A playoff joke: Southlake Carroll 69, Mansfield Legacy 7

 

The Dragons came roaring into the playoffs last night, effortlessly demolishing the outclassed Mansfield Legacy Broncos.

No business being here

SOUTHLAKE – What business, you may ask, does a 3-7 team have in making the high school football playoffs?

None, I say. None at all. And as evidence, I offer you the embarrassing performance rendered last night at Dragon Stadium by the outgunned, outcoached and generally outclassed Mansfield Legacy Broncos.

The Broncos, poor souls, made the playoffs as the fourth-best team in District 3-6A, landing in Division II of 6A by virtue of Legacy’s enrollment. That gave them the dubious honor of getting the snot kicked out of them by the Carroll Dragons in the bi-district round of the playoffs.

The University Interscholastic League, which governs high school competitions, in sports and academics, expanded the playoffs years ago to include the top four teams in all districts. In 6A, made up of the state’s largest high schools, the two schools with the largest enrollments of the top four compete in Division I. The two smaller schools go Division II.

Over the years, Carroll has competed in both divisions, depending on what district it is assigned by the UIL and on the schools who make up the top four in that district. This year, the Dragons are shooting for the Division II state title.

Sound complicated? Brethren, you have no idea.

Fairness and inclusion?

The UIL defends its expansion of the playoffs as an effort to give more teams an opportunity to play in the post-season. And to ensure that all playoff-worthy teams get a shot at the big prize, even in talent-heavy districts like the District of Doom that includes both DeSoto and Duncanville.

But while fairness and inclusion might have played a role in the expansion decision, greed had a lot to do with it, too.

Angelo Renda, pictured earlier in the season, threw four TD passes and rushed for another score against the Broncos.

It’s simple economics. The larger the number of schools involved, the more playoff tickets are sold, and the more money goes to the UIL.

The way it works in practice is that the first playoff round often results in a slaughter of the innocents – like last night’s debacle in Southlake.

A strong team from one district is matched with a weaker team from a nearby district. The ensuing blowout thins the bloated playoff ranks and gives the programs who belong there a chance to ease into the playoff race. Everybody wins. Well, almost everybody.

Frankly, Dragonheads expected a cakewalk against Legacy. And brother, we got one. In fact, we got extra servings of cake, along with a giant heaping bowl of ice cream, a jar full of gumdrops and some bracing fruity punch.

But the public spanking delivered by the Dragons was more than a little sad to watch. And I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the lads from Legacy. Last night’s beatdown couldn’t have helped their self-esteem much. And I’m not sure what lessons can be gained from such a mismatch.

Still throwing punches

Give the Broncos credit. They were still in there throwing punches – and getting pummeled in return – to the bitter end. Even after they trailed 28-0 before getting their only score of the night. Even after a 35-point scoring spree by the Dragons in the second quarter. Even after carrying a 49-7 deficit into the locker room at half. Even after watching Dragon backups put up 13 points in the final period while holding them scoreless.

Angelo Renda led the Dragon offense in his usual calm, efficient manner. He completed almost 80 percent of his passes, gaining 346 yards in the air and completing 4 TD passes. He also rushed for another score.

His favorite target was sophomore Blake Gunter, who caught five passes for 155 yards and two TDs. The first came half-way through the second quarter, after a Bronco punt started the Dragons on their 23. Renda ran a keeper to the 34, where he lofted an arc to Gunter speeding for the Legacy end zone.

Gunter’s second score came on a quick one-play strike that Dragonheads, spoiled brats that we are, expect to see at least once in every Carroll game.

After another Legacy punt put the ball on the Bronco 28, Renda started – and ended – the drive with a strike to Gunter, who slipped over the goal line, leaving the Dragons with a 42-7 lead.

Wide receiver Brock Boyd also drew Renda’s attention, snagging 12 catches for 146 yards and 1 TD.

Renda got Dragon scoring underway early, after the feisty Carroll D held the Broncos to a 3-and-out. In three plays, the junior moved Carroll to the Legacy 15, where he zipped a TD pass to Davis Penn.

Penn, in his regular role as runner extraordinaire, would score three more TDs, all on the ground. He finished the night with 14 rushes for 84 yards.

Having a field day

The Dragon defense had a field day against the befuddled Broncos. Leading the way were the usual suspects – junior defensive back Luke Bussman, senior lineman Austin Davidge, senior Jack Van Dorselaer.

But junior defensive back Gavin Strange, who doubles as the Dragons’ main kicker, deserves special attention. He had an outstanding night, blunting one Legacy threat by recovering QB Nathan Wilson’s pass in the Dragon end zone and later killing another Bronco drive by falling on a Bronco fumble. Carroll turned both Legacy miscues into scores.

Painful as it was to witness, I stayed until the very end of last night’s mauling. And I’m glad I did. Those of us – we hardy few! – who hear the final buzzer at Dragon blowouts get to see the backups in action – the kids whose primary, often thankless, job is to prepare the first teams for game night.

When these youngsters get their chance on the field, it’s inspiring to watch their enthusiasm and share their love of the game. And last night was no exception.

Backup quarterback Clayton Fowler stepped in for Renda at the end of the third period after the Broncos failed to convert on fourth down. He quickly moved his team to the 15, helped them claw to the 1, where he bolted across the line to bring the score to 63-7.

Later in the fourth, another backup QB, junior Preston Perazzo, took over after yet another 3-and-out by the sagging Broncos. Behind the running of senior RB Jesse Hill, the Dragons moved inside the 5, where Hill bullied into the endzone for the final score of the night.

Agile and elusive

I love to see this kid play. Hill is an agile, elusive runner, hard-nosed and fearless. He has never gotten much playing time this year – overshadowed by stars like Penn and the injured Riley Wormley. And given the toughening competition ahead for the Dragons in the next playoff rounds, we may not see much more of him.

