Game Day: Austin Westlake 20, Southlake Carroll 14

For a moment last night, as the final seconds ticked inexorably toward zero, it appeared that the football gods would look down favorably on the Southlake Carroll Dragons as they struggled and strived to wrest victory from the jaws of defeat.

But alas, that didn’t happen, and when Dragon quarterback Montana Murphy, desperately eluding tacklers in his backfield, finally found RB Lil’ Jordan Humphrey in the end zone, his hurried pass was batted dismissively away, and it was over.

Austin Westlake 20, Southlake Carroll 14.

The Dragons had their chances, plenty of them. They held the Chaparrals scoreless in the second half, their young defensive line finally settling down and stopping Westlake’s talented signal caller, Sam Ehlinger (18-29, 236 yards; 72 rushing), who had ripped them handily on the ground and in the air in the first half.

But mental mistakes in the form of two costly turnovers, a flurry of needless penalties and, most particularly, an embarrassing series of downs in the shadow of the Chaps’ end zone with less than 5 minutes to play doomed the Dragons.

Rule of thumb: If you can’t convert on a 1^st and goal at your opponents’ 1-yard line, you probably don’t deserve to win.

That was the situation facing Carroll as game momentum shifted its way in the closing minutes of the game. Trailing by six points, it had slashed its way to the Westlake 1 and had a fresh set of downs to ice the game.

But then a combination of on-field jitters and unforgivable sideline confusion created a Keystone Cops scene that left Dragon fans weak with despair.

Humphrey, who ended a frustrating night with less than 100 yards rushing, was called upon to seal the deal, but he was stopped for a 2-yard loss. Carroll then was called for a false start and subsequently had to burn a timeout to prevent another penalty.

From there, things only got worse, and when the kids on the field needed them most, the coaches failed them. First, Carroll was penalized for illegal substitution and, in the ensuing confusion, was called for delay of game. Now facing second down on the 13-yard-line, it was unable to convert, setting up a normally routine 27-yard field goal.

But nothing was normal about this series, and kicking ace Jake Oldroyd, normally an iron-clad cinch at this distance, implausibly sliced it wide left.

The agony wasn’t over yet. Westlake milked the clock on the next series, but the Dragons finally forced the Chaps to punt with less than 3 minutes left.

They clawed their way into Westlake territory, and Murphy (13-28-1 for 201 yards) hefted a last-hope long pass to Humphrey that landed the Dragons on the 9-yard line with 5 seconds on the clock and no timeouts.

But there would be no Hollywood ending for the Dragons on this night. Humphrey was unable to pull in Murphy’s throw, and Chaps head coach Todd Dodge ended up with the victory over his old team that he so coveted.

Many observers will be tempted to credit the Chaps’ victory to Dodge’s sideline leadership, contrasting it with reigning chaos on the Dragon sideline as its offense sputtered and stalled inches from victory.

There’s some truth in that assessment, I think. But the Chaps are not a perfect team. They played a very sloppy game. Their O-line is highly questionable, and their running game, as demonstrated last night, amounts to the sturdy Ehlinger and little more.

As for their defense, its success in shutting down the Dragons had more to do with Southlake missteps than skill and expertise on Westlake’s part.

Murphy didn’t have a terrible game, but he threw a momentum-draining interception in the first half and had trouble making connections with his receiving corps in the crucial 4^th period. The radio commentators thought he needed to complete his progressions and not focus so intently on his favorite target, senior Zach Farrar, who only caught two passes for 27 yards.

That’s something that will come with experience for Murphy, who was playing his first game as starter, despite getting significant experience last season behind Ryan Agnew.

Head coach Hal Wasson’s threat to split QB duties between Murphy and junior Mason Holmes was a bluff, and the senior played the entire game. The question is whether Murphy showed Wasson enough promise to keep him behind center next week when the Dragons face another fearsome opponent, the Tulsa Union Redskins, on their Oklahoma turf.

This isn’t how the Dragons wanted to begin their 2015 season, but it’s not exactly a shocker, either. Westlake is a quality program, and Dodge is a great coach. There’s no shame in falling before that combination.

It was the manner in which they lost that leaves an unpleasant taste. Truth be told, Carroll should have pulled out a win last night and very well might have with a little more coherent leadership from the sidelines. The good news is that the kids never gave up and got better as the night wore on. That’s the right direction to be traveling.

Another tough road trip faces the Dragons next week. Tulsa Union wants a little payback after its 42-41 overtime loss in the Death Star last year.

