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 100th 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 2nd 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 2nd 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 3rd 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 2nd 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.
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