But trust me, Hill and players like him are a big reason why the Dragon program is one of Texas’ most successful. And they are the ones who actually do – week-in, week-out – protect the tradition we all hear so much about.

The least I can do is to stay a while and cheer them on.

Carroll’s opponent in the next round will be Wolfforth Frenship, a West Texas team the Dragons faced – and whipped handily 49-14 – in the second playoff round last year. Time and location of this year’s contest hasn’t been announced yet. But if I had to guess, I’d put money on Abilene.

That’s where the Dragons played Frenship in 2023. Since Wolfford is a suburb of Lubbock – as strange as that sounds – a neutral venue almost inevitably is going to be in the middle of The Big Empty.

That’s a long drive to a joyless locale, even for an old West Texas hand like me. And it almost certainly would mean an overnight in Abilene. Yes, it could be time to look into pay-for-view.

Age thus makes a timid soul of us all!

Go, Dragons!

Davis Penn, pictured earlier in the season, rushed for three touchdowns and caught an Angelo Renda pass for another score against Legacy.

Ending on a good note: Southlake Carroll 48, Keller Central 15

 

An unbeaten regular season and a district championship is a nice way to enter the playoffs.

Not much of a challenge

KELLER – The slaughter started early. It took the Southlake Carroll Dragons less than 2 minutes to score their first touchdown against the lowly Keller Central Chargers. And it took them only one play to do it.

No one expected the Chargers to pose much of a challenge to the unbeaten Dragons. And they weren’t. But in effortlessly dispatching Central, Carroll lacked a little of its usual disciplined swagger and displayed a sometimes distracted air to the proceedings.

But what the night lacked in crisp execution and flawless devotion to the game plan, it made up for in an entertaining mishmash of weirdness that had fans on both sides of the stadium shaking their heads in wonderment.

Perhaps it was the lingering effects of Halloween.

As usual, the stars of the Dragon offense led the blood-letting.

Quarterback Angelo Renda completed 75 percent of his passes, compiling 249 passing yards and TD throws to Brock Boyd (3-112, 2 TDs) and Brody Knowles (2-34, 1 TD). On the ground, he rolled to 2 more TDs, both on short-yardage hops inside the 5.

Boyd was his favorite receiver. They connected early – on the first Dragon play of the game in fact. Following a quick 3-and-out and a botched Charger punt, Renda lobbed a perfect 61-yard arc to Boyd as the receiver raced toward the endzone.

Errant punt

The sluggish Chargers’ second drive ended with another errant punt that started Carroll’s next possession at its 43. Six plays later, running back extraordinaire Davis Penn surged 2 yards to send the Dragons a 14-0 lead. He ended the night with 16 carries for 120 yards.

Meanwhile, the Dragon D had no trouble with the Charger offense led by quarterback Landon Smith. Smith managed only 38 yards in the air and was held to 6 rushing yards in the 13 times he attempted to run the ball. He is credited with the 4-yard dash that culminated the Chargers only sustained drive of the night.

Charger running backs Spencer Martin (20-90) and Jordan Brown  (3-68) enjoyed a little better running room, but they were never factors in the contest.

The third Central drive was typical. Carroll D lineman Zac Hays sacked Smith on his own 25 as he struggled to convert on 4^th down. This time, the Charger punter managed to get the ball to the Dragon 39, but Carroll’s ensuing possession was plagued by procedural penalties.

Despite some hard running by Penn, the drive ran aground when Penn was stopped for no gain at the Charger 26. Dragonheads then experienced a few minutes of acute concern when Penn got up limping and hobbled off the field.

The junior, a Baylor commit, walked off his discomfort on the sideline and soon returned to play with no further apparent difficulty. But the prospect of losing him – after a knee injury ended Riley Wormley’s season earlier in the year – was bitter, indeed.

The bad mojo created by the scare doomed the Dragon drive, and Carroll had to settle for a 43-yard field goal by Gavin Strange.

Agonies continue

But Central’s agonies would continue. The next Charger drive ended when Carroll D-back Taevin Kunz snagged an interception – his second straight week to do so – and set up a bizarre sequence of plays that transfixed us all.

The Dragons kicked off their drive with a double pass – Renda to Boyd to Brody Knowles – that looked snazzy but didn’t work. But while Dragonheads still  were musing about the failed trick play, Carroll returned to basics and sent Penn plunging through the line and rumbling 65 yards to the end zone.

His labors went unrewarded when a penalty wiped out the score. To add insult to injury, Christian Glenn fumbled the ball on the next play, and Braydon Nichols of the Charger D returned it 77 yards for Central’s first score.

Dragonheads were treated to a slightly crazy game against outmatched Keller Central.

But the craziness didn’t end there. Central’s PAT was blocked by Luke Bussman, who then snatched up the ball and sped 88 yards to the Charger endzone. That denied Central the extra point, added 2 to Carroll’s total and put the score at 19-6.

Renda would add another rushing TD before the end of the half, and the Chargers would claw their way close enough to complete a 27-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the half.

The fireworks weren’t over, yet. After a kickoff we all thought was perfunctory, Glenn fielded the ball and raced 95 electrifying yards across the Charger goal line.

But once again, Dragon labors went for naught. Glenn’s heroics were erased by penalty, and Carroll – with time running out – lined up for a 49-yard Strange field goal. Befittingly, it failed.

Not what we expected

A 26-6 halftime lead emphatically was NOT what many of us expected to see against Central, a team that has won only one game all season and is winless in 4-6A play.

The third quarter reassured most Dragonheads that the stars were properly aligned and the music of the spheres restored.

Renda got things started with a 6-play, 62-yard drive that he ended with a 5-yard bolt across the line. Things then veered off course again.