Stopping the Redskins won’t be easy, but the prospect of two straight losses is too terrible to contemplate. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Go Dragons!

The Southlake Carroll Dragons' uphill battle begins tonight

Challenges galore confront the Southlake Carroll Dragons this year as they seek to repeat as District 7-6A champions and stage yet another deep run into the playoffs.

The season begins tonight in Austin as the Dragons confront a familiar foe, the Austin Westlake Chaparrals, and their legendary coach, Todd Dodge, who made his considerable reputation some years ago in leading Carroll to four state titles in five years.

First and foremost, the Dragons must overcome the ravages of graduation, which has left them with a single returning starter on defense and a bunch of undersized O-line newbies. Questions on defense are nothing new for Carroll – which saw its playoff hopes die in the fourth round of the playoffs last year when its overmatched defense allowed Cedar Hill to rush for 570 yards in a 62-42 slugfest.  

Meanwhile, questions have swirled all summer about who will replace standout quarterback Ryan Agnew, who graduated to San Diego State and a career in D1 college ball.

Backup quarterback Montana Murphy, a senior, got considerable playing time last year in the later stages of many games during Carroll’s dominant march through 7-6A. But he missed the Spring Game and summer 7-on-7 experience because of a back injury.

Now healed, he faces stiff competition from junior Mason Holmes and so far hasn’t demonstrated to head coach Hal Wasson that he deserves the starting job. Wasson, to the consternation of many of us, has raised the spectre of instituting a quarterback platoon system if Murphy or Holmes doesn’t separate himself in sufficiently dramatic fashion from his rival.

That sounds like a recipe for chaos, and many of us hope that it’s just a ploy by Wasson to throw off game planning by the crafty Dodge, who would dearly love to hand his successor a drubbing in the season opener, a feat he very nearly succeeded in achieving last season.

Southlake, playing at home, squeaked by last year, and it may well do the same this year. Montana or Holmes (or both) will have some potent weapons to deploy against the Chaps, who they defeated back in 2006 for the state championship.

Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, now a towering 6-4, 195-pound senior, ran for 1,830 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, and he’s primed for another romp through opposing 0-lines. But Humphrey likely will be increasingly deployed as a receiver as coaches look to use his height and fluid moves to full advantage. He’ll be joined in that position by senior WR Zach Farrar, who’s poised to have a standout year after showing much promise last year.

The Dragons will face a rocky, uphill battle to repeat their success of last year – a 13-1 season that included a district championship over the Euless Trinity Trojans and ended before the might of the Cedar Hill Longhorns, who went on to win their second consecutive state title.

To begin with, Carroll’s schedule last year gave it home field advantage against Westlake, Tulsa Union and the Trojans, all of whom fell before the Dragons in close, hard-fought campaigns. This year, they’ll face those formidable opponents on the road, and home field advantage could provide the key to otherwise see-saw match-ups.

There is the very real possibility that Southlake could open home field play against the Midland Lee Rebels on Sept. 11 with a 0-2 record, having fallen to the Chaps tonight and Tulsa on Sept. 4. That would be shock to the system of the proud Dragons and a bitter pill to swallow for Carroll fans, myself included, who consider winning our birthright.

This season could test our arrogance. Most observers expect Trinity to win the district championship, despite the retirement of its phenomenal coach, Steve Lineweaver, who led the Trojans to three state championships in 16 seasons at the helm. He was quickly replaced by one of his trusted assistants.

If, indeed, this season gets off to a shaky start, it will test the resilience of our kids and the fortitude of the Southlake fanbase. That might not be an altogether bad thing. Painful, yes, but ultimately a test of fire that could build a stronger team and a stronger community.

That said, whipping the Chaps and humbling Union at home would be pretty damned satisfying, too, doncha think? Go Dragons!

The first day of forever

When I saw them, boy and girl, neither older than 8 or 9, standing nervously on the corner, I felt a little catch in my heart and I almost started bawling.

Both were attired in an explosion of freshly laundered red, blue, yellow and green. They wore new sneakers, probably purchased weeks ago and carefully preserved for just this morning. Across their backs were slug spotless bookbags, filled no doubt with spiral notebooks, No. 2 pencils and packs of Sharpies and colored markers.

Today was the first day of school, you see, an event once so monumental in my household that it was prepared for weeks – yes, even months – in advance. An event chronicled with photos of scrubbed faces – occasionally marred with a smear of jam – bright with the prospects of new beginnings: meeting new friends and learning new things and taking another step on life’s broad highway.

