A sound beating: Southlake Carroll 43, Keller Timber Creek 19

 

2025 file photo. Dragons celebrate last year's 55-13 victory over the Timber Creek Falcons. Last night's matchup had a similar outcome.

Never in doubt

SOUTHLAKE – To be charitable about it – a bit too charitable, perhaps? – let me just say that the Keller Timber Creek Falcons didn’t go down without a fight.

They fought. But down, down, down, they did plummet. And the outcome of their District 4-6A contest last night against the Southlake Carroll Dragons was never in doubt.

Outmanned, outgunned and generally outfought, they quickly became another victim of the Dragon dreadnought as it sails toward yet another district championship.

Oh, yes, the Falcons had their moments. But alas, they were brief and carried no impact. Truth be told, most occurred after Carroll – the game well in hand – had allowed its second-string players some glory minutes under Friday night lights.

Last night was an opportunity for Dragon stars to shine, and shine brightly, they most certainly did.

Leading the way

Wide receiver Blake Gunter led the way, scoring on two beautiful passing plays, rushing for a third score – and taking direct snaps from center when short yardage absolutely had to be gotten.

He’s headed to Cal after graduation, and the Golden Bears are lucky to get him. Word is that the coaches there know it.

Junior quarterback Hudson Tomcheck, who is growing better and more confident with each passing game, led the Dragons in rushing, amassing 92 yards in only five tries and snagging a 6-yard touchdown to put the cherry on top.

He also completed 18 of 30 passes for 211 yards and two TDs (both by the worthy Gunter, as noted above).

Brooks Biggers had a solid night, rushing 11 times for 85 yards. Dez Bryant Jr. (5-27), who started the season as a member of the Dragon receiving corps, has received a boatload of attention for his success on the ground, and understandably so. But Biggers deserves kudos for the hard-charging determination he brings to the Dragon ground game.

Bryant, for his part, has come on like a house afire in the last two games. He endured a somewhat quiet night against the Falcons, but he still scored the Dragons’ first TD on a 10-yard scramble. Shaken up later after a brutal hit by a Falcon defender, he sat out the remainder of the evening.

The Falcons fought gamely for the entire night, but they were overwhelmed from the get-go. The Dragon D shut down their running game, limiting them to only 79 rushing yards.

More successful

Timber Creek’s leading rusher, quarterback Lane Brinkley, managed only 28 yards in 14 carries. He was more successful in the air, completing 14 of 25 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns.

But it should be noted that two of those scores came in the last quarter, with Carroll holding a 31-7 lead and benching many of its starting defenders.

The Dragons came on strong from the opening kickoff, with Bryant getting them on the board 2 minutes into the game. Chase Sarver then intercepted an errant Brinkley pass and returned the ball to the Dragon 45. On the very next play, Tomcheck threw a 55-yard bomb to Gunter in the end zone. 14-0 and counting.

Carroll added a 34-yard field goal early in the second quarter, then blocked a 31-yard 3-pointer attempt by the Falcons. Tomcheck put together a dandy 80-yard scoring march that he supercharged with a 41-yard scramble to the Falcon 39 after being flushed him from the pocket. Bryant followed with a 20-yard sprint, and Gunter finished things off with a 2-yard bolt that sent Carroll into halftime with a 24-0 lead.

Timber Creek finally got on the board midway through the third quarter when Brinkley lofted a 52-yard missile to Ebube Okwelume. Carroll responded with a 35-yard TD pass from Tomcheck to Gunter, restoring the Dragons’ 24-point lead and setting up the final 12 minutes of play.

The fourth quarter’s sole distinction could be the curious fact that although each team rolled to a pair of touchdowns, neither could successfully convert points after the score.

Carroll stifled two 2-point conversions by the Falcons (after a 55-yard TD reception by Okwelume and a 17-yard catch by Asher Edwards). The Dragons, on the other hand, muffed two PATs (after a 6-yard run by Tomcheck and a 24-yard scoring pass from Palmer Pensom to Gavin Jackson).

Plaguing penalties

Penalties continue to plague the Southlake squad, although it’s only fair to point out that things are getting better. The Dragons were penalized six times last night for 47 yards on a variety of offenses. By comparsion, the Falcons racked up three for 17.