On the PAT, the snap went awry, and Dragon holder Zac Hays scrambled to recover it. Barely eluding a pack of Chargers, he completed a desperate side-arm pass as he fell to the turf. Don’t ask me how, but Jacob Bobrowski caught it in the endzone.

Carroll forced a 3-and-out on Smith and company, and two plays later, Renda zipped the ball 17 yards to Knowles, who brought the score to 41-9.

Smith managed to engineer the Chargers only sustained drive of the night, then punctuated it with a 4-yard TD dash.

Scoring for the night ended on the very next Carroll drive in an appropriately upbeat note and with a perfectly predictable cast.

Renda began work on his own 39 (Carroll enjoyed excellent field position all night). He took the snap, looked downfield for Boyd and lofted a 61-yard pass that fell into the junior’s hands.

So ends Carroll’s regular season – its unbeaten season unsullied, its District 4-6A championship secure and with the welcome prospects of a bye week to prepare for the playoffs.

I’m not going to delve into the complicated playoff picture in this post. There’ll be time enough for that next week and the next. For now, it’s time for the Dragons to recoup, regroup and enjoy their accomplishment.

Go, Dragons!

 

The Dragons have a bye week to recoup and regroup for the playoffs.

District 4-6A champs! Southlake Carroll 73, L.D. Bell 7

 

The undefeated Dragons demolished an overmatched and under-gunned L.D. Bell.

A merciless beating

SOUTHLAKE – Well, it’s official. The Southlake Carroll Dragons are the champions of District 4-6A, thanks to the merciless beating they inflicted last night on the nearly helpless Blue Raiders of L.D. Bell.

That will come as a surprise to no one, particularly since the Dragons already had toppled the best that District 4-6A had to offer even before the Raiders had the misfortune to poke their noses into Dragon Stadium.

To recap briefly, the Dragons – in their first district game of the year – whipped reigning 4-6A champ Byron Nelson 33-21, then slipped past Euless Trinity 56-48 a week later. Only last week, they demolished the unbeaten Northwest Texans 48-7.

Last night, the poor pitiful Blue Raiders arrived in Southlake to face a Dragon team breathing fire and fixated on capturing the district crown. That accomplished, they can now proceed to the other two season goals for any Carroll team – a deep run in the playoffs signified by holding a practice on Thanksgiving Day and, ultimately, gloriously, finally, another state championship, their ninth.

Carroll quarterback Angelo Renda was chief fire breather against Bell. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 273 yards and two TDs.

Favored receiver

He threw three of those passes to favored receiver Brock Boyd, who returned two of them for touchdowns. The first was a 20-yard zinger that gave the Dragons their first lead with seconds left in the first quarter, and the second a 38-yard arc into the endzone midway through the second.

But Renda also was Carroll’s leading rusher against Bell, carrying six times for 90 yards and another score. His success on the ground, first unveiled this season in last week’s win over Northwest, comes just in time for the high-stakes, winner-take-all environment of the playoffs.

The rushing threat posed by the quick and elusive Renda on the ground is a welcome addition to an arsenal that lost a major asset earlier in the year when a knee injury felled star running back Riley Wormley.

A mobile Renda only adds to the embarrassment of offensive riches Carroll already enjoys. Junior running back Davis Penn, a Baylor commit, has developed into a potent force – fearless, rugged and hard to bring down. Against the Raiders, Penn rushed 11 times for 44 yards and two TDs.

Penn’s 6-yard dart tied things up in the first quarter after a long 75-yard Raider drive ate up a third of the clock. Facing a 4^th-and-2, quarterback Cameron Johnson barreled into the endzone to give Raider fans an ever-so-brief glimmer of hope.

That hope had been ground to dust by the time Penn, with only 25 ticks on the clock, rolled to his second score, a 1-yard dash across the line that gave the Dragons an unassailable 35-7 halftime lead.

Senior Christopher Glenn also is seeing additional duty in the backfield and has shown great potential. He was the Dragons’ second leading rusher last night, running six times for 76 yards and one score, a17-yard scoot into the endzone.

Not finished yet

Despite a four-TD halftime lead, the Dragons weren’t finished. Not yet. Not by a long shot.

Glenn’s TD and a 34-yard field goal by Gavin Strange were the only scores in the third quarter, a quiet precursor to what turned out to be a wild and woolly fourth.

Despite the game’s lopsided margin, Carroll did not appear to be trying to run up the score on a hapless foe. But how can a coaching staff in good faith put backup players in the lineup and then not expect them to play all out?

To me, it’s ridiculous even to think they should.

To their credit, Carroll coaches didn’t attempt to hold the backups in check. And the kids went for blood, on both sides of the ball. Not only did the defensive second team force an interception from Raider quarterback Aden Madsen, who replaced Johnson the starter late in the game, but it immobilized the Raider offense.

Offensively, the Dragons didn’t stop exercising their will over the bedraggled Raiders even after the second team began filtering into the lineup late in the third quarter.

Backup running back Sal Esposito was the third leading rusher of the night (7-60) and scored twice. Backup defensive back Taevin Kunz scored a pick-6 exactly 1 minute after Carroll had widened its lead to 52-7 when backup Jack McCaskill scooted 8 yards for the Dragons seventh (!) touchdown.

Here’s how ridiculous it became: In the final period, the Dragons’ second team, now in command of the field, scored 28 unanswered points.

Heart-clutching run

Four TDs! McCaskill’s 8-yard dash, Kunz’s pick-6, and Esposito’s two TDs, which included a heart-clutching 49-yard bolt to the endzone to end scoring for the night.

Beating up on an overmatched opponent may not be the best way to prepare for the playoff caldron ahead. Given their druthers, the Dragons probably would prefer to face a tough opponent who can challenge them and help them sharpen their claws for the post.

But in high school football, you play the opponent in front of you. And the Dragons have faced some worthy opponents this year in addition to creampuffs – I’m being rude, but you know it’s true – like the Blue Raiders, now 2-6 for the season and 1-5 in district.