It’s still an occasion of some note. My daughter, who’s still living at home, is a teacher, and she spent last week in teacher-training sessions and in setting up her classroom for today. Classes also officially begin today for my son, a sophomore at the University of North Texas in Denton, although he, already savvy in manipulating the system, managed to schedule all his classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

But the magic of what this day once represented to the Gunnels clan has faded. The treasured blend of pride and anguish my wife and I felt as our children toddled off to the bus stop (only one house away, so we could monitor them safely and secretly from behind a closed window blind) is gone forever.

It was sweet – oh, so sweet – while it lasted, but time, dammit, marches on. We must now be satisfied with tender memories of when we served on the front lines of parenthood, not in the rear echelon area to which we have been consigned by the growth of our kids into young woman and young man.

So I gave a little wave to the boy and girl (Brother and sister? Best friends? Next-door neighbors?) as I passed them. They ignored me, and with good reason, too. Their gazes were fiercely focused on the adventures ahead. The road to the future lay before them, a dizzying rollercoaster ride of heartache and exhilaration, battles fought and lost, battles fought and won.

Godspeed, children, I murmured. And safe travels.

Playoff Quarterfinals: Cedar Hill 62, Southlake Carroll 42

Bitter as it is to say, the best team won yesterday in the playoff quarterfinal contest between Southlake Carroll and Cedar Hill.

The Longhorns, with their roster of D1-bound athletes, dominated the game from kickoff to final whistle, employing their multi-dimensional ground game to score at will and forcing the Dragons to take to the air to keep up.

It’s a testimony to the grit, discipline and heart of the Carroll players that they kept things close enough for their fans to hold out hope for another last-gasp, last-minute victory.

But Cedar Hill was too good for that. Even as senior quarterback Ryan Agnew staged a series of quick-attack aerial heroics in the second half, bringing the Dragons within 5 at one point in the 3^th quarter, the Longhorns came roaring back every time.

After each Dragon score, Cedar Hill, in business-like fashion, sent their double-threat quarterback and fleet-footed running backs scything through the Dragon line, marching authoritatively down the field to maintain the two-score lead it held through most of the game.

The Longhorns rolled up 686 total yards of offense, 572 on the ground. By comparison, the Dragons could manage only 78 yards rushing.

Cedar Hill’s kill-shot occurred with less than 3 minutes left when it intercepted a pass by Agnew as he was trying desperately to close the Longhorns’ 13-point lead. In the ensuing series, the Longhorns rolled inevitably to their final score and ended the Dragons season.

Cedar Hill Coach Joey McGuire told The Dallas Morning News that his game plan was to smother the Dragon ground game and its hard-charging lead rusher, Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, and to gamble it could survive Carroll’s ensuing aerial assault.

It worked beautifully. Humphrey, a junior who rushed for 1,800 yards this season and 29 touchdowns, was held to a paltry 37 yards yesterday. Forced to the air, Agnew and his receiving corps did their best, and it was impressive to see. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 418 yards and four touchdowns, engineering pass plays along the way of 76, 52, 42 and 75 yards.

Senior Tariq Gordon was his favorite target, pulling in 6 catches for 168 yards. Zach Farrar nabbed 3 for 128, and senior Parker Fentriss got 3 for 114.

But it wasn’t enough to blunt Cedar Hill’s abundant offensive arsenal, headed by quarterback Justin McMillan (8-15 for 112 yards, 3 TDs) and running backs Aca’cedric Ware (283 yards on 29 carries) and Denvre Daniels, (155 yards on 19 carries). Its weapons included sophomore Avery Davis, a backup quarterback who went in for one play late in the 4^th and sprinted 62 yards for a touchdown that padded the Longhorn lead, 47-35, after a Carroll rally had narrowed the margin to 6.

The Dragons, bless’em, shrugged off that shocking development. What would have been a dagger to the heart for many good teams, only served to inspire Agnew and his teammates. Starting the next drive at the Carroll 25, Agnew hefted a long ball downfield to WR Parker Fentiss, who took it to the house, narrowing the lead to 47-42.

The Longhorns responded in turn with a 54-yard TD run by Ware, making it now 55-42. At that point, Agnew made his first and only miscue of the afternoon, throwing an INT on a 2^nd and 9 at the Cedar Hill 40.

