Humbled: Southland Carroll 17, Bryon Nelson 34

 

The Dragons had no answer for Byron Nelson running back Tucker James, who ran for 177 yards and a TD.

Mere spectators of their fate

Trophy Club Bryon Nelson served up generous portions of humble pie to its Southlake visitors last night, and the Carroll Dragons were forced to choke down Every. Last. Bite.

If it’s true that humility is good for the soul, then the Bobcats’ 34-17 drubbing of the Dragons – for a drubbing it truly was, trust me – was a soul-nourishing experience for the proud scions of Southlake.

I’d like to say that it was a smashmouth, gut-twisting, head-knocking donnybrook in which the result was left in doubt until the last second of the game.

But it wasn’t. Not at all.

Bryon Nelson ruled the field from the first until the last play of the game. The Dragons appeared at times to be mere spectators as they watched the Bobcats shut down their rushing game, short-circuit their passing attack and run roughshod over the Dragon defensive line and secondary.

Never in the game

For some strange reason – given the hype devoted to this district clash between unbeatens – Carroll’s collective head never seemed to be in the game.

Perhaps it was complacency born out of hanging 70 points on their last two opponents, most recently last week's 70-28 demolition of Haslet Eaton. If so, the timing couldn't have been worse to rest on illusionary laurels.

Because the Bobcats, now 9-0 for the season, showed up with something to prove, and they left no shadow of a doubt in proving it.

Since Byron Nelson High School opened in 2009, the Bobcats have never before beaten the Dragons, falling to them seven times. Last year, Carroll ruined a talented BN squad’s perfect season by defeating it 38-23.

Now they have slain the dragon, and what a thorough and embarrassing spearing it was, too.

Carroll’s defeat broke its 38-game district winning streak that goes back to 2017, the year before coach Riley Dodge took over the program.

BN coach Travis Pride said after the game that this was a crucial moment in his program’s history.

“You can work as hard as you want to, but if you don’t believe in the end, it’s very hard to overcome that,” Pride told Dallas Morning News sportswriter Lia Assimakopoulos. “I think that’s been part of the Southlake Dragon mystique that we’ve had to get over a little bit. At some point you just have to jump that hurdle. Finally, the kids were able to do that.”

Plenty to celebrate

At the final whistle, the home crowd stormed the field. And they had plenty to celebrate.

The win makes the Bobcats the champions of District 4-6a and the district’s first seed in the Class 6A, Division II playoffs. But it does more than that. It propels the program into the upper ranks of the highest class of Texas high school football. Byron Nelson finally has hit the big time.

Can it maintain the level of achievement it has attained this year? Only time will tell, of course. But anyone at all familiar with the complex and byzantine world of high school football will attest that it ain’t easy to do. Not easy at all.

For Carroll, the defeat is more disappointing than disastrous. Carroll still will make the playoffs, of course.

The Dragons most probably will have to settle for the second seed in District 4-6A, Division II, which usually means a stronger opponent in Round 1 on a neutral field.

Dragon Zack Engelhardt can only watch helplessly as BN defensive back Jacoven Julien celebrates his pick-6.

Despite last night’s performance, Southlake Carroll has the ability and talent to make a deep plunge into the playoffs. But its fall from grace was swift and precipitous and raises the thorny question: Just how good are these youngsters?

Online color man Robert Clayton opined that sometimes a loss like last night is a valuable wakeup call, particularly for a top-tier program like Southlake in a largely mediocre district like 4-6A.

If you’ve got to lose your first game of the year, he reasoned, better now than in the playoffs where the rule is strict and merciless: Win or go home.

Who knows? The Dragons might even get a chance at revenge with a possible rematch with BN. Wouldn’t that be choice? (Or would it? Hmm.)

A taste of the fiasco

Here’s a taste of last night’s fiasco.

Although the two teams had only exchanged field goals by the end of the 1^st quarter – the Dragon contribution a 48-yard beauty by star kicker Kyle Lemmermann – things began to slip away in the 2^nd.