Such a disparity made no difference last night – or in previous contests. But come the playoffs (roll ominous sound effects), such sloppy, undisciplined activity could be deadly. (OK, I’ll be quiet now.)

The Dragons, 6-2 for the season and undefeated in 4-6A, travel to Boswell next Thursday for the last regular-season game. Dragonheads anticipate another cakewalk.

Then comes the beginning of the real season for Carroll – the playoffs. Dominating District 4-6A is no big feat. While the first team goal for the Dragons is to bring home the district trophy, it’s only the first step in achieving the Valhalla of high school football – a state championship.

Can this team bring home a ninth state trophy?

Odds-makers and the “wise men” of Texas football would say probably not. And I’d have to agree. But who knows? As the old saw goes, “That’s why we play the game.”

The Dragons will be competing in the “small-school” Division II of Class 6A. And because they’ll enter the post-season as district champs, Round One will be played at Dragon Stadium. Opponent? TBD.

That’s where you’ll find me, sitting in my comfortable green seat, munching a Feedstore pulled-pork sandwich and contemplating the mysteries of the universe. Life is good.

Go, Dragons!

The sleeper awakens: Southlake Carroll 38, Byron Nelson 10

 

Dez Bryant Jr., shown in action against Keller last week, energized a drowsy Dragon team in its District 4-6A matchup last night against Bryon Nelson.

No Homecoming surprise

JUSTIN – For a few moments there – oh, heck, who are we fooling here? – for most of the first half, it looked like the Byron Nelson Bobcats might really have something to celebrate at their Homecoming matchup last night against the Southlake Carroll Dragons.

At halftime, the Dragons were hanging on to a 9-3 lead over the Cats, after being left scoreless in the first quarter. Despite the deficit, an opportunistic Nelson squad was leading in total yardage (at night’s end, it would outpace Carroll 222-172). And its feisty defense had stymied a sleepy, sluggish and skidding Dragon offense lacking timing, precision and efficiency.

But thanks to a series of Nelson miscues and to the heroics of Dez Bryant Jr., who scored three touchdowns last night – two of them the result of a pair of brilliant and heart-pounding punt returns – the resurgent Dragons declawed the Bobcats and decreed there would be no Homecoming miracle at Northwest ISD Stadium.

Before all that, however, worried Dragonheads had to endure a somnolent first-half performance by their Dragons. They comforted themselves with the fact that the Bobcats (3-5, 2-3 in District 4-6A) were unable to capitalize on Carroll's naptime. Except, of course, for Jake Sartin’s 45-yard field goal midway through the 2^nd quarter.

Then, thankfully, as the unsettling half drifted to a close, signs of life appeared in the Southlake visitors.

Over his head

It began when the Dragon D stopped a Nelson drive at the 28, and the snap to the Cat punter sailed over his head and out of the endzone, rewarding the the Dragons with a 2-point safety.

Bryant returned the following kick to the 47. Carroll QB Hudson Tomcheck then launched 10- and 16-yard passes to star receiver Brody Knowles, which brought the Dragons to the 21. Tomcheck sprinted to the 12, Bryant darted to the 9, then surged across the line to give Carroll that tenuous halftime lead.

Bryon Nelson came out of halftime with gusto and initially sent the Dragons reeling.

It held Carroll to a 3-and-out, then moved swiftly downfield, capping a 4-play, 60-yard drive with a 10-yard pass from Cat QB Ben Odem (6-13, 86 yards) to Collin Janese (3-66).

The promising Carroll drive that followed was cut short when Tomcheck (6-13, 56 yards) was intercepted in the Nelson endzone. Stunned Dragonheads began to contemplate the unthinkable.

Could an ambitious Bobcat squad with limited talent slip past a Carroll group having a very bad evening?

 As it turns out, no. And the Cats have only themselves to blame.

Three plays after the Tomcheck interception, Nelson’s Odem fumbled the ball. Dragon defender Bennet Hart seized it and scampered 33 yards to the house. A 2-point conversion succeeded, and the Dragon surged ahead 17-10. They never looked back.

Astounding return

In response, the Bobcats struggled to midfield on the next drive, but Odem was sacked, forcing a Nelson punt. That’s when Bryant staged the first of his pair of astounding punt returns, weaving and juking 74 yards to extend the Dragon lead to 24-10.