Thus ends the Dragon season. For many of us, the disappointment is eased somewhat by the knowledge that Carroll fell to a great team, well-coached, highly talented and strongly motivated. The Longhorns, after all, are defending 6A Division II champions, and they played like it yesterday.

They face Spring Westfield next week in Georgetown, and the Houston-area folks had best come prepared for a squad on a mission to repeat state. If Cedar Hill gets past Westfield, and it should, it probably will face Katy in the finals at Cowboys Stadium on the Saturday before Christmas. That will be quite a game, folks.

For the Dragons, the season ends here, and preparations will begin almost immediately for next year. That’s the nature of sports.

It will be sad to see seniors like Ryan Agnew, WRs Parker Fentriss and Ryan McGiboney, safety/WR Tariq Gordon, RB Deondre Wiltshire, DL King Newton and others leave. Also worthy of note are departing safety Andy Chelf, who left yesterday’s game with a knee injury, and linebacker Clark Parr, who has been courageously playing for some time with a battered knee. Both are warriors whose leadership and talent will be missed.

But a cadre of talented juniors will be stepping into top roles next year. Backup quarterback Montana Murphy is Agnew’s likely replacement, at least at this point. He got some valuable reps this year and shows great promise. Junior receiver Zach Farrar will be back. So will Humphrey, who showed this year he can run with the best of them. If he demonstrates half the improvement between his junior and senior years as he did from sophomore to junior, 2015 could be a very special season for him. Grant McFarlin will be joining him in the backfield.

Sophomore linebacker Jacob Copeland, who was sidelined much of this year with injuries, will be back, as will safety Obi Eboh. Others no doubt will muscle their way to the forefront.

This is Southlake Carroll, after all, where the program reloads rather than rebuilds. Go Dragons!

Regional Playoffs, Southlake Carroll 35, San Angelo Central 10

The Southlake Carroll Dragons have played better playoff games in their storied history, but their take-down of the San Angelo Central Bobcats on Saturday was no less total and complete.

The Bobcats came to Baylor’s McLane Stadium riding a season that had exceeded even their biggest boosters’ expectations. Once a powerhouse both in West Texas and statewide, the proud Bobcats have fallen on hard times in recent years. But with a new coach and a new program, they arrived in Waco with an 11-1 record and a chip on their shoulder.

It didn’t long for the Dragons to send that chip a-flying and to bring the high hopes of the West Texans crashing to earth.

The Carroll defense, which just gets better as the season progresses, smothered the Bobcats’ offense. It held Central to only two first downs and nine rushing yards in the first half, forcing the Bobcats to punt on four of their first five possessions. In the key third quarter, the Dragons’ Big Guys stopped three fourth-down attempts by the desperate Bobcats, stifling any comeback hopes for good.

Central’s only touchdown came with only 6 second left on the game clock, long after the Dragons’ second team had taken over.

Central’s highly regarded double-threat quarterback, senior Braden Hucks, compiled decent numbers, but he was no factor in the contest, despite managing 247 yards in the air and 87 yards on the ground.

Meanwhile, the Dragon offense lacked the zip-ziggidity of its flawless game last week against Denton Guyer. But even at three-quarters speed, it was more than the Bobcats could handle.

RB Lil’ Jordan Humphrey ran for 114 yards and three TDs. Quarterback Ryan Agnew threw 13 of 24 for 208 yards and ran for another 62. Tariq Gordon, who plays both safety and wide receiver, was Agnew’s favorite target, nabbing seven throws for 153 yards.

But the time for lackadaisical effort is over. Carroll faces Cedar Hill, defending Division II state champions, next Saturday in SMU’s Ford Stadium. The Longhorns slipped past the Abilene Eagles 36-28 Saturday to reach the fourth round, and they will be gunning for the Dragons, you can be sure of that.

Cedar Hill has been averaging 500 yards and almost 48 points per game this season. Despite a couple of stumbles against Skyline and Mansfield, the Longhorns are playing their best football right now, and that’s as it should be.

If the Dragons bring anything but their A-game to SMU on Saturday, Cedar Hill likely will send their playoff run spinning off the road, leaving it upside down in the bar ditch with its wheels spinning.

Ford Stadium has been a mixed bag for the Carroll Dragons, who saw playoff hopes die there in 2009 against Arlington Bowie and in 2012 against DeSoto. But it’s also the location of one of their most memorable triumphs.

In a semi-final game against Skyline in 2011, the Dragons staged an unlikely come-from-behind victory against the favored Raiders. With less than a minute left, Carroll quarterback Kenny Hill rumbled 35 yards for the game-winning touchdown, passing along the way a wild gray fox that had wandered onto the field. The next week, the Dragons beat Fort Bend Hightower for the state championship.

