Another district title secured: Southlake Carroll 49, Hurst L.D. Bell 0

 

Junior Blake Gunter fights twists his way downfield during the Dragons' dismantling of the Blue Raiders last night. 

A rocky road with a few potholes

BEDFORD – The Southlake Carroll Dragons, shaking off a first-half lethargy that had Dragonheads shifting uncomfortably on the hard benches of Pennington Field, clinched their second consecutive District 4-6A title last night – outgunning, out-coaching and generally out-classing the dismal Hurst L.D. Bell Blue Raiders.

And while the end was never in doubt, the road to victory wasn’t without a few rocks and potholes.

Missed tackles, dropped interceptions, off-target passes, the inability to penetrate a mediocre Bell defensive line – you name it and the Dragons endured it during that sloppy, sluggish and slovenly first half.

The facts speak for themselves. Consider this embarrassing factoid: With 5:50 left in the first half, the Dragons still were clinging to an abysmal 7-0 lead against the lowly Raiders (5-3, 3-3). The score at the halfway point: 14-0.

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall of the Dragon locker room at the break. A safe bet would be that more than several Dragon behinds this morning are resting not-so-comfortably on inflated donuts. (Wink, wink; nudge, nudge.)

It did the trick

Whatever happened between coaches and players at halftime, it did the trick. The Dragons came roaring into the third quarter with fire in their eyes and murder in their hearts.

The hapless Raiders had to know what was coming and proved helpless to stop the devastating Dragon mayhem.

Carroll quarterback Angelo Renda (23-29, 380 yards) needed less than a minute and a half to march his team to the Raider 3. He launched a flurry of pinpoint passes to his bevy of sure-handed receivers: a 7-yard missile to Luc Jacquemard, a 14-yarder to Blake Gunter (4-92), a 30-yard arc to Caden Mackey (4-53) and a 17-yard bolt to Brock Boyd (9-171), the leading Dragon receiver.

At the 3, Renda called his own number and breezed across the line.

He would score twice, both on the ground, becoming the night’s second leading Dragon runner with 82 yards on five carries.

Interestingly, none of Carroll’s seven scores were in the air. Not only that, but the two leading Dragon rushers were Renda and dynamic receiver Blake Gunter, who ran twice for 86 yards and a touchdown. More about that a bit later.

Renda’s second TD came in the all-important third quarter, when a Raider punt had pinned the Dragons at their own 1. On the first play of the drive, Renda swept around the left end and raced 46 yards down the left sideline.

He then connected with Brody Knowles (4-33) for 11 yards and Boyd for another 10. After Penn fought his way to the 14, Renda went the rest of the way himself, extending the Carroll lead to 35-0.

No scores through the air

Despite the anomaly that no scores occurred through the air, the Dragons wielded their usual balanced assault against the Raiders. They compiled 701 total yards, 395 by air and 306 by land.

Running back Davis Penn, injured badly last season, ran for two touchdowns last night. His coach says "the training wheels are off."

The suffering Raiders could manage only 161.

Parker Harris, who usually lines up in the defensive backfield, was added to the Dragons’ already bulging quiver of offensive arrows last night.

Harris accounted for two Carroll scores, both operating from the wildcat formation. The first came late in the lackluster first half when he bolted two yards to paydirt after receiving a direct snap from center.

The second, which came in the third quarter, was overshadowed by a 55-yard catch and run by Gunter that set up a 3-yard dart by Harris, once again operating out of the wildcat.

Gunter, a junior, is fun to watch. He has a knack for getting open and running hard after the catch. Last night, he showed his running prowess on two spectacular plays that left Dragonheads nodding their heads in admiration.

During that third-quarter scamper to set up the second Harris TD,  Gunter shed Bell defenders on three – or was it four? – separate encounters on his way to the Bell 3.

Gunter struggled desperately to stagger those remaining 3 yards, but the trio of Raiders clinging to his back and gripping his legs denied him the glory. Trust me, though, his run and his titanic fight for those last 3 yards – not Harris’ TD – will be what Dragonheads remember.

Later, in the final period, with the Dragons leading 42-0, Carroll launched a drive from its 25 after forcing a Bell punt. On the first play, Gunter lined up in the backfield, snatched a lateral from Renda and raced 75 yards to the end zone. Along the way, he outpaced a couple of Raiders who looked like they had the right angle to intercept him as he ran along the right sideline. Nope, he just quickened his pace and cruised into the end zone safely.

Adding the wildcat

Dodge told the Mike Waters of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the Dragons added the Harris wildcat play during practice this week.

“Parker and the offense executed it perfectly,” he said with satisfaction.

Harris was still a bit giddy about his offensive debut when he spoke to Waters after the game.

Angelo Renda threw for 380 yards last night, but both his touchdowns came on the ground. He was Carroll's second leading rusher.

“We game-planned that this week,” Harris said of the wildcat. “And it worked in the game just like in practice.”

Davis Penn, the premier Dragon runner, scored two TDs, carrying the rock 15 times for 66 yards. Injured badly last season, Penn has been handled carefully by the coaching staff this season to facilitate his recovery. His number of carries has been closely monitored.

Last night signaled his return to full-scale operations, Dodge told Waters.

“The training wheels are off for David Penn,” he said. “He’s full throttle ahead.”

 “I feel great,” Penn said to Waters. “I’m excited to part of this team. Full speed ahead. It feels better and better each game.”