The Nelson collapse intensified on the next drive as the Dragon defense turned up the heat on the fading Bobcats. Dragon Drew Oakley ripped the ball out of Odem’s hands, and Cole Spaeth snatched it up and scurried 30 yards to the endzone. As the third period ebbed away, the Dragons now led 31-10.

Nelson only could manage a wimpy 3-and-out on the next drive. In stepped Bryant to seize the Cat punt and dart up the right sideline 59 yards to punctuate the best performance of his young career.

As everyone knows, Bryant is the son of former Dallas Cowboys great Dez Bryant. It appears that in football, as it in a lot of things, I suppose, blood will tell.

Turnovers, of course, proved to be the key to Dragon success. The Cats turned the ball over four times – two interceptions and two fumbles. Try that against a Dragon defense, and you’re toast. The Cats were burned to a crisp.

Dragonheads hope last night’s near-miss, if you can call it that, will be a lesson learned by this Dragon team. Even less-gifted squads, properly motivated and coached, can be giant-killers.

How do you prevent such calamities? By following the hallmarks of the Southlake program: discipline, determination, dedication. You can be sure that’s the message head coach Lee Munn’s staff will deliver in no uncertain terms this week to these young Dragons.

Senior night for the Dragons is next Friday, when they host Keller Timber Creek at Dragon Stadium. The Falcons fell hard this week to Haslet Eaton, 48-24.

It’s the night before Halloween so let’s hope the affair won’t be too frightening!

Go, Dragons!

Satisfying punch: Southlake Carroll 40, Keller 28

 

Parker Olson intercepts a pass from Keller quarterback Matt McCroskey in last night's matchup.

They didn’t go quietly

SOUTHLAKE – It wasn’t easy. And it wasn’t particularly pretty. But as the philosopher wisely observed: “A win is a win.”

And for the Southlake Carroll Dragons, it’s a win that packs a particularly satisfying punch.

Their close-fought victory over the determined and dangerous Keller Indians last night means Carroll most probably has earned another District 4-6A championship trophy. It remains the only undefeated squad left in the 4-6A lineup.

But the Indians, bless ’em, didn’t go down quietly. Not only did they bring a boisterous and noisy student section with them to Dragon Stadium. They also played head-to-head and toe-to-toe against the Dragons, scoring handily against the Carroll D and waging an aerial attack that the Dragon secondary found hard to dismantle.

For their part, the Dragons struggled, as they have all season, with penalties that disrupted timing, momentum and scoring. Consider this: Carroll was penalized a whopping 13 times for 125 yards, while Keller drew only six for 35.

Against a better team – and those teams are coming, if not in district play, then in the quickly approaching playoffs – it would have proved deadly. Head coach Lee Munn acknowledged after the game the problem had to be addressed – and corrected.

Fiercely focused

Keller arrived in Dragon country last night fiercely focused and full of fight. The Indians, who at 6-0 were enjoying their best season since 1967, hoped mightily to slay the Dragons, a feat they hadn’t accomplished since 1999.

And they almost carried it off. Don’t be misled by the 40-28 final score. The game was a lot closer than the numbers indicate, and the Indians remained within striking distance until the waning moments of the contest.

The lead changed seven times in the see-saw contest. A minute into the final period, Keller edged ahead a razor-thin 28-27. Indian quarterback Matt McCroskey, aided by a dramatic 53-yard pass reception by WR Graham Kaler, had moved his team to the Dragon 3, where RB Blake Dyniewski bolted across the goal line.

The Dragon offense, no doubt feeling the brush of angel wings, countered immediately.

Hard running by Dragon RB Brooks Biggers (17-107) – aided by a 4^th-down, 17-yard pass reception by star receiver Brody Knowles (9-143) – carried Carroll to Keller’s 9-yard line. From there, Biggers plowed into the endzone to give the Dragons a 5-point lead, 33-28, with 4 ½ minutes left on the clock. (A 2-point conversion attempt failed.)

It seemed inevitable that McCroskey (24 of 37 for 359 yards and 3 TDs) and the Indians would respond. They had done exactly that all evening in tit-for-tat scoring exchanges with the Dragons.

But the Carroll D, as it seems always to do, stood tall when it counted, smothering the Keller drive at its own 16. In the end, it held the Indians, who were averaging 51 yards per game before last night, to their lowest point total of the year.

