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.
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 2nd 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!
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