Penn played a key role in a razzle-dazzle play at the beginning of the 4^th quarter that sent the Dragons up by six TDs.

After Carroll got the ball on downs at the Raider 30, Renda pitched the ball to Boyd in the backfield, who then tossed it to Penn coming in the opposite direction.

Penn sped 25 yards to the 5 and reached paydirt on the next play.

Staying for the third

For the first time all season, starters stayed in the game until the beginning of the final quarter last night. But when the backups did show up, they performed well.

Second-team defenders staged a dramatic goal-line stand that stopped the Raiders on four successful plays inside the 10, coldly denying them a face-saving TD.

Quarterback Preston Perazzo then led his action-squad teammates downfield where he had them within 3 yards of an eighth TD when time ran out.

In interviews after the game, Dragon players sought to call attention to the final result, not the problematic first half.

“This was just a great team effort,” Boyd told the Star-T. “The offense came out big in the second half, and our defense was lights out the entire game.”

“The second half, our offense really came on,” Renda said to Waters. “Our defense was amazing the entire game, but we played much better offensively in the second half.”

According to the worthy Waters, this is the 31^st time the Dragons have won a district championship. That doesn’t seem like enough titles to me, but I offer it up for your consideration, nonetheless.

Not season’s end

Even though the Dragons clinched the district crown with yesterday’s lopsided victory, it’s not the end of the regular season. That comes next Friday at Dragon Stadium when your hometown heroes meet the Keller Central Chargers.

According to Waters, if the Dragons beat the Chargers, and they should, it will be the 21^st undefeated season for Carroll, the sixth undefeated season in Dodge’s eight-year tenure as Soutlake head coach.

If accurate, that’s a pretty impressive record, wouldn’t you say?

For my money, the Dragons shouldn’t take the Chargers (5-3. 3-3) too lightly. Over the years, they have proven to be tough opponents upon occasion.

Not that the Dragons really have much to worry about. They are too smart, talented and disciplined to get successfully jumped by a team like Keller Central. And after last night’s uninspiring first-half performance, I suspect the Dragons will be frisky and fierce for their final regular season home game.

After all, who wants to need an inflatable donut to sit on at Saturday breakfast?

Go, Dragons!

Dragon defender Taevin Kunz closes in on Raider quarterback Braylon Harris, whose face reflects L.D. Bell pain last night.

No mercy: Southlake Carroll 57, Justin Northwest 7

 

Riley Dodge, celebrating with his players earlier in the season, has lots to be happy about, including last night's drubbing of Justin Northwest.

Performing as expected

SOUTHLAKE – There wasn’t much entertainment value in Southlake Carroll’s merciless drubbing last night of the Justin Northwest Texans.

Unless, that is, you’re a diehard Dragonhead who viewed the massacre with equanimity and a certain satisfaction – although perhaps with a dash of guilt. After all, we’re not monsters.

As for the Dragons, well, that’s another matter altogether, isn’t it? They’ve succeeded in scaring the daylights out of every opponent they’ve faced this season, rampaging through District 4-6A like Godzilla striding vengefully through a prostrate downtown Tokyo.

Carroll, runaway pregame favorite over the lowly Texans, performed as everyone expected it would.

It leaped to a 22-7 lead in the first quarter, carried a 42-7 margin into halftime and toyed with the bedraggled Texans throughout the entire second half.

Dragon quarterback Angelo Renda and running back supremo Davis Penn shined brightest last night, combing for six touchdowns that swamped Northwest and drained it of hope.

Renda completed 79 percent of his passes (15 of 17) for 321 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for one more. Penn, for his part, rushed for 97 yards on nine carries and visited the endzone three times.

Staunch the bleeding

The reeling Texans never were able to staunch the bleeding, not even with the help of their acclaimed running back, Caris Sela.

It’s true that Sela was the night’s leading rusher, gaining 107 yards on 16 carries. But most of those yards came in the first quarter on a thrilling 89-yard bolt through the Dragon defense on the first play of an early Texan drive.

For most of the night, the Dragon D, playing another brilliant game, kept the talented Sela – and the rest of the Texan offense – corralled, hobbled and horse-tied. Northwest managed only 179 yards of total offense against Carroll’s 543.

And while the Texan defense managed to pick off Renda passes on two successive drives at the end of first half, they were unable to capitalize on either one against an avenging Dragon defense.

Renda probably earned himself a butt-chewing during halftime for his errant throws. But I dunno. Maybe not. After all, when you’re leading your opponent 43-7, perhaps you can be forgiven a momentary loss of focus.

Lord knows Renda came roaring out of halftime with his hair ablaze. In Carroll’s first drive of the third period, Renda zipped a 13-yard pass to Brock Boyd (4-104, 1 TD) and a 25-yard missile to Brody Knowles (4-87) to bring the Dragons to the Texan 28. From there, Penn scored his third TD of the night.

Bringing scoring to an end

The next Northwest series ended after only one play when Texan quarterback Mark Hartman fumbled the ball and Carroll recovered. Five plays later Renda connected with Blake Gunter (4-91), who plunged 11 yards into the endzone to bring Dragon scoring to an end for the night.

Northwest’s game plan emerged early. It was to be Sela, Sela and more Sela: Sela running up the gut, Sela darting around the end, Sela snatching short passes. But the Dragon defense dismantled that strategy and successfully keyed on Sela all night – with the notable exception of his TD heroics.