Muffed punt

Forced to punt, the Indian kicker muffed it, sending the ball a meager 12 yards, and the Dragons began work at the Keller 28.

Stellar receiver Blake Gunter, demonstrating his rushing skills, delivered the knock-out punch against the Indians.

Stellar receiver Blake Gunter then stepped into the spotlight. He already had caught seven passes for 80 yards, and he had lined up in the wildcat to receive direct snaps at critical moments earlier in the game.

A smart, sure-handed receiver, Gunter runs with power and passion. He’s hard to bring down and can be counted on to extend plays after receptions.

On the crucial Carroll drive that followed the abbreviated Keller punt, Gunter (5-29 rushing) gobbled up yards in the wildcat, finally sprinting 7 yards across the line with 1:48 left to hand Carroll a well-earned 40-28 victory.

Gunter’s versatility isn’t lost on his teammates.

In a post-game interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, quarterback Hudson Tomcheck (21-31, 305) heaped praise on the California commit.

“I see Blake as a Swiss Army knife,” Tomcheck told the Star-T’s Charles Baggarly. “He can play quarterback and running back. We can put him at receiver. He can do it all.”

Tomcheck didn’t do so badly last night, either. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 305 yards, ran 12 times for 53 yards and scored once in the air and twice on the ground.

Dragon-killer

Brushed by a brisk, westerly autumn breeze, Keller wasted no time in revealing its Dragon-killer ambitions. It scored on its first drive, a six-play, 75-yard effort that ended with McCroskey hitting Ethan George in the end zone.

Carroll’s following drive died at the hands of a 15-yard penalty. Disaster loomed when the ensuing punt was blocked and the Indians took it to the house.

The Dragons caught a break when a penalty canceled the score, and they got another 4^th-down chance. Gunter took the direct snap and got the first down. On the next play, Tomcheck lofted a 46-yard bomb to Thomas Joyner III to tie things up.

The Dragons edged to a narrow lead with a 28-yard field goal by Kyle Vidal, but a blizzard of yellow flags prevented them from putting away the Indians.

Keller seized the lead half-way into the 2^nd period when McCroskey connected again with George. Carroll regained it with a 1-yard plunge by Tomcheck and finished the first half with another Vidal field goal, this time a 40-yarder that split the uprights literally at the buzzer.

The Dragons carried a 20-14 lead into the locker room, and Dragonheads prepared for a challenging second half.

Midway through the third quarter, Keller gained the lead yet again with a 32-yard TD pass from McCroskey to Graham Kaler. But Carroll’s stiffening defense prevented Keller from converting on 4^th down.

Carroll took over near midfield, and Tomcheck moved the Dragons to the Keller 10, where he fought his way across the line to send Carroll ahead 27-21 as the game entered the decisive final quarter.

Spirited battle

In an interview with the Star-T’s Baggarly, Munn said the Dragons expected a spirited battle against Keller.

“We know what to expect when we play this game,” he said. “Keller is always going to take their game to the next level when it’s against us. They’re always going to play with a little bit more enthusiasm.”

Enthusiasm? Keller played last night with blood in its eye and a thirst for mayhem in its heart. At least, that’s what I saw from my green seat.

Munn, who also calls defensive plays for the Dragons, showed character in post-game interviews.

He took the blame for Carroll’s struggles in containing McCroskey, admitting his man coverage scheme just didn’t work. How often do you see that kind of candor from a head coach?

The stats speak for themselves, however. Keller receivers had a field day. Cash Erdman caught 5 passes for 111 yards, Kaler grabbed 3 for 102, Dyniewski got 10 for 82 and George made the most of his two grabs, turning both into TDs.

Dez Bryant Jr., who rushed 7 times for 43 yards against Keller, heads downfield.

Munn also acknowledged the penalty-prone Dragons have much to improve.

“We protected the ball, and that was good,” Munn said to the Star-Telegram. “But there are so many things we have to get better at. Fortunately, we won the football game. But we’re not doing our team justice if we don’t look into the mirror and fix a lot of stuff.”

Mighty pleased

But overall, he told Baggarly, he’s mighty pleased with his youngsters.

“Those young kids that we had those first three weeks have grown up and matured,” Munn said. “They’re starting to figure out some things, in terms of our preparation. And also personnel, figuring out who we are and what’s our identity. We finally settled in on that and have kids in the right places. Now, it’s about, ‘How much better can we get each week?’”

