Facing one of Oklahoma’s best
A new
chapter in the storied history of Southlake Carroll football begins tomorrow in
an old and famous venue.
The No. 8
ranked Carroll Dragons meet the Jenks Trojans, one of Oklahoma’s premier high
school programs, in Dallas’ venerable Cotton Bowl in what is being touted as
the high school equivalent of the Texas-OU Red River Rivalry.
Pish posh
to that marketing malarky. But despite the hype that has descended hot and
heavy on this pre-district, season-opening – and thus, meaningless – contest,
it could still prove to be a darn good football game for those of us who still
stubbornly dote on the last vestiges of high school football purity.
The
Trojans have 18 state championship trophies in their school display case and
are one of less than a half-dozen Okie high schools worth mentioning when it
comes to football. Last year, they made Oklahoma’s semi-finals.
They’re no
pushovers, you can count on that. And they represent the first of a trio of
early contests for a young Southlake squad heavily impacted by the graduation
blues – a Murderer’s Row that includes No. 4 North Crowley on Sept. 4 and No. 7
Allen on Sept. 11.
The here-and-now
Like the
Trojans, Carroll also made the state’s semi-finals last year before falling to
the eventual state champs, the mighty DeSoto Eagles. It was a particularly
disappointing finale to a season in which the Dragons fielded one of the
strongest squads in program history.
But that
was then. What about the here-and-now?
Good
question. To begin with, the Dragons have a new coach, Carroll veteran Lee
Munn, who takes over for the departed Riley Dodge. Dodge, a Dragon star in his
own right and son of the legendary Todd Dodge, moved to the college ranks at
the end of last season and will serve as SMU’s tight-end coach and passing guru.
It’s a
shrewd choice by the Mustangs. Whether it’ll be a good move by the younger
Dodge is yet to be determined. Big Daddy Dodge, who brought four state
championships to Southlake and three more to Austin Westlake, didn’t fare
well when he shifted to the college scene and decided wisely to stick to the
high school territory he knows like no other.
Munn, Riley
Dodge’s defensive coordinator and associate head coach, was the odds-on
favorite to succeed his old boss. He was one of Riley’s first hires when, with
great (and understandable) fanfare, Dodge was named Dragon head coach in 2018.
Munn
occupies a sturdy branch of the Dodge family coaching tree, having worked for Big
Daddy, both in Marble Falls and at Austin Westlake, where he was an integral cog
in the Dodge coaching dynasty.
An important part
As an
important part of Riley Dodge phenomenally successful tenure at Southlake, Munn
was heavily recruited for a head coaching job. At Carroll, a defensively
challenged program in most years, he was able to get maximum effort out of his
young charges. The Dragons fielded one of their most talented defenses last
year, and its labors were a large reason Carroll nearly made into the state
finals for the third time under Riley’s leadership.
As Munn
explained to Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Charles Baggarly in a
preseason interview, he chose to stay at Carroll because “being the offensive
coordinator or the defensive coordinator here sometimes can be better than
certain head coaching positions.”
Munn knows
only too well what’s in store for him. Expectations run high in a community
like Southlake. Early success will be expected. The failure to deliver will
bring the boo birds out early. He says he’s ready.
“I think
you want to be in a place that’s competitive, and the expectation is to win,”
he told Baggarly. “There’s a lot of places in the state of Texas where the
expectation is not as high as it is here. I don’t think you want to live in
those environments.”
Brave
talk. And just the kind of attitude Dragonheads want to hear.
But Munn
certainly hasn’t made his job any easier by loading up the Dragons’ pre-district
schedule with such heavy hitters. He says he did so partly by design, but also
out of necessity.
His
appointment as head coach came late enough to create a scramble to fill the
three empty slots in the Carroll schedule. It was a case of accepting what’s
available. Strong programs often have difficulty finding pre-district foes
willing to take a beating.
Facing stout
opponents like Jenks, North Crowley and Allen is hardly “beggar’s choice” and
is likely to produce some exciting competition. But it isn’t something his
predecessor ever attempted.
Riley
Dodge’s pre-district roster of opponents never packed near the punch of the
ones approved by his successor.
Munn says playing
hefty opponents early is just what his staff needs to evaluate a young squad
like this year’s Dragons.
Deep water
“We
realized we were super young, and we’re going to need to know pretty early on
what we’ve got,” he told the Star-T. “We jumped in head first.”
Let’s hope
the water is deep enough, eh?
Munn and
his staff certainly have their work cut out for them. Last year’s entire
starting defense graduated. This year’s squad will be anchored by senior
linebacker Landon Harris, who got playing time last year and will form a
cornerstone for rebuilding. Keep an eye on senior linemen Kyle Duross and Kaden
Hodges.
On
offense, things look brighter.
Junior
Hudson Tomcheck will start at quarterback. He reportedly struggled a bit during
the preseason scrimmage with Aledo, but word is he’s accurate, has a strong arm
and is an elusive runner.
His coach
gives him high marks.
“He’s got
all the talent in the world, and he’s going to be a special player for us,”
Munn told The Dallas Morning News earlier this summer. “We need to make
sure that he doesn’t try to be superman and win games on his own. Because we
don’t need him to be, and he’s got a lot of help.”
Proven assets
Munn probably
was referring to Tomcheck’s experienced and talented receiving corps, which
promises to be a game changer. Three-star seniors Brody Knowles, committed to
Illinois, and Blake Gunter, a California commit, are proven assets. Some
accounts rate them as the best receiving duo in the state.
Time will
tell, but if Tomcheck can manage to get into sync with those two, Carroll could
be a potent offensive powerhouse. An early test will come tomorrow, when Tomcheck
and company face Jenk’s four-star safety Kailib Dillard, a Florida commit.
On the
ground, things are less clearcut. Running back Brooks Biggers will handle the bulk
of rushing chores. The potential he showed last year will depend this season in
part on the success of his offensive line, which will be led by lineman Tristan
Dare.
Truth be
told, tomorrow will be a challenge for everyone concerned. The heat will be a
problem for players – and for fans. Dallas’ rush-hour, week-day traffic will be
a nightmare. And at the end of the day, what does it all mean?
Nothing
much. But winning is always better than losing, particularly in Southlake,
where success on the field almost is considered a birthright. I can’t help but
worry that front-loading the season with three powerhouse programs may be a
recipe for trouble.
I admire Munn’s
philosophy of challenging his young squad early to give his staff an
opportunity to evaluate weaknesses and capitalize on strengths.
No sure thing
But losing
early can also be a disheartening experience for young players. And for a
demanding – and often unreasonable – fan base. Keep in mind, after the Trojans
come North Crowley and Allen. Whipping either one is no sure thing.
When is
the last time the Dragons started the season 0-3? I dunno. But it’s longer than
even the most keen Dragonhead can remember. And it could happen, may the gods
of football forbid.
Munn says
he understands the Southlake mindset. Pressure, however, comes from all sides
and all angles.
“Whatever
the expectation is from the outside, we double it on our end,” he told the Star-T.
“But we’re just trying to focus on what’s ahead of us. We talk about being
process-oriented and just focusing on the journey instead of the end goal.”
And so the
Carroll Dragons’ tale continues. A new season. A new chapter. Stay tuned.
Go,
Dragons!
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