The Texans’ first possession ended with a punt after a Hartman sack on their own 33. Three plays later, Penn streaked over the goal line from the 11. To add insult to injury, the Dragons went for 2 – and succeeded.

Carroll forced a fumble on the next Texan drive. Then Renda marched the Dragons downfield with a 27-yard pass to Knowles and a 29-yarder to Boyd. From the 8, he cruised into the end zone to extend the Dragon lead to 15-0.

That set up Sela’s TD rumble, which stunned the Southlake crowd into thoughtful silence.

But not to worry. The Dragons came roaring back. Luc Jacquemard returned the Texan kickoff to the Texan 47. Two plays later, Renda lofted an arc to Boyd, who scooted 43 yards to give Carroll a 22-7 first-quarter lead.

The decisive second quarter saw the Dragons in full control. While the defense held the Texans to a series of 3-and-outs, the offense ruled the roost.

Brooks Biggers capped a 71-yard drive with a 2-yard dart across the line. On the first play of the next Northwest series, Dragon defender Marcus Brouse intercepted a Hartman pass and ran 18 yards for a dandy pick-6. Penn then ended a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard bolt to paydirt.

The half ended with the pair of Renda interceptions. But let’s talk no more of those, shall we?

Demoralized and depleted

When the shattered Texans returned from halftime, trailing by five touchdowns, it was a demoralized, mentally depleted team that faced the steely-eyed Dragons.

That’s what it looked like from my green seat, at least. Coach Riley Dodge’s  mission to “kill the will,” an approach learned at his daddy’s knee, had worked like a charm – or in the Texans’ case, like a curse.

Exciting, the game was not. I strongly suspect it didn’t do much to prepare the Dragons for the approaching playoffs either. Stiffer district competition would help sharpen skills and develop the kind of physical and mental discipline that a lengthy playoff run demands.

Angelo Renda led the Dragon attack, throwing two TD passes and running for a third score. Those two interceptions? Fuhgeddaboudit!

 
Particularly if, like the Dragons, you have your eyes firmly focused on the main prize – a ninth state championship.

They probably won’t get much help in playoff preparation from their final regular season opponents. Carroll travels to venerable Pennington Field next week to meet L.D. Bell, which isn’t expected to put up much of a struggle.

And the Dragons will end the season at home on Halloween against Keller Central, which also doesn’t promise to be too frightening a challenge for the Dragons.

Like last year, the Dragons’ bye week comes at the very end of the regular season, giving them extra time to rest, recoup and reconnoiter the playoff picture. I’m no playoff guru, but I’ll take a look at the post-season landscape in an upcoming post. I can promise only one thing – it’ll probably be wrong.

 As every Dragonhead knows, last week’s victory over Eaton handed Dodge his 100^th win as a head coach. He and his family were honored before last night’s game – and rightly so. He deserves all credit, both for that notable achievement and for his success in rejuvenating the Carroll football program, which had languished under his predecessor, and in re-igniting community enthusiasm for the Dragons.

National kudos

Meanwhile, Dodge has received a strong endorsement and some national exposure from an unexpected source.

Former NFL coach John Gruden, who is associated with the Barstool Sports blog and website, recently congratulated Dodge’s for his 100^th victory and heaped praise on the coach and on the entire Carroll football program.

He called Dodge a legend, and mentioned by name a number of Carroll players – including Angelo Renda, Davis Penn, Brock Boyd, Carey Clayton, Crawford Taylor, Austin Bussman and William Chen.

“This Renda kid,” Gruden said, “he can spin it, man. I saw the highlights.”

Gruden overlooked some key Dragon players, of course. But let’s not quibble. This kind of recognition is a good thing. And his affection for the Dragons appears to be sincere.

Gruden urged the Dragons to “get back to the championship and win it this year. You guys keep it going.”

From his lips to God’s ear.

Go, Dragons!

Davis Penn, 3, gets some love earlier this year from teammates glad he's back to his old self.  He scored three TDs last night and looked good doing it.

Unstoppable: Southlake Carroll 66, Haslet Eaton 7

 

Riley Dodge, shown here in action earlier in the season, won his 100th victory as a head coach last night against the Eaton Eagles.

A cold-blooded thrashing

JUSTIN – I hope the Haslet Eaton fans enjoyed their all-too-brief moment of glory during last night’s cold-blooded thrashing of the Eagles by Southlake Carroll’s marauding Dragons.

The celebration erupted after a dazzling second-quarter kickoff return by Sunjava Peoples, who scampered 100 yards virtually untouched to bring Eaton its only score in a game in which the Dragons took control early and shook the life out of the Eagles, much as a cat would a helpless mouse.

Stadium lights flickered dramatically, the scoreboard erupted into sparkling colors and shapes and Northwest ISD Stadium virtually shook with noise – cheers, ear-shattering music and shouts of ecstasy.

Frankly, it was a little embarrassing, considering the circumstances. After all, the Eagles already were trailing the Dragons 28-0, and with the solitary exception of Peoples’ admirable TD sprint, they had demonstrated few signs of life since kickoff.

And once the hubbub died down, they showed little going forward.

The Dragons, on the other hand, had plenty to celebrate. They were just a little quieter about it.

Plenty to celebrate

Consider these factors:

Carroll is running roughshod over the weak sisters of District 4-6A and seems certain to repeat as district champion.

That would give it a great launching pad into the playoffs, which is where the real season goal of a ninth state championship lies waiting to be seized.