The answer to that comes next Friday, when the Dragons continue their march to a district title with a slog down traffic-choked Texas 114 to Northwest ISD Stadium in Justin.

They shouldn’t have much trouble with the Byron Nelson Bobcats this year. But since this is high school football, it’s wise to take a we’ll-see attitude.

Go, Dragons!

Dez Bryant Jr. fights for yardage in the hard-hitting contest against the Indians.

Homecoming feast: Southlake Carroll 44, Justin Northwest 7

 

The mums were spectacular at last night's Homecoming game. So were the Dragons!

Gobbling them up

SOUTHLAKE – Homecoming cupcakes were on the menu at Dragon Stadium last night, and the Southlake Carroll Dragons quickly gobbled them up, leaving only a few crumbs for the cleanup crew to worry about.

And if that’s an unkind, mean-spirited and unsportsmanlike way to refer to the embarrassing destruction of the hapless Northwest Texans at the hands of the Dragons, then so be it.

Sometimes, it’s best not to sugarcoat things.

The plain truth is that the overmatched Texans, still winless for good reason, didn’t put up much of a struggle. And the Dragons – perhaps inspired by the most spectacular crop of Homecoming mums I’ve ever seen (and this is Southlake so I’ve seen some humdingers) – thoroughly trashed them, completely and definitively.

Carroll piled up 593 total yards, limiting Northwest to a meager 141. Heck, the Texans could manage only 4 yards rushing all evening and only avoided a shutout after Carroll’s backups muffed a punt in the final quarter and handed them great field position.

Until that scoring drive, Northwest had been forced to punt on every one of its first six possessions, turning the ball over the Dragons, who promptly capitalized on each opportunity and carried a 41-0 lead into halftime.

Pretty impressive

The Dragons had the run of the place. Quarterback Hudson Tomcheck completed 81% of his passes: 17 of 21 for 239 yards and five – count ’em, five – touchdowns. He would have had more, but head coach Lee Munn took pity on Texans and sidelined Tomcheck and most of his starters for the second half.

Three of those TDs went to the night’s leading receiver, Brody Knowles (6 catches for 92 yards), who scored on Tomcheck passing plays of 29, 39 and 3 yards.

Blake Gunter, the Dragons other stellar receiver, caught three Tomcheck passes for 74 yards, scoring on a 63-yard toss in the opening quarter. He also ran 3 yards at the end of the first half to score the Dragons’ final TD.

Dez Bryant Jr. shined brightly, too. He led the Dragons in rushing, cruising to 111 yards on eight carries. He also latched onto one of Tomcheck’s TD tosses, a 12-yard throw that put Carroll up 27-0 at the beginning of the second period.

When Carroll’s starters departed after securing that six-TD lead, the mismatch – never much of a barnburner – slowed to a desultory crawl.

Backup quarterback Palmer Pensom took the reins from Tomcheck and succeeded in getting the Dragons within field goal range at the beginning of the third period. Kicker Gabe Opel booted a 29-yarder to end scoring for the Dragons.

Lifeless trudge

At that point, the game dissolved into a lifeless trudge to the final buzzer, enlivened only by an ever-so-brief offensive spark by Northwest that ended with a 34-yard scoring strike from Texan quarterback Mark Hartman to Elijah Hawkins in the final quarter.

After sending the Texans packing, the Dragons now face their greatest challenge in achieving one of their season goals: To repeat as District 4-6A champions.

Standing in their way are the surging Keller Indians, who arrive in Dragon Stadium on Friday to challenge Carroll’s district dominance.

The 6-0 Indians are enjoying their best season in almost 60 years. The last time they remained undefeated at this point in the season was 1967 so you can only imagine the excitement now sweeping the Keller community.

Like the Dragons, the Indians are undefeated in 4-6A, thanks to a thrilling, come-from-behind 49-42 victory earlier this week over Trophy Club Byron Nelson.

The question for Dragonheads is whether Keller storms into Southlake riding high and mighty on the adrenaline rush of a breathtaking win. Or will the Indians show up mentally and physically depleted by this week’s gridiron dramatics?

We’ll find out soon enough, but it promises to be a donnybrook, doncha think?

Go, Dragons!

File photo. The Dragons face Keller Indians next week for a game that could determine the district championship.