A spectacular play by Dragon defensive back Sam Fuller, who leaped high at the goal line to intercept a sure Tom Von Grote TD pass, was wasted when Carroll failed to capitalize. Then Von Grote took full advantage of a second chance at the end zone by hoisting a 22-yard pass to Pierce Dahlin.

Then, with seconds left before the buzzer, the Bobcats booted a 27-yard field goal to seize a 13-3 lead.

The prayed-for halftime adjustments by Carroll never materialized, and Von Grote and company picked up where they left off.

Midway through the 3^rd quarter, the killshots were administered when the Bobcats scored two quick touchdowns, both the results of Knowles interceptions. That expanded their lead to 27-3.

The first came after a long, methodical Bobcat drive when Leo Almanza caught a Van Grote throw and sailed into the endzone.

The second, spirit-crushing score came after Bobcat defender Jacoven Julian snared a Knowles pass and surged 27 yards for the second BN TD in 11 seconds.

Never threatened

Carroll never recovered. Who could?

The Dragons would score two more touchdowns before the evening’s merciful close, but they never threatened the Bobcat lead.

Bobcat running back Tucker James was the offensive star of the night. He ran 28 times for 177 yards and 1 TD. A hard-driving, elusive runner, James twisted and muscled his way through Dragon defenders at will. Even when covered in Dragons, he still managed to stagger for a few more yards.

Von Grote was excellent, too. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 174 yards, 2 TDs and 1 interception. He also rushed for 43 yards.

Meanwhile, the superb Bobcat defense lived up to its reputation of being impassable and unmovable.

Knowles, 15 of 24 for 154 yards and 1 TD, was bedeviled by the BN secondary, which blanketed his receivers and snagged three of his passes, two of which led to Bobcat TDs.

One of the very few offensive bright spots for Carroll last night beamed at tight end Jack Van Dorselaer, who caught 5 Knowles passes for 65 yards and 1 TD. I suspect he will be a bigger part of the passing game as the playoffs loom ever closer.

The heralded Dragon running game got gobbled up by the BN defense. While Carroll’s talented offensive line was able to punch holes in the Bobcat front wall for rushing stars Davis Penn and Riley Wormsley, the secondary quickly sealed them before much damage was done.

Penn, a soph, was limited to 34 yards on 8 carries and Wormsley, a junior, to 39 yards on 9 carries. Knowles carried 8 times for 30 yards and a TD.

Playoff picture

At halftime, the Dragons had a measly 39 rushing yards. By game’s end, the total rested at 103.

The playoff picture is beginning to come into focus. But there will be time enough to calculate all that. Southlake almost certainly will be placed in Division II, the so-called small-school divide of Division 6A.

Beyond that, however, the calculations become more complex than a calculus final exam. Frankly, I just don’t have the strength to attempt it.

Meanwhile, the last game of the season for the Dragons will be at home against Keller Fossil Ridge. It will be interesting to see how the Dragons react to last night’s debacle. If I were a Fossil Ridge fan, I might look at the contest with some trepidation.

A Dragon is bad enough. But a pissed-off Dragon? Well, that’s something else entirely.

Go, Dragons!

Bobcat players and the fans who stormed the field had plenty to celebrate after the game.

A celebration of love and commitment in Seattle

 

Ellen and Ethan Gunnels

Joy, first and foremost

My son got married this past weekend, and Marice and I are recently returned from a celebration of love and commitment in Seattle that has left me with a curious blend of joy and emptiness.

Joy, yes, first and foremost. For a parent, there’s something magical and mystical about seeing your youngest child’s eyes shining with happiness and contentment as he joined with the love of his life before family and friends.

The wedding reflected the new couple perfectly. Stylish and quirky, elegant and down to earth, simple but profound.

The ceremony took place in the Emperia Lake Union, a Seattle venue that had the vibe of a tony speakeasy of the 1920s and came complete with a tunnel in the basement used by bootleggers during Prohibition.

