A fight for their lives
DALLAS –
The Jenks Trojans can be forgiven, I think, if it took them a while – after manhandling
a sluggish, sloppy and seemingly befuddled Southlake Carroll team for most of
the first half – to realize last night they were in a fight for their lives.
In the
high-profile venue of the historic Cotton Bowl, the Trojans – one of Oklahoma’s
most successful high school programs – had jumped to an improbable four-score
lead with shocking ease over a Dragon team that appeared helpless to resist.
For its
part, Carroll was the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. Put bluntly, they were
having trouble finding their six-shooters, much less aiming them.
The
Dragons – hampered by procedural flags, missed blocks, overthrown passes,
disjointed timing – to that point had turned in one of the poorest performances
I have witnessed from a Southlake squad.
Then
everything changed. Before our wondering eyes, the young Dragons transformed
themselves from a bunch of embarrassing slubs to gridiron warriors, delivering
a gritty, gutsy, never-say-die comeback win that Dragonheads will be recounting
with gusto for many moons to come.
It
started, as it almost always does, with a single play by a key player. Late in
the second quarter, with Carroll trailing 27-0, leading receiver Brody Knowles
snagged a 24-yard pass and carried the Dragons into Jenks territory. It was the
first offensive sign of life all night.
Up to that
point, the Trojans had run rampart over the bemused and confused Dragons. They
swept up and down the field at will, scoring on rushing plays of 1, 64 and 48
yards, and on a 25-yard passing play. Only a missed extra point (not to be
overlooked!) marred the picture of unchallenged domination.
As their dejected and sweat-soaked fans glumly
watched, the Dragons seemed for all the world to be mere spectators of their
own humiliation. But when Knowles, a three-star recruit and one of the state’s
best receivers, grabbed that pass, a spark flickered across the Carroll side of
the Cotton Bowl.
That’s
when some of us noticed with a jolt that Hudson Tomcheck, playing his first
varsity game as Dragon quarterback, had been replaced by backup Palmer Pensom.
In normal circumstances, that’s a move with dire consequences for all concerned.
Finally on the board
Pensom
promptly connected with tight end Eason Nied on a 38-yard touchdown pass. And
with 3:45 minutes left in the half, the Dragon were finally, thankfully, on the
board.
Head coach
Lee Munn, still reeling from his nerve-racking debut as Dragon head coach, told
Greg Riddle of The Dallas Morning News after the game that the QB switch
did not reflect a no- confidence vote in Tomcheck.
“We had
planned it ever since spring ball,” Munn told Riddle. “We’ve talked about the
quarterback room and how good we feel about it. Palmer is going to get valuable
drives in these first three weeks. He did a great job coming in and kind of
igniting the offense.”
The Dragon
defense, which up to that point had proved largely ineffective, shook off its
lethargy and held Jenks to a crucial 3-and-out. Tomcheck then returned to the
lineup and went to work. Moving the Dragons to the Trojan 19, he flipped a pass
to Knowles at the left edge of the end zone.
Knowles,
the star of the night, tap-danced along the line before falling in bounds.
Dragonheads,
many no doubt pondering an early exit only minutes before, looked at the
scoreboard and shook their heads in wonder, relief and – hope. Jenks 27,
Carroll 14. Dare we contemplate a comeback?
The second
half provided the answer.
After a facemask
penalty stalled a promising Dragon drive, the Trojans bullied their way to the Carroll
2, where they threatened to throttle any resurgent Dragon challenge. However,
the young Dragon D, filled with youngsters playing their first varsity ball,
stood tall and stopped Jenks on four successive downs.
Tomcheck,
who completed almost 80 percent of his passes for 322 yards, led a 98-yard
drive that ended with his 1-yard bolt across the line, narrowing the Jenks’
lead to 27-21.
By this point,
the Trojans knew they were in trouble. Carroll defenders had adjusted to the
speed and timing of playing under Friday Night Lights. Tomcheck’s O-line was
giving him more time to find receivers. And, perhaps most significantly, momentum
– that most capricious of allies – was shifting their way.
Meanwhile,
Jenks QB Landon Kizzar, who had a decent first half, was facing a transformed
landscape in the second. Harassed by defenders and his receivers well-covered,
his effectiveness was reduced sharply.
If only
things were that simple. But this is high school football, and it’s best to
expect the unexpected. Rather than seize control of the game, the Dragons insisted
on making their uphill climb even more difficult.
Not making it easy
They forced
the Trojans to punt on the next series. But Carroll fumbled the return and
gifted the ball back to Jenks on the Dragon 20. Three plays later, Kyron Scott
scampered into the end zone for his second score of the night, padding the Trojan
lead to 33-21. Jenks’ 2-point conversion failed.
That,
coupled with that missed first-half PAT, ultimately would prove fatal for the
Okies.
But the Dragons
weren’t finished with shooting themselves in their lower extremities. On their
next possession, running back Gavin Gooden coughed up the ball while pushing
for more yardage. Thanks to Dragon defenders, however, Jenks was forced to
punt, which Carroll fielded at the Jenks 46. On the next play, Tomcheck hefted
a TD pass to the omnipresent Knowles, bringing the Dragons to within 5.
During a
subsequent Carroll drive, Dragonheads held their breath while Knowles was
helped off the field after he took a big hit. But the football gods were
merciful, and he returned a couple of plays later – with a vengeance.
In the
final minutes of the game, his 24-yard pass reception energized the game-winning
Dragon drive that ended with Tomcheck’s 1-yard dive into the endzone for the
winning score.
Knowles, who
has committed to Illinois, ended the night with seven receptions, 180 yards and
a pair of TDs. Worthy of note were Nied, who had 2 catches for 85 yards
and that first Carroll TD, and Blake Gunter (3-55). Dez Bryant Jr., son of the former Dallas Cowboy great, also got into the act, catching five
passes for 42 yards.
Tomcheck,
despite a quiet first half, had a great first outing as Carroll field general.
He completed 19 of 24 passes (79%) for 322 yards, and scored two rushing TDs.
The heralded Carroll aerial attack appears to be in good hands.
Munn
praised the toughness and dedication of his young charges when confronted with
difficult and uncertain circumstances. He singled out Knowles’ performance.
“When we
needed a play, we went to him, and he was there,” he told the DMN. “Even
after he kind of got the breath knocked out of him, he came back and made a
big-time play. A lot of people did a lot of really good things to help us win
that football game. But he was the MVP of that game for sure.”
Credit where it’s due
For his
part, Knowles gave credit to his coaches. (Smart lad!)
“It just
shows how good our coaches are,” Knowles told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s
Charles Baggarly, referring to the comeback. “They way they pour into us. The
way we believe in ourselves. Our preparation that we put in, we couldn’t have
done it without them.”
Despite
the ups and downs of the night, Munn decreed himself well pleased with the
result. A win is, after all, a win, even a precarious one. It’s useful to
remember, perhaps, that Riley Dodge’s first game as head coach was an ugly win,
too.
“It’s good
to win any game,” Munn told Riddle. “I think that’s the biggest message to our
kids, whether we win by 1 or 40. We’re going to celebrate wins, and I’m just so
proud of the kind of fight and resiliency they showed.”
How do the
kids feel about their new coach and the current state of the program?
O-line leader
Tristan Dare wasn’t stingy with his admiration of Munn.
“What a
way to start,” he told Baggarly. “27-to-nothing comeback in the Cotton Bowl. He
has been doing a great job leading. Big shoes to fill, but he is filling them
very well.”
I’d have
to agree.
Go,
Dragons!
Star receiver Brody Knowles goes up for a catch. In the eyes of his coach, Knowles was last night's MVP.
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