The Dragons just handed the extremely gifted Riley Dodge his 100^th victory as a head coach, the quickest that laudable milestone has ever been reached – and at the tender age of 36.

The timing of all this couldn’t be better for Dodge since recent news reports that he is the highest paid head coach in a state that reveres high school football. Of course, his critics should remember that his salary reflects his larger responsibilities as Carroll ISD’s executive director of athletics.

Besides all that, Dodge is football royalty, a hometown boy who saved the languishing football program and a proven winner. Some guys are worth top dollar, and Dodge is one of ’em. So says me.

To mark the occasion, Dodge was given a helmet with 100 stars – 82 for the regular-season wins, and 18 for the playoff victories. Let’s hope there’s room for more stars.

As is his nature, Dodge was sang froid about the honor when he spoke to Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Cody Thorn after the game.

“It means you’ve been in a place for a little bit and had amazing coaches and amazing players,” Dodge said. “It probably means so much more, personally, doing it in my hometown and at my alma mater. I love this place today just like I did on Day 1, eight years ago.”

Running back Davis Penn had his best performance last night since returning from a catastrophic knee injury last season.

The senior displayed his signature tough-nosed running style and instinct for the end zone by scoring three touchdowns in Carroll’s runaway victory over Eaton.

Penn’s coaches have taken great care in easing him back into service, limiting his carries and giving him plenty of time to adjust to the pace and rhythm of Friday night lights.

 After his performance last night, Dodge said we’ll be seeing a lot more of the worthy Penn. Can’t wait!

Carroll’s explosive offense – both in the air and on the ground – keeps getting better week by week.

Admittedly, its true potential is difficult to assess against its weak-kneed District 4-6A foes. But quarterback Angelo Renda – who was near perfection last night – and his cadre of talented receivers are humming like a well-tuned engine.

Likewise, the Dragon D is making a compelling case that it’s the best defensive squad Carroll has fielded in many a year – maybe ever.

It limited Eaton to only 144 total yards, a sizeable chunk of that coming from running back Dwight Brown. But Brown’s runs accounted for nothing tangible, and Eagle quarterback Kalika Nisa spent much of the night running for his life or at the bottom of a pile of Dragons.

Obliterating the Eagles

Carroll’s balanced offensive juggernaut obliterated the Eagles last night, with Penn and running mate Brooks Biggers combining for five rushing TDs and Renda connecting with three separate receivers for scores through the air.

It was that kind of night for Eaton quarterback Kalika Nisa, as Dragons Crawford Taylor, 80, and Jack Lucky, 0, celebrate a sack.

Meanwhile, the defense forced two Eaton turnovers – an interception and a fumble – both of which resulted in Carroll scores. Even special teams got into the act when defensive back Parker Harris returned an Eaton punt 57 yards for a TD.

For me, at least, the most satisfying thing about last night’s victory was the return of senior Davis Penn's true rushing dominance. In setting up his first TD of the night, Penn (7-50) dashed 25 yards to the Eaton 5, deftly sidestepping an Eagle defender on the left sideline before powering through another.

It was a welcome glimpse of the old Penn at work. He followed that on the next play with a plunge over the line that gave the Dragons a 14-0 lead.

Penn would score twice more, on runs of 3 and 4 yards, during the free-for-all that was the 2^nd quarter. As the Eagles reeled in shock and disorder, Carroll scored 42 points – and made it look almost effortless in doing so.

Dodge said in his Star-T interview that the Dragons have been waiting for the right moment to unleash Penn.

“We need No. 3, and we’ve been really taking care of him, trying to get his feet underneath him,” he said. “Tonight, getting him more reps and being really the feature back was big time for us. He’s had a great week of practice, and it was great to see.”

Penn told Thorn that last night “has been a long time coming.”

“They’re really starting to pull the reins off me a little bit,” he said. “I mean, I want all the carries in the world, but we’ve got great receivers, so we’ve got to spread the ball out.”

Dodge assured Dragonheads that Penn’s patience will be rewarded.

“In fairness to him, we’ve been rolling with some different running backs this year, and they’ve all done a great job,” he said. “But a running back needs to get in rhythm, and he’s going to get a lot more reps as the season extends.”

One of the backs who has been carrying the load for the healing Penn is junior transfer Brooks Biggers (6-30), who opened the decisive 2^nd period with a 1-yard TD dash that gave Carroll a three-TD lead. He would also score the Dragon’s last TD with a 13-yard bolt up the middle in the opening drive of the 3^rd period.

After a sluggish first possession, the Dragons kicked into gear, forcing Eaton into a quick 3-and-out, then scoring two plays later when Renda (15-17, 305 yards) lofted a graceful 54-yard arc to Brody Knowles (4-134).

Control of the field

Penn added to the lead on the next Dragon drive, but the Eagles were unable to respond, punting the ball away and giving Renda and company control of the field.

After Biggers expanded the Dragon lead, the Carroll defense sacked Nisa, the Eagle QB, on the next drive, and Eaton was forced to punt. That’s when Harris staged his dramatic TD sprint to hand the Dragons a 28-0 lead.

But just as Dragonheads were settling back in their seats to enjoy the spectacle unfolding before them, the Eagles displayed the only spark they would generate all night.

When Dragon kicker Gavin Strange’s kickoff failed to reach the end zone – one of the few times it did not – the ball ended up instead in the hands of Sunjava Peoples poised at the goal line.