 Ellen, a tall beauty who is stunning even in jeans and a T-shirt, was breathtaking in a simple but elegant white dress split to above her knee, sexy without trying too hard. Ethan, dressed in a well-cut black suit, was smart enough to complement, rather than compete with his glorious bride. It’s an instinct that will serve him well as the years go by.

Mazel tov to the happy couple!

They are great kids, courageous and adventurous and full of life and laughter. Seeing them together fills my heart with optimism and goodwill. Our future is in good hands with young people like these.

Ethan and Ellen are, as I said in my wedding toast, “the perfect couple.”

 “A more compatible couple you’re not likely to find on this good earth,” I said, lifting my glass. “They are like peas in a pod.”

As our family and friends know, Ethan was our miracle child. When our daughter was born, Marice and I had always planned to have another child, even though Rachel was – as she often reminds me – the perfect child. But after two heartbreaking miscarriages, Marice and I had begun to accommodate ourselves to the possibility that our perfect child might also be our only child.

Then Ethan came along, and our family was complete. I won’t claim that he was the perfect child – Rachel wouldn’t stand for such an outrage. But despite some rough patches, he has become a son to be proud of.

So why, you may ask yourself, do I feel this vague sense of emptiness in the aftermath of an outstanding wedding weekend and at the prospect of watching Ethan and Ellen begin their life together.

First dance as a married couple.

Mostly, I think, because my watching will be done from afar. Seattle is half a continent away, and our visits by necessity will be more seldom than either Marice or I would like. Ethan and Ellen are delightful people to be around and I miss them terribly.

And then there is the profound reality that surrounds weddings in general. They mark the end of childhood – and the end an important phase of parenthood – for the families involved.

It is time for both our children, now happily married to their soulmates, to begin their own lives together while their mother and I are relegated to the sidelines to watch and worry and cheer.

 If we’re lucky, Marice and I eventually will enjoy the thrill of being grandparents. But that’s not a given, particularly for someone like me who was almost 41 when Rachel was born and an ancient 44 when Ethan finally arrived.

Marice and her sister Donna dance to the beat.

And while I’m thrilled at how things have turned out, I admit that in my heart of hearts, I miss the frontline duties of parenthood – the days when Gunnels Manse at the top of Mad Bird Hill in Grapevine rang with my children’s laughter and life here was gloriously, infuriatingly, unforgettably chaotic.

But enough of that. Ethan and Ellen have found each other and have committed themselves to a life together. Marice and I wish them all the happiness and fulfillment the world has to offer.

We know that regardless of the twists and turns that the future has in store for them, they will not only persevere, they will prevail. Happy trails, song of our hearts. We love you madly!

Father and son in repose.

Powerless to resist: Southlake Carroll 70, Keller Central 7

 

The Carroll Dragons hosted an overmatched Keller Central squad last night, and it wasn't pretty. 

Hapless and hopeless

SOUTHLAKE – What can you say about a game in which the high point of the night for the losing team came on the first play of the night by its opponent?

You can say, “Better luck next year, Keller Central. And don’t let the gates of Dragon Stadium hit you in your thoroughly beaten, bruised and possibly bloodied backside on your way home.”

Too harsh? Maybe. One thing’s for certain, though. The winless Chargers were both hapless and hopeless against the Dragons last night. And the pitiable survivors don’t have much time to lick their wounds before they meet District 4-6A’s other behemoth, the upstart 7-0 Byron Nelson Bobcats.

That contest is next Friday, and I don’t envy the task of Central coaches in getting their bedraggled players prepared for the next lashing. It’s been a miserable slog for Keller Central this season, but the last 14 days have been particularly brutal.

Last week, the Chargers fell 55-3 to Haslet Eaton, not exactly a powerhouse this year. And after last night’s bloodbath in Dragon Stadium, one of the worst defeats in school history, the task of readying these youngsters for the game against Bryon Nelson may require hypnosis followed by shock therapy.

