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.