Peoples raced forward, dodged a few Dragons and proceeded unimpeded 100 yards to the end zone. Eaton mayhem ensued.

But the sound and fury signified nothing. The Dragons were just getting started.

Carroll responded quickly to the freaky Eagle heroics. Renda zipped passes to Caden Mackey (3-56) and Knowles that carried the Dragons to the Eagon 3. From there, Penn bullied across. Carroll now led 35-7.

On the next Eaton drive, things went from bad to worse for the staggering Eagles. Austin Bussman intercepted a Nisa pass, which resulted in Penn’s 4-yard TD run. Score now 42-7.

At this point, things spinned completely out of control for the Eagles. Forced to punt, they watched Renda move the Dragons effortlessly downfield, zipping a 20-yard pass to Blake Gunter (4-52) and then a 22-yard TD to Brock Boyd (4-63). With less than 2 minutes left in the half, Carroll led 49-7.

Struggling to halftime

But wait, Eaton’s agony wasn’t over. Not yet. As the Eagles struggled to make it to halftime, Parker Harris plowed into Nisa and knocked loose the ball, which was then grabbed by Gavin Strange.

Two plays later, Renda launched a 20-yard strike to Boyd, followed by 26-yarder to Mackey, who scored his first TD of the season with 4 seconds left on the clock.

The Eagles limped into halftime trailing 56-7 and feeling, no doubt, as if they had just been hit by a truck, which then backed up and ran over them again.

As you might expect, the 2^nd half was anti-climatic. Biggers added his second TD as the half opened, and Strange later booted a 30-yard field goal. The second-team defense held serve and allowed no shenanigans from the exhausted and demoralized Eagles.

It’s hard to celebrate such a lopsided victory. And matchups like last night’s do little to prepare a team like Carroll for the rigors of the approaching playoffs. Stiffer competition would be nice, perhaps, but the UIL – and not Carroll – controls what district it is assigned. The Dragons’ schedule is what it is.

Next Friday, Justin Northwest travels to Southlake to meet its fate. The Texans are 2-3 for the season and have only beaten lowly L.D. Bell in District 4-6A, losing to Keller and Eaton. We’ll see if they’re able to put up much of a fight in the unfriendly confines of Dragon Stadium.

Go, Dragons!

Running back Davis Penn ran for three touchdowns last night and showed much of his old form after a catastrophic knee injury last season.

A rout no doubt: Southlake Carroll 63, Keller 28

 

Another game, another blowout. Here are Dragons celebrating their victory against Keller Timber Creek last week. Last night, it was Keller High's turn.

Roughed up and left for dead

If it’s any consolation for the battered and bruised Keller Indians, they were able to hang more points on the No. 1 Southlake Carroll Dragons last night than any team has so far this season.

Of course, three of the four TDs captured by the Indians came against Carroll second teams and long after any hope of a comeback had evaporated in the sultry evening air.

But when you’ve been roughed up and left for dead by the Dragons’ rampaging offense and throat-choking defense, you take what solace you can muster and hope for better days.

For the Dragons, the better days are here. They’re 4-0 in district, 6-0 for the season, and have demolished every opponent they’ve faced so far. Moreover, they’re looking stronger every week.

They’re ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 13 in the nation by MaxPreps. USA Today ranks them 15^th nationally. Closer to home, the Dragons appear unassailable in the race to become District 4-6A champions, the first step in bringing home the coveted ninth state championship they came so close to winning last season.

Making history

And if all that weren’t enough, Carroll is on the cusp of handing the brilliant Riley Dodge his 100^th victory as a head coach. If the Dragons defeat their next opponents, the Haslet Eaton Eagles, Dodge will reach the 100-win mark (out of 109 games) more quickly than any head coach in the history of Texas high school football. How ’bout them apples, Dragonheads?

But back to last night’s bloodletting.

Dragon quarterback Angelo Renda, in another spectacular outing, passed for five touchdowns and ran for another. He completed 81 percent of his passes for 401 yards – a career-best performance for the Pitt-bound senior.

As usual, he downplayed his role.

“We have a great group of receivers,” he told Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporter Mike Waters. “Just get the ball to these guys and let them make plays.”

And get the ball to them he did, completing the first 15 of his passes and peppering his talented receiving corps with spot-on throws. His favorite receivers were junior Blake Gunter and senior Brock Boyd, who commanded their home field at Dragon Stadium last night.

Gunter caught 7 passes for a team record of 191 yards and racked up two TDs, on receptions of 28 yards and 80 yards. His second score, near the end of the 3^rd quarter, handed the Dragons a 56-7 lead and electrified Carroll fans.

Special dynamic

The special dynamic that Renda enjoys with Gunter and Boyd was on full display last night.

Gunter, in his post-game interview with the Star-T, was quick to spread the love.

Angelo Renda, shown in action against Byron Nelson earlier this year, accounted for six scores last night -- four in the air and one on the ground.

 “Brock and I feed off each other’s energy,” he said. “Brock is such a great leader, and I have learned a lot from him.”

Gunter told Waters that he considers himself a blocker first. Mebbe so. But he ain’t bad in the receiving and scoring department, either.

In recounting his heart-racing 80-yard scoring romp, he made it sound almost boring. Which it decidedly was not.

“I was able to freeze the defender and hit the open field,” he told Waters. “And then head to the end zone.”