An unkind night

Last night wasn’t kind to Keller teams, who were knocked around like ten pins all over the district. While the Dragons were de-energizing the Chargers, the Bobcats ripped open the Keller Indians 67-3.  

Last night’s tale of the tape reveals the utter futility of Central’s labors against Carroll in the comforting confines of Dragon Stadium. Beating the Dragons at home is always a life-and-death struggle, even for much better teams than the Chargers.

Here’s how things stacked up:

-- Total yards: SLC 679, KC 67

-- Rushing yards: SLC 321, KC -12

-- Passing yards: SLC 358, KC 79

-- First downs: SLC 22, KC 3

-- SLC held Central scoreless, even against backups, from the 11:06 mark in the first quarter.

Any questions?

For many Dragon fans, the contest began on a definite down note. Rumors were filtering through Dragon Nation that Carroll’s leading receiver, senior Jacob Jordan, had broken his foot and probably was out for the season.

Sympathy and hopes for a quick recovery go out to Jordan and his family, of course. He’s an Oklahoma commit with a promising future so the injury must be a bitter disappointment.

But when he reportedly was seen on the sideline with a cast extending almost to the knee, the reality of the rumor hit knowledgeable Dragonheads like a sledgehammer: Quarterback Graham Knowles had just lost his favorite receiver at a critical point in the season.

Bad news arrives

Significantly, the bad news arrived only two weeks before the Dragons’ biggest test of the season: a matchup on Oct. 27 with Byron Nelson that will almost certainly determine the champion of District 4-6A.

This disturbing reality was just settling in as the Chargers kicked off last night’s contest. The now sidelined Jordan was the Dragons’ regular kickoff returner, so senior Caden Jackson had eased into his place.

 Fielding the ball near the goal line, Jackson only managed to bring it to the 19, prompting some of us superstitious types to wonder if this was the beginning of a bad-luck loop that might derail what thus far has been a solid, frequently superb, season.

On the first play from scrimmage, that irrational fear grew substance and sting. When Knowles handed off to junior Riley Wormley, a Colleyville transfer who missed the first part of the season because of eligibility problems, the junior veered toward the right corner, where a Charger defender stripped the ball and fell on it.

Two plays later, while the Dragons still were shaking out the cobwebs after the un-Carroll-like turnover by the promising Wormley, Central quarterback Chevy Andrews, connected with Christian Hogan, who darted 19 yards for the first score of the night.

Shocked into hyperdrive

Thankfully, however, that Charger-administered shock seemed to jolt the Dragon offense into hyperdrive.

On the ensuing kickoff, Knowles promptly took charge, taking two plays to even the score. He handed off to Jackson, who barreled to the 31, then flipped a pass to senior Clayton Wayland, who raced 69 yards for a TD.

Early in the next Charger drive, senior linebacker Aaron Scherp, who had a superlative game, intercepted an Andrews pass and set Carroll up on the Central 23. Wormley got 2 yards, then Knowles hoisted an arcing pass to sophomore supreme Brock Boyd in the end zone.

Looming on the horizon is an epic Oct. 27 showdown with the undefeated Byron Nelson Bobcats.

The Dragons never looked back, and the Chargers never looked worse.

Carroll’s entire offensive arsenal was on full display. Jackson (7 catches for 92 yards) stepped into Jordan’s role without a quiver. While he scored no touchdowns, he made key receptions that kept drives alive and was the Dragons’ leading receiver.

Knowles was simply sublime. On time and on target, he threw for 4 TDs, completing 94 percent of his passes (16 of 17) for 259 yards. Moreover, he targeted more than a half-dozen receivers, throwing scoring passes to three, Carroll’s first TD to Wayland (3-88), a 36-yard strike to junior tight-end Jack Van Dorselaer, and two to Boyd (3 for 36), one for 21 yards and the other for 5.