Carroll faces another weak sister next week, when they travel to Keller to end the season in the dimly lit confines of KISD Athletic Complex.

Under normal circumstances, I’d say it won’t be much of a contest. And I doubt very much that the Chargers are looking forward to the encounter. But this is high school football, folks, and anything can happen.

That said, I’ll make a prediction: Head coach Riley Dodge will have his young charges fired up and ready to shake the foundations of Keller’s disgrace of a stadium. The Dragons ought to do the stingy folks of Keller a favor and knock it to the ground. But that’s just my opinion.

Go, Dragons!

One more game before the playoffs, and Dragonheads are ready!

Clinching a playoff berth: Southlake Carroll 48, Northwest 7

 

Davis Penn crosses the goal line to score one of his two touchdowns against the Texans.

The boss of District 4-6A

The Southlake Carroll Dragons demonstrated last night with brutal efficiency and almost nonchalant ease who’s boss of District 4-6A, humiliating the overwhelmed Northwest Texans and blowing up their loudly touted undefeated season.

The Texans were no pushovers. Well, not quite, anyway. They were well-coached and showed grit and character in their embarrassing butt-whipping by the Dragons.

But the simple truth is they were like boys among men against the Dragons’ offensive steamroller and proved unable to contain – or even slow down -- Carroll’s thrilling junior trio of quarterback Angela Renda, wide receiver Brock Boyd and running back Davis Penn.

No doubt the Texan faithful will want to blame the blowout at least in part on the absence of starting quarterback Ryder Norton, injured in last week’s game against Keller Central.

But it’s doubtful Norton would have fared much better than backup Trey Poe, who was bedeviled by the Dragon D, with defensemen Austin Davidge and Jack Van Dorselaer leading the ravenous horde. And although primary Northwest rusher Nate Jean ran for more than 100 yards, his labors amounted to nothing – nothing at all.

Odds-on favorite

In drubbing the Texans, Carroll clinched a berth in the upcoming playoffs and confirmed it’s the odds-on favorite to capture the 4-6A crown. Making the playoffs was never really in doubt, of course. And after crushing Byron Nelson and Euless Trinity earlier in the season, all roads to the district championship run through Southlake.

The real news – not a shocker, either, but oh-so-lovely to contemplate – is how this Dragon team is jelling, three weeks before the postseason begins, into such a formidable force. Despite injuries that would cripple another team.

Head coach Riley Dodge said in postgame interviews that it’s gratifying to see his squad come together at this critical moment.

“I think the big thing is we’re getting better,” Dodge told Charles Baggarly of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “We’re growing up on the fly. We’re becoming a better practice football team, and it’s showing up the last three or four weeks.”

He said he’s urged his players to keep their sense of urgency. To treat every week “like it’s the Super Bowl.”

“They’re starting to learn and take it seriously,” Dodge said to Baggarly. “So I think the biggest thing for this group is just going through the process and diving into it. That’s how we win football games.”

It took Carroll only six plays and 2½ minutes to launch its scoring spree, with Penn barreling 5 yards to paydirt.

Hard-charging runner

The hard-charging Penn carried 19 times for 107 yards and 2 scores – his 10^th and 11^th TDs so far this season. Last night was the fourth time in the last five games that Penn has run for more than 100 yards.

“We really went into this game just trusting our training, really taking pride in our preparation,” Penn told The Dallas Morning News after the game. “We had so much confidence in our game plan, and how we practiced during the week. Short week, but we still made it happen.”

For anyone who doubted Penn, a Baylor commit, could slip into the primary running role vacated by injured four-star recruit Riley Wormley, don’t you feel just a little silly?

After its frisky opening drive, Carroll stopped Poe and company cold. But its next possession ended ingloriously when Renda threw an interception. Luckily, the Dragon D stepped up and stalled the Texans on the Dragon 26. A 43-yard field goal failed.

Leading receiver Brock Boyd caught two TD passes from quarterback Angelo Renda.

 
Just three plays later, Renda redeemed himself when he sent a spiral to favored receiver Boyd, who then streaked 64 yards down the left sideline for the second Dragon score.

After forcing another Northwest punt, the Dragons flubbed the return. Unnoticed by everyone – except the guys in striped shirts – a Carroll player barely brushed the descending ball, which bounced once and was buried beneath a couple of Texans.

Signs of life

Northwest showed its first signs of life on the subsequent drive. Behind the running of Jean and Poe, the Texans moved to the Dragon 2, where receiver Kobey Wall, taking a direct snap, scored the first and only Texan touchdown.

During the next Dragon drive, Penn carried the ball 31 yards in three plays to the Texan 44. That’s where Renda sent another arcing pass 44 yards to Boyd who nimbly stepped across the goal line for his second TD of the night.

Dodge heaped praise on his junior receiving star, who finished the night with 4 catches for 135 yards.

“He is the ultimate competitor,” Dodge told Baggarly. “He is a team captain for a reason. One of the best practice players and a coach’s kid. He’s been around the game a long time. He is playing like a star, and he wants the football. All good wide receivers want the ball.”

Now leading 21-7, the Dragons turned up the heat. After moving 71 yards, aided by a 36-yard keeper by Renda, they lined up at the Texan 4. Renda narrowly evaded the clutch of some unwelcome guests in his backfield, then slipped the ball to Penn, who juked left and plunged across the line, sending the Dragons into halftime with a 28-7 lead.

Carroll’s dominance extended into the third period. Defenseman William Chen stopped Jean behind the line on Northwest’s first play of the half. Forced the punt, the Texans then watched as Renda marched the Dragons downfield in four plays before tossing a 31-yard TD pass to sophomore Blake Gunter.

