A blend of tricks and treats
SOUTHLAKE – As befits a game played on Halloween, last
night’s clash between the No.1-ranked Southlake Carroll Dragons and the Keller
Central Chargers featured a frustrating blend of tricks and treats.
First came the tricks: For the second week in a row,
the Dragons turned in another sluggish first-half performance against a
lackluster District 4-6A opponent. After two quarters of missed tackles, a
struggling secondary and off-target passes, Carroll entered the break leading
the Chargers only 14-3.
Then came the treats: A focused, re-energized Dragon
squad emerged from half-time thirsty for redemption and renewal. In short
order, it overwhelmed the outgunned Chargers and set many troubled Dragonhead
hearts at ease.
Carroll running back Davis Penn turned in his best
performance of the season, making two touchdowns on his way to a 170-yard game.
He rushed 16 times, which for those of you keeping count comes to more than 10
yards a carry.
Penn, who suffered a torn ACL in last year’s playoffs,
already had been judged at full strength by his coaches. Head coach Riley Dodge
said last week that the “training wheels” had been taken off Penn, an endearing
way of announcing his star running back’s return to dominance.
A dominance that the worthy Penn established early. He
got Carroll off to a rousing start on its opening possession, capping a 7-play,
75-yard drive with a dazzling 31-yard TD bolt through the middle of the Central
line.
Perfect timing
The timing of his emergence from the protective
custody of his coaches couldn’t be more perfect. After a bye next week, Carroll
plunges into the playoffs, where the Dragons will need every offensive weapon
they have to operate in tip-top condition.
And all appears to be well on that front. Despite a
less than stellar first half, quarterback Angelo Renda accounted for four
passing touchdowns last night – two to ace receiver Brock Boyd (4-40) and one
each to juniors Blake Gunter (2-34) and Caden Mackey (4-27).
He didn’t wrack up terribly impressive numbers,
completing 14 of 22 passes for 110 yards. But Renda smoothly and confidently
engineered a 28-point unanswered scoring spree in the explosive third quarter.
But before we could enjoy the Dragons’ roaring return
to glory, we had to endure that sloppy, slogging and desultory first half.
After Penn’s untouched dash to paydirt, the grit and razor-sharp execution that
characterized that initial drive dissipated rapidly.
Instead, the game devolved into a uninspiring defensive
struggle by both teams. It should be noted, however, that the Dragon D
continues to play with heart and desire. It has been turning in strong
performances even when its offensive brethren seem to be daydreaming.
In the last 16 quarters of play, Dragon defenders have
allowed four district opponents only a combined 17 points. Nuff said.
Break in the bleakness
But back to that disappointing first half. Indications
of the scoring onslaught lying in wait for the Chargers occurred in the second
quarter when Central turned over the ball to the Dragons on downs. They then
staged a 9-play, 78-yard scoring drive capped by Boyd’s 19-yard TD catch.
The Chargers were able to get to the Dragon 10 on the
next drive, but they could get no further and had to attempt a 27-yard field
goal, which failed.
The Dragons took over on their own 20, but Renda
immediately threw an interception with less than a minute left before half.
Central fought its way to the Dragon 11, but once again had to settle for an
attempted field goal.
It succeeded this time, and a heartened Charger squad
retreated to the locker room to plot an upset it probably thought it could pull
off.
Fat chance, buckaroos. The Dragons, awakened from
their doldrums, were eager to rumble. And rumble they did.
The first Central drive of the second half ended when
Charger quarterback Isaiah Taylor was sacked at his 27. Parker Harris returned
the subsequent punt to the Central 21. Four plays later, Penn bulldozed 8 yards
to the end zone.
The next Charger possession ended when Taylor was intercepted by Dragon defender Taevin Kunz, who sped 29 yards for Carroll’s second TD in less than a minute and a half.
For the unraveling Chargers, the news would only get worse.
After fighting their way to the 44 on their very next drive, Taylor lofted an
ill-considered pass that Dragon linebacker William Leins quickly snagged. Five
plays later, Boyd grabbed his second TD of the night in the back right corner
of the end zone.
Renda would add another TD near the end of the third
with a 9-yard missile to Mackey. The final Dragon score came less than 2
minutes into the final quarter when Renda sent a 27-yard beauty to Gunter.
Satisfying conclusion
That brought things to a satisfying 49-3 conclusion
for the Dragons.
In the overall scheme of things, last night’s game was
meaningless. Carroll already had clinched the district title before the Central
game. As such, it will host its first-round playoff match in Dragon Stadium, regardless
of last night’s outcome.
But momentum is important, and a team’s strong showing
in its last game of the regular season, no matter the quality of its opponent,
can be vital in the win-or-go-home landscape of the playoffs.
The Dragons are lucky. Having a bye during the last
week of the regular season can be a godsend. It offers time to rest and
recuperate. Time to plot and game plan. Time to gather themselves for the
ordeal ahead.
The playoffs are here, folks! It’s a glorious time to
be a high school football fan. And if you’re a Dragonhead, it’s a time to sit
and wonder: Is this the year?
Go, Dragons!
No comments:
Post a Comment