Dazzling performance

But Wormsley was brilliant, as well. He rushed for 106 yards on 9 carries and made 3 TDs.

He dazzled Dragonheads in the 2^nd quarter when he grabbed the ball from Knowles and plowed 69 yards to the end zone. His other TDs came on a run of 13 yards and a dramatic 2-yard leap over the pile to close scoring for the first half.

It appears the anticipation with which Carroll fans have awaited UIL approval for Wormsley to play has not been in vain. He’s a gamer and gives the appearance of someone who’s just hitting his stride. With the playoffs looming ever closer, that’s very good news indeed for Dragon Nation.

Forging ahead, Carroll can also count on the services of Wormley’s running mate, sophomore Davis Penn, who got significant playing time against the staggering Chargers. He rushed for 75 yards on 10 carries, including a bruising 36-yard gallop on the Dragons’ last scoring drive before the half.

It’s been a long time – perhaps never – since Carroll has had such a deep and formidable stable of running backs. Head coach Riley Dodge, with a knowing look, calls Wormsley and Penn a “double-headed monster.”

Let’s just hope they can scare the bejeezus out of Bryon Nelson. Is that too much to ask?

Truly frightening

I’ll tell you what was truly frightening last night: the Dragon defense. It played lights out all night. While it couldn’t prevent the first and only Charger TD, it snuffed out several Central scoring chances created by Dragon miscues.

When the Chargers recovered a Penn fumble and returned it to their 49, the D-line dug in and forced a punt that led immediately to Wormley’s 69-yard dash to the end zone.

Senior Dustan Mark ruled the interior line, flattening any Charger ball carrier with the temerity to come near him. Senior defensive back Trey Ferri roamed the flats, disrupting timing, disorienting receivers and generally making a nuisance of himself.

Scherp was the first among equals, intercepting a pass that set up a Carroll TD and repeatedly sacking and harassing the Charger quarterback. He and defensive back Zack Engelhardt seemed to be everywhere. Nothing got past them.

Watching the action

As is my practice, I stayed in my green seat long after the outcome of this mismatch had been decided. Mostly because I wanted to watch the action squad take the field.

And it didn’t disappoint.

Sophomore Angelo Renda and junior Carter Lind both saw playing time and performed well under center. Renda even ran the ball 45 yards for a TD at the opening of the final quarter, arriving in the end zone untouched and exultant. And why not?

Junior running back Christopher Glenn carried a lot of the rushing load in the second half. Zach Hays saw playing time and scored on a 2-yard plunge early in the second half.

In the passing game, sophomore Luc Jacquemard snagged a 42-yard Carter Lind pass to close out scoring for the Dragons.

Next up for Carroll is Eaton, which will host the Dragons on Thursday. The Dragons would do well not to look past Eaton in contemplating their decisive clash with Byron Nelson.

But that’s unlikely. One of the hallmarks of a Riley Dodge team is that it is always prepared and focused on the task at hand. The Byron Nelson game is important, without doubt the most important of the season so far.

But beating the Bobcats and winning the district trophy is not the ultimate Dragon goal. Winning a ninth state championship is the pot of gold this team is seeking. Beating Nelson and winning district merely are means to an end.

Getting it

Fort Worth Star Telegram sportswriter Charles Baggerly gets it.

In a pregame story about the Carroll program, the young Baggerly (he's a 2023 TCU grad) offered praise for the perennial excellence of Dragon football.

“The goal for a program as elite as Southlake Carroll, however, is to win championships, not compete for them. The Dragons are built for more than just a run, and they understand their potential is limitless….

“Although the Dragons have a long way to go, it appears Dodge and Co. have the right winning formula and talent to capture greatness.”

I hope he’s right. But even if he’s not, it'll be fun to be along for the ride, doncha think?

I won’t be writing a post about next week’s game. My son is getting married, and my family is traveling to the Pacific Northwest to participate in the festivities. Some things – not many, I grant you – are more important than football. (Who knows, with a two-hour time difference, I may still be able to catch part of the game. Thank God for the Internet!)

