If at first you don’t succeed …
Angelo Renda demonstrated last night the diamond-bright
truth of the old adage that it matters little how you begin an effort. It all
comes down to how you finish.
Renda, a junior still getting used to the role of
field general for the Southlake Carroll Dragons, fumbled his first snap from
center in the Dragons’ non-district clash with the Hebron Hawks.
That misstep led to Hebron’s second field goal of the
night and left Carroll in the rare and uncomfortable role of trailing 6-0
halfway through the first quarter.
But Renda quickly shook the cobwebs out of his helmet
and led Carroll on a seven-touchdown scoring spree that overwhelmed and humiliated a
sturdy, but outmatched Hebron squad.
The junior quarterback completed 13 of 19 passes for
237 yards and touchdown passes to sophomore Brody Knowles (3 receptions, 91
yards) and junior Brock Boyd (6-87).
Daring duo
On the ground, the Dragons’ daring duo – senior Riley
Wormsley and junior Davis Penn shattered the Hebron defense, racking up five
TDs between them. Wormsley, a USC commit, ran 63 yards on 11 carries and scored
three times. Baylor commit Penn ran six times for 69 yards and two scores.
A 25-yard field goal by junior Gavin Strange, and a
9-yard TD run from backup QB Preston Perazzo completed Dragon scoring.
Renda readily took responsibility for his first-snap bobble, but he kept the big picture front and center.
“I have to take ownership of that fumble,” he told The
Dallas Morning News’ Rick Kretzschmar. “I didn’t like that because one of
our team goals every game is no turnovers. Another team goal is how we handle
adversity, and I’m proud of the way we fought back.”
That’s the kind of maturity and stay-focused mentality
that head coach Riley Dodge instills in his players. And it's why Southlake
stands near the top of most state rankings.
Family commitments, centering around the recent birth
of my first grandchild, kept me from traveling to the Hebron blowout. That
necessarily means this game account will be short and sweet.
Hosting the Bobcats
Next week, the Dragons begin District 4-6A play by
hosting the Byron Nelson Bobcats at Dragon Stadium in a contest that could very
well determine who will be district champions.
The Bobcats, as Dragonheads remember bitterly, shocked
the Dragons 34-17 in last year’s regular-season matchup, seizing the 4-6A crown
that Carroll already had dusted off space for in its trophy case.
The Dragons sought and received vindication later in
the year by obliterating the Bobcats 56-7 in the regional finals, sounding taps
on Byron Nelson’s best season in program history. That helped ease a bit the
sting of the initial insult, which ended a 38-game district winning streak by
the Dragons.
But the seeds of a neighborly feud were sown.
Bobcat coach Travis Pride acknowledged to the Fort
Worth Star Telegram’s Mike Waters the challenge his team faces in its clash
with Dragons.
“Southlake has a great team every year,” Pride said.
“Their program is the type program we are trying to build here. It will be a
big game. And our guys are looking forward to it. I am sure Southlake Carroll
will be ready and so will we. Gotta clean up a few things, but we will be
prepared.”
Pride knows that when Byron Nelson comes gunning for
the Dragons next week, it will have to have its weapons oiled and loaded.
Because by all appearances, Carroll is a dreadnought readying to blast its way
through the 4-6A battleline.
Go Dragons!
The Bryon Nelson Bobcats will seek to be Dragon killers once again this season, but they'll have their hands full in the attempt.
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