A bit later, after Southlake forced a turnover on downs, Renda demonstrated that his earlier rushing jaunt was no fluke. After leading the Dragons to the Northwest 10, he charged for the endzone himself, with the hardy Penn sweeping the lane clear of would-be tacklers.

Thus, the Dragons unveiled yet another offensive weapon they no doubt plan to hone as the playoffs approach.

Running prowess

In his backup role last season, Renda – who rushed 4 times last night for 63 yards – frequently displayed his running prowess. This year, he has left the rushing chores to Wormley and Penn, for obvious reasons. But as he demonstrated last night, under the right circumstances, his quick elusiveness can be an effective threat.

Dodge said a lingering health issue has kept Renda in the pocket for much of the season. He hinted to the Star-T’s Baggarly that we now may see more of a scrambling, rambling Renda.

“He’s had turf toe for a long time and hasn’t been able to use his wheels,” Dodge said. “I think he is not accustomed to using his legs.”

Widespread Dragon substitutions began in the 4^th quarter, but the Texans fared no better against the backups.

Dragon defensive lineman Austin Davidge plugs a hole in the line against a Northwest runner.

When a Texan drive was halted inside the Northwest red zone, senior Dragon defender Mateo Fodor blocked a punt, which Christian Glenn scooped up at the 5 and carried over the line. The PAT failed.

And to add insult to injury, the final Texan drive of the night ended when junior linebacker Robbie Ladd intercepted a Poe pass.

An interesting sidelight to last night’s game is the interconnecting relationships between the opposing coaches. Texan coach Bill Poe once worked for Riley Dodge’s dad, the legendary Todd Dodge, and coached Riley. Later, when the young Dodge began his coaching career, he was a Poe assistant in Justin.

“I’ve worked for Bill,” Dodge told the Star-T. “He’s a mentor of mine. I knew exactly how he was going to prepare his team. The way our guys prepared this week – they treated this game like it should have been treated. I’m so proud of our guys.”

Next week, the Dragons host L.D. Bell on Senior Night. They end district play on Nov. 1 with a road game against Keller Central. Neither team should prove to be much more than a bump in the road to District 4-6A glory.

But that’s the kind of attitude that can bite you in a tender place. Boyd told Baggarly the Dragons will be ready – regardless of the quality of their next opponent.

“We’ve talked about being a mature football team and just playing a complete game. Just taking it one play at a time,” Boyd said.

Go Dragons! 

Quarterback Angelo Renda threw for one TD and ran for another against the overmatched Texans.

No surprises: Southlake Carroll 50, Haslet Eaton 14

 

After making mincemeat out of the Eaton Eagles, the Dragons get ready for a battle of unbeatens.

The methodical march continues

SOUTHLAKE –Southlake Carroll wasted no time last night in dispatching the floundering Eaton Eagles, effortlessly brushing them aside as it continues its methodical march through District 4-6A.

The Eagles didn’t put up much of a fight. It took them until halfway through the third quarter to finally get on the scoreboard. And that’s only because the Dragons mercifully had begun wholesale substitutions after scoring six unanswered touchdowns.

Carroll QB Angelo Renda lacked a bit of his usual crispness against the sluggish Eagles. But considering the runaway farce in which he found himself, you can forgive him if his mind wandered a bit. Even so, he got the job done, completing 13 of 20 passes for 135 yards and sending TD throws to three separate receivers.

Sophomore Blake Gunter, who is turning into a go-to guy for Renda, got things started by catching a 19-yarder in the endzone on the second play from scrimmage after Eaton went 3-and-out on its first possession.

Near the end of the first quarter, the Dragon D forced another Eagle punt, which gave the Dragons the ball on their 29 yardline. Renda immediately dropped back and sent a beautiful arc that fell neatly into the hands of lead receiver Brock Boyd as he ran full tilt downfield. Boyd, without breaking stride, raced 71 yards to give Carroll a 21-0 lead.

Right on target

And just before the first half ended, Renda zipped a 7-yarder to the left corner of the endzone, where it landed in the arms of Brody Knowles. Knowles, another promising sophomore, made the catch despite the Eagle defender draped over his shoulders.

All in all, not a bad night’s work, wouldn’t you say?

The Dragon ground game also flexed its muscles against the helpless Eagles.

Junior running back Davis Penn has adjusted well to his new role as the Dragons’ leading rusher, now that superstar Riley Wormley is sidelined for the season.

Penn riddled the Eagle defense, rushing 11 times for 131 yards and a touchdown.

During the Eagles’ second possession, Dragon defender Luke Bussman crashed into an Eagle receiver just as he enveloped a Mason Stubbe pass, jarring loose the ball, which Bussman quickly pounced on at the Carroll 40.

Penn’s hard-nosed running then powered the Dragons to the Eaton 20, where Penn bulldozed his way across the goal line.

Boyd also saw some action on the ground. After the Dragons took a 35-0 lead into halftime, the Dragons’ first drive of the third quarter stalled, and kicker Gavin Strange failed to make a 43-yard field goal.

Desperate conversion

But Eaton couldn’t do any better and faced a 4^th down at its 32. Carroll defensive leader Austin Davidge crushed the desperate conversion attempt when he sacked Stubbe.

The Dragons took over at the 29, and on the next play, Renda handed off to to Penn, who ran right, then pitched the ball to Boyd coming the other way.

Boyd slipped around the left end and raced untouched to the goal line, leaving a trail of stunned and confused Eaton defenders in his wake.

Carroll easily smothered a feeble Eagle offense while rolling to six unanswered touchdowns.

Even the Dragon action squad, which carried the load for 1½ quarters last night after the starters left the field, got a taste of Friday Night Lights glory. But they had to work for it.

Quarterback Coleman Fowler led a lengthy drive downfield after taking over from Renda. But the drive was upended when Fowler was intercepted as he attempted to move the Dragons across the 34.

