on its quest for a ninth state championship.

Knowles stepped up big last night, taking advantage of the game plan devised by Carroll coaches to place him front and center. He didn’t disappoint, completing12 of 18 passes and tossing TD throws to three separate receivers.

Carroll’s meaty offensive line – the most massive (and talented) in my memory – gave him plenty of time to pick apart the Panther secondary, and he did so with confidence and precision.

Most of Dragon Nation assumed that the dazzling Allen would carry the load for Carroll’s offense, just as he did last week in the Dragons’ bruising victory over Byron Nelson.

Secondary role

Instead, Allen stepped into a secondary role, but still rushed for 85 yards on 13 carries. His only score came early in the second half, after he apparently had turned running chores over to junior James Lehman. But sadly, Lehman limped painfully off the field with a possible knee injury after he galvanized the crowd with an electrifying 36-yard run to the Ridge 22.

Allen quickly pushed the ball to the 12, where Knowles carried it into the end zone, only to have the run called back by a holding penalty. Shedding defenders, Allen took the rock first to the 1 and then across the line to expand Southlake’s lead to 24-7. His duty done, he then left the game for good.

Clearly, however, coach Riley Dodge and his staff wanted to give Knowles a chance to show us all what he could do. And if his performance on center stage last night is any indication, the answer is quite a lot.

He opened scoring for the Dragons midway through the 1^st quarter with a 25-yard pass to Clayton Wayland (6 receptions for 138 yards) and followed it up in the 2^nd with a 9-yard zipline to Jacob Jordan (3-17). In between, kicker Tyler White booted a 50-yard field goal to give the Dragons a 17-7 lead at the midway point.

At the time, a 10-point lead didn’t seem very reassuring, particularly after the first-half antics of Ridge’s rough and ready running back, Landen Chambers. A rampaging brute of a runner, Chambers played havoc with Dragon defenders and seemed always to be on the brink of breaking the game wide open.

Running amok

The Dragon D never allowed that to happen, largely keeping him out of the end zone and making adjustments at halftime that doused his fervor. But not before he left an indelible impression on Dragon fans as he barged, again and again, into the middle of the D-line, where he was swarmed by Carroll players desperate to topple him. Repeatedly, he would suddenly burst free, lugging the Dragons still grappling with him for another 10 yards.

Chambers rushed for 192 yards on 33 carries and was responsible for both Ridge scores. The first was a trick play in the 1^st quarter when he snatched a lateral from Panther quarterback Logan Cundiff, then lofted a 21-yard pass to Isaac Smith in the end zone.

The Dragons will host the bi-district round of the playoffs at Dragon Stadium.

The other came in the final quarter, after Carroll started substitutions, when Chambers scored from the 1 to punctuate a drive highlighted by a 51-yard pass by Cundiff to set up the Panthers at the Carroll 10.

Not only did the Carroll defense marginalize Chambers after the break, it also harassed Cundiff, chasing him around his own backfield and sacking him at least 3 times. His miseries began early, on the third play of Ridge’s first drive, when Dragon David Sparks intercepted a Cundiff throw. He would complete only 4 passes for 66 yards.

The 3^rd period proved decisive. After Allen scored 2 minutes after it began, Carroll dominated, gaining 91 total yards to the Panthers’ puny 9. Knowles threw a 21-yard TD pass to Caden Jackson (3-44), then found Jackson again with a 13-yard toss on the first play of the 4^th.

Carroll now led 38-7, but it had one last dose of humiliation for the sagging Ridge. Parker Thompson replaced Knowles at QB and promptly darted 32 yards for the Dragons’ final score.

 Thompson, a speedy and slippery runner who strikes sparks whenever he touches the ball, doesn’t see much playing time. But as a friend of mine observed, Carroll should damned well design a few plays around the charismatic senior. He might be a valuable asset in the fire and brimstone of the playoffs.

What happens now?

What’s in store for the Dragons now? As the result of action tonight, they now know they'll be playing in the UIL's Division II, the so-called small-school division. And they'll host the bi-district round in Dragon Stadium against 4-6 Crowley, which ended up as the DII second seed in District 3-6A.

The final details had to wait for the results of tonight's contest between Keller Timber Creek and Keller Central, two of the lesser lights in District 4-6A. Timber Creek whipped up big on Central, clearing the way for Carroll to go DII. Don't ask me to explain why. Frankly, the byzantine calculations of the UIL playoff system always leave me dazed and confused. 

All things being equal, the first-round faceoff with Crowley is likely to be a cakewalk for the Dragons. The system is designed to match up first-seed teams, those with the best records, with weaker opponents in the bi-district round -- a tangible reward for excellence during the regular season.

As District 4-6A champ, Carroll was a guaranteed first seed no matter where it landed -- DI or II. It's 10-0 regular-season record -- the third time this class of seniors has achieved such a goal -- didn't hurt.   

Opinions differ about which division presents the easier route to a state championship. Logic would suggest that Division I is the tougher row to hoe. But that's not always the case. 

Carroll has played in both divisions over the years, depending on the size of the district schools who made the playoffs in any particular season. And it's won state titles in each. This year, many of those in the know believe that DII will be the tougher nut to crack. 

For instance, many Dragon fans contemplate with a certain amount of dread the 4th round, where Carroll, if it gets that far, could meet formidable Denton Guyer, a bitter rival that has routed opponents all year.

Regardless of the division, however, teams in pursuit of a state championship must survive an unforgiving environment governed by a merciless creed: Win or go home. That’s what makes the playoffs so special – and such nerve-wracking fun. 

Let the games begin.

Go Dragons!

What's a good way to roar into the 2022 playoffs? A 10-0 record, that's what.