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 and a 36-yard toss to Brody
Kowles.
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 receiving corps. 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 4th-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 – playing 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!
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