Four plays later, however, junior linebacker Robbie Ladd recovered an Eagle fumble and gave the Dragon offense another shot.

Muscling it over

Hard running by seniors Christian Glenn and Jesse Hill carried the Dragons to the Eagle 3, where Fowler muscled the ball across the line. Junior Crawford Taylor caught a pass in the endzone to make the 2-point conversion, thus ending Dragon scoring at 50-7.

The Eagles would fight their way to a second TD in the last minute of play. But it was a meaningless gesture – despite loud efforts by the Eaton band to give some sparkle to an otherwise dismal evening for the visitors.

The Dragon defense – once again led by Davidge and Luke Bussman – shut down Eaton’s puny offense, keeping the pressure on Stubbe (13 of 20 for 78 yards) and limiting lead running back Micah Rivers to 42 yards on 17 carries.

Dragon defenders harassed Eagle quarterbacks all evening and sacked them regularly. Dragon defensive back William Chen got a pick-6 at the beginning of the third quarter, extending an already insurmountable lead to 28-0.

The Dragons now turn their attention to the still undefeated Justin Northwest Texans, who have ambitions to seize the 4-6A title for themselves.

Not so impressive

The Texans slipped past the Keller Central Chargers last night 28-14, a not-so-impressive win against a team that has lost five straight games. Northwest will host the Dragons next Thursday in Justin.

Carroll already has toppled two of 4-6A’s top teams – Byron Nelson and Euless Trinity. Facing a tough opponent brimming with confidence late in the season can be a blessing for a team like Carroll, which hungers for a district championship, but whose ultimate goal is, and always has been, a ninth state championship.

Hard tests during the regular season only help prepare playoff teams for the win-or-go-home ordeal of the postseason. It’s a sure bet that’s the message head coach Riley Dodge will be delivering to his young charges in the days ahead.

So bring it on, Texans, and let the chips fall where they may.

Go Dragons!

Head coach Riley Dodge's message to his team: Sharpen your talons on Justin Northwest to get in shape for the playoffs!

Rude Homecoming guests: Southlake Carroll 52, Keller 21

 

The Dragons ruined Homecoming for the Keller Indians, defusing their offense and overwhelming their defense.

Resting on sturdy shoulders

KELLER – The Southlake Carroll Dragons, denied the services of Riley Wormley, their star-power running back, shifted their potent ground game last night to the sturdy shoulders of Wormley’s running partner, junior Davis Penn.

And Penn didn’t disappoint. No, indeed.

While Wormley watched on crutches from the sidelines, Penn roared to four touchdowns, rolling up 136 yards on 15 carries in leading the Dragons to a pitiless dismantlement of the proud Keller Indians before a buoyant Homecoming crowd at ramshackle KISD Athletic Complex.

Wormley suffered a season-ending knee injury in last week’s 44-7 massacre of Keller Timber Creek. And while the Dragon offense lacks a little of the razzle-dazzle it displayed with Wormley in the lineup, it demonstrated against Keller that it has plenty of punch left.

And can you blame the laconic Penn for showing just a smidge of satisfaction that he’s emerged from Wormley’s imposing shadow and done so in such an emphatic fashion?

“It was a very unfortunate loss for us,” he told Mike Waters of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, referring to Wormley’s injury. “The rest of us have to step up. I am prepared and ready for the challenge.”

Head coach Riley Dodge paid tribute to his injured star, but made it clear that the Dragon march to district and beyond must now proceed without him.

“We will obviously miss such a great player in Wormley,” he said to Waters, then turned the spotlight on the young man who will replace him.

 “Davis had a huge year last season for us,” Dodge said. “We know what he is capable of doing.”

As a result, Dragon quarterback Angelo Renda -- after kicker Gavin Strange’s 25-yard field goal got Southlake on the board during Carroll's first possession -- turned to Penn to get things really rolling.

When Dragon defensive back Taevin Kunz snagged an errant pass by Keller quarterback Beckham Robinson at the Indian 47, Carroll marched briskly to the 6, where Penn breezed in for his first score.

Booting it back

After a Carroll punt pinned the Indians on their own 5, they were corralled inside the 10 and had to boot it back.

Renda then led a 7-play, 54-yard drive that ended when Penn juked his way through the Keller line and raced 14 yards for his second score.

Keller built momentum on its next drive. Bolstered by a thrilling 31-yard run by Indian running back Quinton Shropshire, Keller drove to the Dragon 1. Shropshire darted in and finally got his team on the board midway through the first quarter.

But it took the Dragons only 16 seconds to reestablish their command of the situation, except this time the score came through the air. On the first play of its very next drive, Renda sent a 56-yard spiral to junior receiver Brock Boyd to widen the Dragon lead to 24-7.

With less than a minute left in the half, the Dragons muffed a punt return, turning the ball over to the Indians at the Carroll 18. Three plays later, Robinson capitalized on that rare Dragon misstep, connecting with Brock Meek to make the halftime score an uncomfortably close 24-14.

It’s not unreasonable to assume that at this point the Keller crowd – the largest audience I’ve ever witnessed at a Keller athletic event – may have entertained for a brief moment a pleasant fantasy.

In that other-worldly daydream, the Indians came rampaging into the second half, teeth bared and blood in their eyes. With clockwork precision and masterful execution, they forced the Dragons into uncustomary mistakes, panicked disorder and a complete system breakdown, thus giving Keller the hallowed title of Dragon Killer.

Evaporating quickly

But that didn't happen. Not by a long shot. Like all daydreams, this one evaporated rather quickly as the decisive third quarter unfolded before the horrified eyes of the Keller faithful.

Dragonheads keep their eyes on the prize -- a District 4-6A championship.

Carroll promptly marched 81 yards in 5 plays, culminating in a 24-yard pass from Renda (15-20, 3 TDs) to Boyd, the junior receiver’s second TD of the night. He would end the evening with five catches for 144 yards.