Boyd, who’s headed to Ohio State after graduation, snatched TD passes of 19 and 9 yards. The first put the Dragons on the scoreboard, 7-0. He set up the second – which came after Keller QB Brock Burkett connected with Bodie Crosby (8-60) in the end zone to tie things up – with a 39-yard grab that carried the Dragons to the Keller 9.

Boyd then hauled in a short toss from Renda to begin a 35-point unanswered scoring spree that carried the Dragons into halftime with a 42-7 lead. He ended the night with 9 receptions for 112 yards.

“We just have a great connection,” Renda told the Star-T, referring to Boyd. “We came out hot. We executed offensively. We were physical. We just came out tonight and took care of business.”

Capitalizing on errors

Carroll capitalized on a series of Indian errors during its 2^nd quarter scoring blizzard. Renda picked up his rushing TD with a 6-yard dash that followed a 42-yard punt return by Parker Harris.

When the next Keller drive stalled on a 3-and-out, Dragon Luc Jacquemard blocked the punt. Caden Mackey grabbed it and scooted 12 yards to score.

Keller continued its Keystone Cops act after Gunter’s 28-yard scoring catch. On the first play of the ensuing Keller drive, Carroll defender Austin Bussmann intercepted a Burkett pass and carried it to the Keller 15. From that point, Renda connected with Brody Knowles to bring first-half scoring to a close.

Dragon domination extended into the 3^rd period, with running back Davis Penn bolting 1 yard across the line to send Carroll ahead 49-7. It was followed later in the period by Gunter’s 80-yard stunner.

Keller salvaged some dignity with a trio of scores in the second half, but frankly, they amounted to not much ado about nothing.

Burkett (18-31, 171 yards, 2 TDs) hit Blake Dyniewski with a a 5-yard TD pass in the 3^rd. Backup Keller quarterback Matt McCroskey engineered two scoring drives in the 4^th, ending the first with a 1-yard dive across the line. On the other, he moved the Indians quickly downfield in two plays as time dwindled. From the Dragon 28, he sent a TD dart to Cash Erdmann.

In between those two scores, backup Dragon QB Preston Perazzo rang up the final Carroll TD with a 5-yard run to the house.

After the game, Dodge once again praised the dedication and hard work of his players.

“We challenged the guys going into this game,” he said to Waters. “We took what the defense gave us. And Angelo played a tremendous game, something we have come to expect.”

Go, Dragons!

Head coach Riley Dodge, shown congratulating Angelo Renda last week, can make Texas football history if the Dragons beat Haslet Eaton on Thursday.

No surprises here: Southlake Carroll 55, Keller Timber Creek 13

 Davis Penn, 3, celebrates a touchdown with his fellow Dragons.

Ripped to shreds

KELLER – No one expected lowly Keller Timber Creek to put up much of a fight last night when it hosted the undefeated Southlake Carroll Dragons, ranked No. 1 in the state since the season began.

And the bedraggled Falcons didn’t, creeping into halftime trailing 49-0, their defense ripped to shreds by Dragon quarterback Angelo Renda and the rampaging Carroll offense. At the same time, Carroll’s starting defensive squad choked what life remained out of the Timber Creek offense, which sputtered and wheezed until the second half, when it faced Carroll’s backup warriors.

Renda completed 68 percent of his passes (15 of 22) for 241 yards and four touchdowns. Two went to Blake Gunter, last night’s leading receiver with seven catches for 88 yards. Brock Boyd (4 catches for 74 yards) and Brody Knowles (2-66) accounted for one each.

Senior running back Davis Penn, showing some of his old form before he tore an ACL last season during the playoffs, ran for two more TDs. The first was a 4-yard scamper that kicked off Dragon scoring 3 minutes into the game. He followed that halfway through the second period with a 2-yard bolt across the line, giving the Dragons a 28-0 lead.

Even the Dragon D got into the scoring frenzy. Less than a minute after Penn scored his second TD, senior defensive back Taevin Kunz stepped in front of a pass by Falcon QB Lane Brinkley, then sprinted half the length of field for his first-ever pick-6.

Only bright spot

The only bright spot for the Falcons in the first half – and it emitted pretty low wattage, if truth be told – occurred when Falcon linebacker Joshua Rakestraw turned around on the left sideline to find a Renda pass aimed directly at his midsection. He had no choice but to catch the damned thing!

Alas for Timber Creek, that gift went unappreciated when the Falcons stumbled to a 3-and-out and punted it back to the Dragons. Three plays later, Renda lofted an arc to Knowles, who rolled 40 yards to the end zone for Carroll’s second score.

For style points, the trophy probably has to go to Brock Boyd. With only seconds left in the 1^st quarter, the Dragons recovered a fumbled snap on yet another Falcon punt. From their own 39, Renda fired a shot to Boyd for 8 yards. Then he lofted a 53-yard missile to a speeding Boyd headed for the end zone. The ball fell into the senior receiver’s arms at the 10 and he zoomed in to send the Dragons ahead by three scores.

But it was Gunter, a junior, who provided the last hurrahs for the Dragon starters, grabbing TD throws of 19 and 25 yards as the half wound down. Head coach Riley Dodge benched his stars for the entire 2^nd half. In fact, he started substituting Dragon defenders halfway through the 2^nd quarter.

Coach Riley Dodge congratulates his quarterback, Angelo Renda, for a job well done.

Gunter and Renda enjoy a special rapport, and Gunter has become the quarterback’s go-to guy when things get dicey.