Go Dragons!

For Southlake Carroll, winning district is important, but it's not the ultimate goal. Winning state is.

Unbeaten mismatch: Southlake Carroll 56, Keller 10

 

Junior Riley Wormsley makes his much-anticipated debut against the Keller Indians. 

No dragon-killers in sight

KELLER – The undefeated Keller Indians had every reason to believe they could be dragon-killers last night, and the home side of Keller ISD Athletic Complex was nearly filled with Indian fans who came to see the butchery.

And why not? The Indians were playing on their home field and thus far had dispatched their foes with relative ease.

More than anything, they had last year’s Keller-Southlake donnybrook to boost their confidence. That unbeaten Indian squad came within a hair’s breadth of defeating the Dragons on their hallowed home turf.

Only a last-minute interception by senior defensive back Logan Lowandowski ended a Keller threat to erase the Dragons’ slender 38-35 lead.

Desperate encounter

Most Dragonheads, looking at the evidence, surmised that this year’s Keller squad was even more talented than last year’s. Ergo, we expected another desperate, hair-raising encounter.

Brother, were we wrong, wrong wrong.

Carroll roared into Keller, seized control early and laid waste to the upstarts, scoring TDs on 8 of its next 9 possessions. The sole exception to the Dragons’ march of destruction occurred when a Keller defender managed to intercept a Graham Knowles pass after his receiver tripped and fell.

Redemption came quickly, however. Only two plays later, Dragon defensive back Zach Engelhardt returned the favor and grabbed an errant pass by Keller QB Beckham Robinson. Knowles and company quickly converted the interception into the 5^th Dragon score.

 Lights out

While the Dragon offense was ravaging Keller’s wilting D-line and overwhelmed secondary, the Carroll defense was playing “lights out.”

Jack Van Dorselaer coasts into the end zone after a 91-yard gallop.

 
That’s how Carroll head coach Riley Dodge described his defense’s effort against Keller to The Dallas Morning News.

An apt description if ever there was one for the smothering blanket the Dragon D threw over the hapless Indians. It held Keller scoreless until well into the 4^th quarter after most Carroll starters had retired for the night.

It snared two Robinson interceptions and ended Keller’s only real scoring threat of the night by forcing a fumble at the Dragon 1 while sullen Indian fans watched in silence.

Robinson, who has feasted off opponent defenses all season, threw for 215 yards. But Keller’s only TD came when Robinson flipped a pass to wide receiver Tre’ Griffiths (6-179), who evaded backups and raced 89 yards to the end zone.

Face of catastrophe

Kicker Gabriel Ogura added to Keller’s paltry total with a 35-yard field goal booted with less than a minute left. Frankly, it seemed rather pathetic, and not the noble attempt to retain some pride in the face of catastrophe that Keller intended it to be.

Once again, the Dragons’ leading scorer was young Davis Penn, a sophomore standout whose audacity, slippery speed and hard-nosed running style remind a lot of us of rusher supremo Owen Allen, now attending the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Penn, who rushed 10 times for 62 yards, scored three touchdowns last night, demonstrating once again he’s the go-to guy when yards get hard to come by inside the 5 and when a sprint up the middle for a first down is needed to keep the drive alive.

But his stellar performance was overshadowed by the debut of junior Riley Wormsley, who ran for 109 yards on 15 carries and scored his first  TD as a Dragon.

Wormsley was forced to sit out the first five games of the season when the UIL state executive committee decreed back in August that his transfer to Southlake from Colleyville Heritage was done purely for athletic reasons. That’s a major UIL sin, and it ordered him to sit out the season.

Fair is fair

Here's my trouble with the UIL action. While it voted to bench Wormsley, the UIL’s governing body approved at the same time the transfers of several other talented athletes in cases that closely mirrored that of Wormsley. Fair is fair, ain’t it?