Now leading 31-14, the Dragons bedeviled Robinson and crew as they struggled to ignite some offensive fire. Robinson was sacked once and almost lost the ball on another play in the first Indian drive of the second half, testimony to the harassment he faced from an inspired defensive squad led by Austin Davidge and Luke Bussman.

After a Keller punt set Carroll up at its own 38, Renda handed the ball to the redoubtable Penn, who plunged through the Indian line and raced 62 yards to paydirt, high stepping the last 15 yards to keep out of the grasp of his only Indian pursuer.

He would score again later in the quarter after Davidge and company forced Robinson into a 4^th-and-11 and then prevented Keller from converting.

Four plays later, Penn bulldozed 13 yards for his fourth – and final – score.

As the third period drew to a close, with the Dragons in a now soothing 45-14 lead, Keller went 3-and-out and lined up to punt. The kicker mishandled the snap, and the resulting melee ended with the Dragons sitting on the Indian 16.

Renda zipped the ball to receiver Brody Knowles (2-31), and the promising sophomore ended Dragon scoring for the night. The quarter ended with the Dragon band striking up “Hey, Baby,” signaling to all there would be no Dragons slain this night.

Give the Indians credit. They fought long and hard to the last. As the final quarter opened, with substitutions starting on both squads, backup Keller quarterback Brock Burnett briefly stirred the dispirited Homecoming crowd – now considerably thinned – by speeding 32 yards for a meaningless touchdown.

Wormley on crutches

Despite the night’s successful conclusion, more than a few Dragonheads were sobered by the sight of the remarkable Wormley on crutches, his senior year ruined by injury and his promising future endangered.

Our depression only deepened when junior Luc Jacquemard, a talented receiver and excellent kickoff returner, went down and had to be supported off the field.

It was a sad reminder that glory under Friday Night Lights can be brief indeed, and often comes at a cost. Those of us who follow these young men’s endeavors and hail their successes – which quicken our pulses and prompt our cheers – shouldn’t forget that they sacrifice a lot to pursue their dreams.

Best wishes to both Wormley and Jacquemard, and here’s hoping their recoveries are rapid and complete.

The Dragons play Haslet Eaton next week at home, then face the still undefeated Northwest Texans in Justin on Oct. 17. At this stage, the Texans seem to pose the only serious challenge to the Dragons as they pursue a District 4-6A championship.

Northwest boasts a 5-0 season record, but its non-district wins over Mansfield Legacy and McKinney North don’t count for much. The Dragons, on the other hand, have faced the best of 4-6A already, sending both Byron Nelson and Euless Trinity down in flames.

Even at home, the Texans best be prepared for the Dragons' fiery visit.

Fall may not be in the air yet, folks, but it’s coming. It’s coming. Ain’t it?

Go, Dragons!

Fall may not be in the air yet -- but the Dragons are in the second half of their regular season and still going strong.

The cost of success: Southlake Carroll 44, Keller Timber Creek 7

 

Superstar Riley Wormley, shown here with QB Angelo Renda, left last night's game with a left-knee injury.

A big win, yes, but …

What price victory?

It’s a question many Dragonheads may be asking themselves in coming days after Southlake Carroll’s shellacking last night of the Keller Timber Creek Falcons.

The Dragons, led by the brilliant running of superstar Riley Wormley, easily brushed aside the Falcons, who boasted an undefeated record they hardly deserved.

But in doing so, Carroll may have lost the services of the talented Wormley, who had to be helped off the field in the 3^rd quarter after a 6-yard run in which he injured his left knee.

Wormley spent a lengthy period in the medical tent and later was carted off the field, his leg encased in a metal brace, to the cheers of the hometown crowd and the hugs of his teammates.

“It doesn’t look good,” head coach Riley Dodge admitted to The Dallas Morning News’ Greg Riddle after the game. “You can tell in the kids’ eyes after a really good win. It deflates you a little bit. Obviously, he’s a special player and a special teammate, a captain and a leader on this team.”

When a coach talks like that to a member of the media, you can bet damned well that the injury is a serious one. Serious enough to put Wormley out for the season? Let’s hope not. But I have a dismal hunch that is exactly what’s going to happen.

End of the show?

If I’m right, that’s the end of the Riley and Davis show. That explosive rushing ensemble – featuring the redoubtable Wormley and his partner in crime, junior Davis Penn – has powered the Dragons past District 4-6A rivals Byron Nelson and Trinity to a 5-0 season record and thrust Carroll high in the playoff conversation.

I know. It’s churlish to consider the impact of Wormley’s injury on the Dragon program. After all, the young man’s bright future – he is a USC commit – is at stake, as is his overall good health. His welfare is paramount.

Still and all, this is high school football, and the bigger picture looms for the Dragons.

They are lucky that the sturdy Penn – an indefatigable, hard-charging runner without Wormley’s flair, but with much of his skill and determination – remains ready for duty.

Dodge, in his comments to the DMN’s Riddle, acknowledged that fact.

“Davis is the guy,” he said. “He carried a lot of the weight last year for us. He’s one of the top running backs in the state. We’re blessed to have two really good running backs.”

Blessed, indeed. But don’t kid yourself. Wormley will be missed. Plenty. He was a glory to see last night, rushing for three touchdowns, including a couple of first-play-from-scrimmage TD runs that made a mockery of the Falcon’s 4-0 season record.

In their first drive of the night, the Falcons drove confidently down the field, with Creek quarterback Carson Porter eating up the clock with a steady diet of short passes before he tossed a 17-yard strike to receiver Xavier Lee.

But the Creek celebration was a short one. Exactly 53 seconds later, Dragon quarterback Angelo Renda sailed an 80-yard beauty to his favorite receiver, junior Brock Boyd, as he raced wide open downfield, no Falcon defender within 20 yards of him.