Shut out in the first half, the Falcons fared better against Carroll’s second teams, capitalizing on Dragon missteps to score twice.

Brinkley, the Creek signal caller, connected with Blaine Everage in the end zone after Dragon backup QB Preston Perazzo was intercepted at the Falcon 25. On the next play, Brinkley connected with Blaine Everage in the end zone.

Deceptive handoff

Perazzo redeemed himself as the final period opened by staging a deceptive handoff to senior Emerson Ziadie and then darting 6 yards to bring the Dragons their final zone, although the PAT failed.

Ziadie, by the way, was the evening’s leading rusher, gaining 95 yards on 8 carries. He’s a stubborn, hard-nosed runner who is getting some good game time as Carroll continues its purposeful stride through District 4-6A.

The backups, who have played extremely well in previous Dragon blowouts this season, were plagued last night by sloppy execution and bad timing. For instance, as the game drew mercifully to a close, the Dragons fielded a Creek punt at their 44. Two plays later, the snap sailed over Perazzo’s head, but he managed to cover the ball at the 25.

Dropping back, Perazzo connected with a receiver, but the ball ricocheted off his chest and into the hands of a Falcon defender. Several plays later, Falcon QB Landon Druyvesteyn zipped a 6-yard TD pass to Tyshon Ellerbe. The PAT failed. Game final: 55-13.

Despite the letdown in the 2nd half last night, the Dragon D has allowed an average of only 5.8 points a game so far this season, at a time when the offense is averaging 47. (Hat tip to the Star-T for that delicious stat!)

High praise

In post-game interviews, Dodge had high praise for his defensive charges.

Brock Boyd caught a 53-yard TD pass last night that propelled the Dragons to a 21-0 lead.

“It's just a relentless group and a really talented group,” he told Darren Lauber of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “There's a lot of veterans over there, and they've played a lot of football. But they're just playing with a fanatical effort that we haven't seen in a long time.”

Carroll linebacker William Leins, who recovered a Falcon fumble on Creek’s first possession, told Lauber that experience is a great teacher.

“We're so much better than we were last year because we've been through the fight playing in 16 games,” he said, a reference to the Dragons’ appearance in the state championship game last season. “It's like a brother love out there. I know that the other 10 are going to do their jobs, which gives me confidence to do mine.

“We're relentless,” Leins added. “The mentality is that if they're up, we're going to punch the ball out, and we're going to get them down as a team with everyone tackling them. No one is selfish, and we just love each other. It's so fun playing with these guys.”

Dodge told Lauber he is most impressed with how hard his defensive unit works to prepare each week. By game time, they’re ready.

“They're able to fly around on Thursday and Friday nights and just have some fun,” he said.

Another week, another Keller school. Carroll hosts the Keller Indians next Friday for Homecoming. All over Southlake, moms are sweating bullets to get the mums ready. I’m a hard guy to impress, but the Homecoming mums in Southlake will make your eyes pop out. I kid you not!

Go, Dragons!

Brody Knowles, who caught two passes for 66 yards, hauls in his TD catch.

An unexpected blowout: Southlake Carroll 44, Euless Trinity 6

 

Dragon quarterback Angelo Renda accounted for five Dragon scores -- two on the ground and three in the air.

Manhandling the Trojans

SOUTHLAKE – For the proud Euless Trinity Trojans, ranked No. 8 in the state by the football gurus, their fall from grace last night at the hands of the fiery-breathed Southlake Carroll Dragons was swift and merciless.

The Dragon offense – hitting on all cylinders under the sure and steady hand of quarterback Angelo Renda – overwhelmed the Trojans, deftly evading their sturdy but slow-to-the-draw front line while Carroll’s deep-bench receiving corps confounded the Trinity secondary.

The Trojans – who were averaging 35 points a game until last night – never gained their footing against the rampaging Dragons. And by dispatching with brutal efficiency Byron Nelson last week and manhandling undefeated Trinity last night, Carroll now stands in commanding control of District 4-6A.

Not only that, but the convincing Dragon victory raises an interesting question. Could it propel Carroll, now ranked 18th in the nation by MaxPreps, into the Top 10?  Hey, Dragonheads, how sweet would that be? 

Spectacular night

Renda, a Pitt commit, was – in a word – spectacular, rushing for two touchdowns and passing for another three. He completed 82 percent of his passes (18 for 22, 278 yards), leading his teammates to a 21-0 lead with 1- and 4-yard dashes to the endzone sandwiching a 36-yard TD toss to Brody Knowles.

In the second half, he added a 43-yard spiral to Brock Boyd (6-90) and a 59-yard beauty to Blake Gunter (4-82) before turning things over to backup Preston Perazzo.

Greg Riddle, chief high school football writer for The Dallas Morning News, spotlighted Renda’s performance in his game story.

He said the senior, who has committed to Pitt, “has made a name for himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks in Carroll history.”

As Dragonheads know, that’s a pretty strong statement. But Riddle pointed out that Renda is 19-1 as the starting QB for the Dragons, has had five games with more than 300 passing yards and 18 games with two or more touchdown passes.

Does that make him “one of the greatest”? I ain’t gonna argue with that. Besides, the season’s young, and Renda will have plenty of opportunities to fatten his resume and sharpen his quiver of arrows.

Of course, it’s only fair to point out that Renda enjoys the services of a large and talented group of receivers. And its prowess was on full display against the Trojans.