Graham Knowles and Davis Penn, who combined for six TDs last night, share a moment.

But would you believe it? Fair play prevailed in the end – at least for Wormsley. Because last week, the SEC reconsidered its original decision and decreed he can play.

“I’m just glad I’m going to be able to be with the team,” Wormsley told The Dallas Morning News’ Myah Taylor after the game. “It’s been a struggle going through the process of not playing. Being a kid again, it feels great.”

Riley Dodge said the youngster – a three-star recruit who’s attracted the interest of TCU, Texas and Oklahoma – started his Dragon career in fine style.

“He did good,” Dodge told Taylor. “It was his first football game, so it was like a scrimmage for him. Practice is a little bit different than the game, so he’s just going to get better and better.”

That’s great news because Wormsley looked pretty special last night.

He proved to be an elusive runner, unafraid of contact but often quick enough to evade it.

Looking dazed

His best moments came after a Keller punt. Wormsley took the handoff at his own 27 and headed for the barn, leaving Indian defenders looking dazed. He finally was tackled at the 9, 64 yards from where the play started.

Two plays later, he got the payoff, carrying the rock into the end zone to make the score a ridiculous 49-0.

Wormsley’s addition to the lineup gives Carroll’s running game real depth to its running game. Senior James Lehman, who showed great promise last season before getting in mid-season, didn’t get playing time last night, but he’s a real threat going forward.

By adding a potent ground attack to its offensive arsenal – which already features the dependable Knowles and an experienced and talented receiving corps – Carroll stands poised to make this a season to remember.

Knowles performed superbly last night, completing more than 70 percent of his passes (10 of 14). He rushed 21 yards for one TD and threw two others, a 91-yard strike to tight end Jack Van Dorselaer and a 22-yard toss to Jacob Jordan (5 catches for 62 yards).

Van Dorselaer’s TD thrilled Dragonheads. An Indian punt had pinned Carroll at its 7-yard line. Wormsley ground out two yards, then Knowles found Van Dorselaer coming across the flat, connecting with him near the left sideline. Seizing the ball greedily, the junior tight end raced untouched the length of the field.

Added dimension

Van Dorselaer brings an added dimension to the Dragon passing attack, a fact Dodge acknowledged in a post-game interview with Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Charles Baggarly.

“I’m so happy we were finally able to get him free,” Dodge said. “When he gets a head of steam, he can run with the best of them.”

Backup QB Angelo Renda ended scoring for the Dragons in grand fashion. Coming into the game after the Indians failed to make a 43-yard field goal, he handed the ball off to Christian Glenn for a short gain, then hefted a 27-yard TD pass to senior Clayton Wayland, giving the Dragons a 56-0 lead with most of the 4^th quarter to play.

Sophomore Davis Penn rolled to three TDs against the Indians. He's a gamer.

Last night’s win reduces the number of unbeatens in District 4-6A to two, the Dragons and the Byron Nelson Bobcats, who Carroll faces Oct. 27 in Trophy Club in the most anticipated District 4-6A matchup of the year.

The Bobcats take on Haltom tonight. They are heavily favored. In point of fact, it’ll be a bloodbath.

So it’s entirely possible, probable even, that both Carroll and Nelson will be undefeated when they meet later this month.

Upcoming doozy

The winner of that contest, and it should be a doozy, will almost certainly become the 4-6A champ.

Keep in mind that more than just bragging rights comes with a district championship. It has tangible benefits in the playoffs. District champs get homefield advantage in the first round and face weaker opponents.

After seeing the Dragons in action last night against a credible team – and, trust me, Keller is a sound ball club, the lopsided score notwithstanding – I think they have an excellent chance to win district and make a deep plunge in the playoffs.

Who knows, perhaps this is the year. Another state championship. Wouldn’t that be sweet?

Go Dragons!

Riley Wormsley is congratulated by his new teammates after his first TD as a Dragon.