The score now knotted at 7-7, the Dragons held Creek to a 3-and-out, then swept downfield 63 yards in five plays before Renda hit the sure-handed Boyd with a 45-yard TD arc.

From that point on, it was disaster on the ground for the Falcons, thanks to Wormley and Penn.

Pushing it in

After another 3-and-out, Creek turned the ball over to Carroll, which drove smoothly to the Falcon 2, where Wormley pushed it in.

Porter and his Falcons could do no better on their next possession. After a weak-footed punt that Dragon Luc Jaquemard returned to his 46-yard line, Penn bulldozed to the 4, then scored from the 2.

Creek, now trailing 28-7, started its next drive at its own 13 and could only struggle to its 22 before Porter – under immense pressure all night – was sacked by defensive end Jack Van Dorselaer at the Creek 10 and the Falcon punter lined up in the endzone to boot it away.

The end was never in doubt, but the true impact of the game still is to be determined.

The Falcon punt skittered off the kicker’s foot and bounced out of bounds at the original line of scrimmage. From there, Wormley plunged through the line to paydirt. One play. One Dragon. No fuss, no muss.

For the Falcons, the nightmare continued. After starting their next drive at their 25, Porter was sacked by Van Dorselaer – again – and coughed up the ball to Dragon defensive lineman Austin Davidge.

Two plays later, Renda launched the ball to sophomore receiver Brody Knowles in the end zone. The ball brushed Knowles' fingers, then was juggled by two – or was it three? – Creek defenders before one of them fell to the turf with it clutched in his arms.

But the gift was returned unopened. After another pitiful 3-and-out, the Creek kicker – who shall remain unnamed to protect the inept – sent another punt sliding out of bounds at the 26.

And from there – yes, you guessed it – Wormley muscled through the line, twisting out of two tackles and scored his hat trick.

Hindsight being 20/20, his night should have ended at the half. But Wormley returned for the first Carroll series of the second, which was interrupted by another rare interception of the normally reliable Renda. Two plays later, the Dragon-tormented Porter threw an errant pass of his own, which was snagged by Carroll defender Ethan Fisher.

Wormley’s injury occurred as he fought for yardage to the 25.

With his departure, much of the ooph of the Dragon offense faded away. Renda sailed passes of 51 and 9 yards to Boyd to get Carroll inside the Creek 10. But the drive stalled there, setting up a 28-yard field goal by Gavin Strange that ended scoring for the night and signaled the beginning of substitutions by both squads.

Dragon dominance

A group of statistics illustrates the scope of Dragon dominance. Carroll rushed for 467 total yards, compared to the Falcons’ meager 134. And while the Dragons were gaining 267 yards in the air, Porter could manage only 88. On the ground, the Carroll outran Creek 200 to 46.

Offensive stars, no surprise, were Wormley (8 for 73, 3 TDs) and Penn (8 for 76, 1 TD). Both gained an average of more than 9 yards every time they touched the ball.

Boyd was not far behind, perhaps even a half-step in front. He caught 7 Renda passes for 213 yards and the Dragons’ first two scores.

Renda, despite his two INTs, had an acceptable night. He completed 10 of 18 passes for 233 yards, including the two long ones to Boyd for TDs.

The Dragon D deserves a lot of credit, too. Although the Falcons don’t wield the strongest offensive arsenal around, the Carroll defense tossed Falcons around like ragdolls.

Van Dorselaer was a monster, spending almost as much time in the Creek backfield as Porter. Although he gained his reputation and was recruited by Tennessee as a tight end, he gracefully accepted a transfer to the Carroll defense to help that beleaguered squad.

As such, he quickly established a commanding presence and now leads the team in tackles. He and Davidge bedeviled Porter on every play, disrupting his timing and sending him scrambling for his life. Luke Bussman also was a major factor in shutting down – and then stamping out – the Creek offense.

Dodge heaped praise on his defensive stalwarts.

“Our defense played lights out,” Dodge told the Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Mike Waters. “We gave up the quick score early, but I cannot say enough about our defense.”

Coach love

Van Dorselaer in particular garnered his share of coach love.

 “He is such a talented athlete,” Dodge said to Waters. “He just keeps getting better and better as the season goes along.”

The Dragons are 5-0 for the season, 3-0 in District 4-6A. Next up: Keller on Oct. 4.

Van Dorselaer told Waters he is getting more comfortable on defense.

“I like the aggressiveness of playing defense,” he said. “On offense, you know what the play is going to be. But on defense, you have to react on the fly. And I like knowing I have a chance to make a play on every play on defense.”

The question is how the Dragons will be affected by the loss of Wormley. Can they continue to be a force to reckon with or will their plans for a deep playoff run be disrupted.

The Star-Telegram game story mentioned that Carroll, which for the fourth consecutive year has started 5-0, is seeking its 7^th undefeated regular season in the past 14 years.

Another undefeated season seems a reasonable expectation. The only possible bump in the road could be the 4-0 Northwest Texans, who face Carroll at home on Oct. 17. The Texans have sent Mansfield Legacy, McKinney North Keller and Eaton packing this year. They face L.D. Bell on Oct. 3

Keller is next up for the Dragons on Oct. 4 in its disgrace of a football stadium, the KISD Athletic Complex. Since I feel another rant coming on, I’ll leave that topic for another day.

Before signoff, a word about the streaming of Carroll games by the Dragon Sports Network. A medical procedure earlier in the week kept me from attending the game, so I tuned in to the online broadcast.

Thankfully, they seemed to have worked out the technical kinks in the system, and announcers Chris Blake and Robert Clayton are well-informed and a joy to follow. I found it to be a most enjoyable way to watch the Dragons.

Nothing beats attending the games in person. But if circumstances make that impossible, the online streaming is a great way to feel like a part of the show.

Go, Dragons!

Mum's the word at the Homecoming Game!