In addition to the outstanding performances of Boyd, Gunter and Knowles, Caden Mackey had a breakout night, hauling in 5 catches for 53 yards. He is quickly developing into a favorite Renda target.

After the game, Renda gave credit to his receivers, as well he should.

“We have a lot of great weapons on offense,” Renda told the DMN’s Riddle. “We’ve got three of the best receivers in the state of Texas. At the end of the day, it just comes down to executing. I feel like we executed at a high, high level.”

For the second week in a row, head coach Riley Dodge directed high praise at his field general.

Brock Boyd, 1, and Angelo Renda congratulate each other on Boyd's TD catch.

“He is just trusting the guys around him, and doing the little things right, and he puts us in great situations,” Dodge said to Riddle. “When we just take what the defense gives us, we’re going to be OK.”

In Renda’s shoes

Dodge knows first-hand what it’s like to be in Renda’s shoes. And the young man seems to understand that Dodge’s tutelage is a key element to his development.

“I’ve been in the system for a long time, and I feel like Coach Dodge expects a lot out of me, and I love that,” Renda told Riddle. “I want to be coached hard, and I feel like that’s what makes our team great.”

While Renda’s execution nearly was flawless, the same can’t be said for Trojan quarterback Mack Lineweaver (11-19, 96 yards, 1 TD), who threw two interceptions. The first came early in the second half, when Parker Harris – a key member of Carroll’s defensive juggernaut – snatched a Lineweaver pass at the Trinity 45.

Behind the strong running of Brooks Biggers – and a 6-yard Renda dart to Gunter – the Dragon moved inside the 10, where Biggers twisted, turned and plunged 8 yards into the end zone to give the Dragons a 37-6 lead with 6 minutes to play.

On the next Trojan drive, Trinity struggled to the Dragon 34 and faced a 4^th-and-7. Lineweaver zipped the ball to a receiver, but Harris promptly stripped the ball from his grasp.

Carroll recovered the errant missile at the 18 and began the long march down the field. Ten plays later, Renda found Gunter speeding toward the end zone and dropped the ball into his welcome arms.

Lineweaver’s final INT came on the last play of the game, as Trinity – pitted against Carroll backups – approached the Dragon red zone. And to give credit where it is due, Carroll’s second-string players, for the second week in a row, kept opponents scoreless on their watch. (A tip o’ the hat to you!)

Tarnished achievement

As good as the offense was against the Trojans – and it was very good, indeed – the Dragon defense refused to play second fiddle. It currently is performing beyond the wildest expectations of Dragonheads. It limited the Trojans to a single touchdown, an achievement Southlake promptly tarnished by blocking the PAT, which Gavin Strange snatched up and sped 95 yards for 2 points.

(Strange was a busy lad last night. He’s a kicker by trade and by talent, but he regularly lines up in the defensive backfield. As a kicker, he has missed nary an extra point all season. Last night, he also booted an onside kick that practically fell into the hands of teammate Robbie Ladd and was returned for a TD on the next play. That gave the Dragons a 14-0 lead and an irresistible headwind to the end. And, if that wasn’t enough, Strange also sent every Carroll kickoff into the end zone, denying the Trojans any chance of a runback.)

As expected, Trinity fielded a strong rushing attack. It out-gained Carroll 188-99 on the ground. But despite the 114 rushing yards compiled by Trojan runner JT Harris on 20 carries, the Dragons shut things down as Trinity threatened. For the most part, at least.

The exception came at the end of the first half, when Trinity forced Carroll to punt for the first time. Trailing by three TDs, the Trojans then drove the field, aided greatly by Harris bursts through the line. From the 1, Lineweaver flipped the ball to receiver Jaylon Donaldson in the end zone. The PAT fiasco quickly followed.

Receiver Brody Knowles celebrates his touchdown.

For proof of the defensive heroics on display thus far this year, consider this: In the first four games of the season, the Carroll D has restricted opponents to only 16 points.

Against the Trojans last night and Byron Nelson last week – likely to be Carroll’s biggest challenges in the regular season – the Dragons outpaced foes 96-9. That is defensive domination not seen in Southlake environs in many a year.

Dodge told Charles Baggarly of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that his team stepped up when it mattered the most.

“Our kids answered the bell,” Dodge said. “We challenged them all week. We talked about the physical nature of this football game. Opportunity after opportunity, we just lined up, put the ball down and played football all night.”

No mystery here

When Baggarly interviewed Dragon players after the game, they told a similar tale. The stomping of the Trojans was no mystery, they said. It was the result of hard work and perseverance.

“It was a great team effort,” said Gunter, a junior with sure hands and a nose for the end zone. “We put in the work all week, and it showed. We were very physical on both sides of the ball. And Renda puts it right on the money every time. The best quarterback.”

 “This team won’t quit,” added Ladd, who recovered the onside kick early in the game. “We knew Trinity wouldn’t quit on us. So, we had to keep going every single drive. Just keep hitting them in the mouth and never giving up.”

Next week, the Dragons travel to Keller to meet Timber Creek. The Falcons had best be prepared for a beating because the inspired Dragons are on a mission – a ninth state championship. And the first step to that goal is a District 4-6A title.

Don’t bet against them. Carroll has been here before. Since 2020, it holds a 35-1 district record. And it has captured the district crown in all but three of the last 15 years. Nuff said.

Go, Dragons!

Gavin Strange was busy last night. He never missed an extra point, booted a successful onside kick and returned a blocked Trojan PAT for 2.