Slaughter of the innocents
SOUTHLAKE
– The Southlake Carroll Dragons, now embarked on the pursuit of yet another
District 4-6A championship, thoroughly dismantled the Haslet Eaton Eagles last
night. But they didn’t look particularly crisp or disciplined doing it.
The final
score is evidence of the thoroughness of the butt-whupping they inflicted on
the overwhelmed and under-gunned Eagles. Call me heartless and brutal if you
will, but the bitter truth is that it could have been – in fact, it should
have been – an even greater slaughter of the innocents.
For
heaven’s sake, three Dragon touchdowns were called back for holding calls, each
one a dramatic, heart-racing play by the team’s top players.
Moreover,
at least a half-dozen flags flew for illegal motion – one of the most basic
rules of the game. Traditionally, well-coached and well-disciplined Carroll
teams don’t make many of them. This team is an exception.
Here’s a
revealing statistic: The Dragons were penalized 11 times for 100 yards. By
contrast, the struggling Eagles drew three flags for 30 yards.
Complete domination
I know, I
know. It seems churlish to complain about penalties when the Dragons completely
dominated the game, outpacing the Eagles in total yards, 555 to 238, and
limiting Eaton to a single sustained drive and TD.
Dragon
quarterback Hudson Tomcheck had a fine night, completing 67% of his passes –
three for TDs – and rushing for another score. Dez Bryant Jr., who is supposed
to be a receiver, rushed six times for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
Star
receiver Brody Knowles caught four passes for 126 yards, two of them for
touchdowns. Carroll’s other receiving stalwart, Blake Gunter, caught six for 80
yards and one TD. Even backup receiver Beckett Mackey got into the act,
snagging a couple of passes from backup QB Palmer Pensom for 50 yards and
scoring the Dragons’ final TD.
There’s no
shortage of evidence that the Dragons were doing plenty right last night.
So why
complain about a few calls from flag-happy zebras? After all, a win is a win,
etc.
Put that
way, I do feel a little like an old crouch ordering the neighborhood kids off
my lawn. (Not that they would find it very appealing after the ravages of this
summer’s sustained blast-furnace.)
A higher standard
I’ll only
say this: Carroll teams enjoy the success they do by holding themselves to a
higher standard, by requiring greater discipline and a higher football IQ from
their players, and by striving for more demanding season goals than other teams.
This year,
as always, Carroll seeks to gobble up another District 4-6A trophy and then
take a deep dive into the post-season. To do that, I strongly believe it’s
going to have to get its act together. Sloppy performances may get it through its
not-so-tough district.
But in the
high-pressure, win-or-go-home atmosphere of the playoffs, lack of discipline,
concentration and execution will get a team ejected damned quick. End of
sermon.
As for
last night’s mismatch, nobody expected much from Eaton, who fell to the Dragons
66-7 last year. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, the definitive authority
on the subject, rated it a six-TD underdog.
As
expected, the Dragons seized a quick lead and slowly – too slowly? – squeezed
the life out of the Eagles.
Carroll
halted Eaton’s first drive, then took only three plays to score when Tomcheck
lofted a 74-yard pass to Knowles, who stiff-armed an Eagle defender at the 30 as
he sped to the end zone.
Eagles in pursuit
Eaton also
stalled on its second possession and attempted a 40-yard field goal attempt
that the Dragons subsequently blocked. On the first play of the Dragon drive,
Bryant broke free and sprinted down the right sideline with a flock of shocked
Eagles in pursuit. At the 50, he kicked it into high gear and scored easily.
In the
second quarter, Eagle quarterback Kalika Nisa put together a 72-yard scoring
drive powered by Elijah Irvin, Eaton’s leading rusher (13-47) and receiver (7-64).
Nisa (18-32, 133 yards) finished the drive by scoring the Eagles’ only TD with
an 11-yard dash across the line. The PAT failed.
Carroll immediately
responded. Less than 2 minutes later, Gunter sprang through the middle and
broke into the clear. Nearing the goal line, he met a cluster of other Dragons who
watched as Tomcheck’s spiraling pass descended toward them. In the resulting
melee, Gunter ended up with the ball and staggered into the end zone, extending
the Dragon lead to 21-6.
As the
half ebbed to a close, the Dragons stifled the Eagles yet again, forcing a punt.
Eaton’s punter, who had a busy but productive night, left the Dragons at their
own 7.
Thanks to determined
runs by Bryant and Tomcheck, Carroll surged to the Eagle 19, where Tomcheck
zipped the ball to Knowles to send the Dragons into halftime with a 28-6 lead.
Carroll
came out swinging in the third period. After Bryant returned the Eagle kickoff
to midfield, Tomcheck led the Dragons to the 3, then slipped across the goal
line to widen Carroll’s margin.
A scamper negated
Bryant followed
that with a 30-yard TD sprint around the right end. It seemed a fitting evening
climax for Bryant, who only two plays earlier had sped 37 yards to the end
zone, only to have the thrilling scamper negated by a holding call.
As I
mentioned earlier, it was one of three Dragon TDs cancelled by penalties. Also
getting axed were a spectacular 70-yard TD catch by Gunter in first period and
a heart-pumping 61-yard scoring run by Pensom late in the fourth.
Backups
for both teams were called in for the final quarter. Pensom (3-4, 62) plucked the
final Eagle tail feathers with a 36-yard TD pass to Beckett Mackey.
Carroll
has a bye next week, then hosts Justin Northwest for Homecoming on Oct. 9. It
will face the 5-0 Keller Indians, who like the Dragons are 2-0 in district play,
at home on Oct. 16. Some say – ahem – it could be the game that decides the District
4-6A championship.
Dragonheads
assembled for the massacre enjoyed some cool temps in Dragon Stadium last
night. Dare we hope that Autumn has finally dragged its sorry, tardy self into
town? Fingers crossed.
Go,
Dragons!
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