The fox was last seen scampering over the berm on the south end of Ford Stadium. Anyone up for a fox hunt? Go Dragons!

Area Playoffs: Southlake Carroll 58, Denton Guyer 42

For many high school football programs, just getting to the playoffs is a worthy goal to set at the beginning of any season.

Not so for Southlake Carroll and the rest of the state’s elite football schools. Their mission is not just to make the playoffs, but to make a deep run into the post season and to be in the hunt for the ultimate prize – a state championship.

So playing until after Thanksgiving – or, put another way, making the third round of the six-game playoffs in Texas – is a significant milestone, and one achieved early this morning by the Southlake Carroll Dragons.

And they did it in handy fashion, dominating a solid Denton Guyer squad with high playoff aspirations.

Led by senior quarterback Ryan Agnew, the Dragon offense was a well-oiled machine, scoring on each of its first seven possessions and jumping to a 31-7 lead by the last third of the second quarter.

Agnew, who struggled during the first half of last week’s contest against Mansfield, came roaring out of the gate against Guyer, completing 21 of 24 passes for 241 yards. He passed for one score and rushed for another two.

Stellar running back Lil’ Jordan Humphrey had a monster game, rumbling to 176 yards on 26 carries and scoring three touchdowns. He also proved to be a key Agnew receiver, catching five throws for 50 yards.

Meanwhile, Carroll’s Big Guys stopped Guyer’s high-octane offense when it had to. The Wildcats' sophomore phenom quarterback, Shawn Robinson, was everything he was billed to be, a dazzling pinpoint passer with a rocket arm and a bewitching runner with speed and guile. Robinson had a hand in all six of Guyer’s touchdowns, passing for five and rushing for another.

But while he finished the night with 404 passing yards and 101 rushing, much of that production came in the second half, when the Wildcats were chasing the steady Dragons. Significantly, in the critical first half, when Carroll was building its early – and ultimately insurmountable – lead, Robinson was held to only 137 yards.

The Wildcats, who had easy pickings in District 5-6A and roared past Plano in the first round, responded to their first real challenge of the season with a sloppy, mistake-strewn first half.

On Guyer’s second possession, Dragon safety Kevin Cramer snagged a Robinson pass, setting up a 12-yard throw from Agnew to Ryan McGiboney, who led Carroll receivers with eight catches for 97 yards. Later, the Dragon D stalled a Wildcat drive at mid-field. A high snap sent to ball sailing over the punter’s head, and the Dragons recovered on the Guyer 18. Five plays later, Agnew darted three yards for the score.

The Wildcats were reeling but far from out. They scored on the last play of the first half and on the first play of the second to cut Carroll’s lead to 31-21. But that would be as close as they would get.

The Dragons, who had survived a desperate17-point comeback in the first round against the upstart Mansfield Tigers, were determined to avoid any similar last-minute dramatics. Rushing scores by Agnew and Humphrey in the third quarter tamed the striving Wildcats.

Most forecasters had predicted a Guyer win, believing the Carroll defense would be unable to corral Robinson and the blistering Wildcat offense, which never scored less than 40 points in any game it played, including this, its last one.

But this Dragon squad is a never-say-die bunch that has found a way to win all year, piling up narrow victories against such stalwart opponents as Austin Westlake, Tulsa Union, Coppell and Trinity.

Now, it will travel to Waco on Saturday to meet the San Angelo Central Bobcats in McLane Stadium on the banks of the Brazos. Nothing is easy at this point in the playoffs, but the Dragons should be favorites in that matchup.

Personally, I seek balm on Saturday for bitter high school memories of watching the high-stepping Bobcats smash the Big Spring Steers year after year in the West Texas district known as the Little Southwest Conference.

Particularly vivid is the memory of one Central fan, a huge fellow with barrel chest and beer belly who arrived at Steer Stadium one year with his shaved head painted a bright Bobcat orange. His obscene taunts and antics still stick in my craw all these years later. Funny how some things stay with you, isn’t it?

If the Dragons get past the Bobcats, and they should, they’ll face either Abilene or Cedar Hill in the fourth round, setting up yet another classic confrontation with a familiar foe.

Roasted turkey on Thursday and fricasseed Bobcat on Saturday. Now that would be a Thanksgiving feast, indeed. Go Dragons!

Bi-District Playoffs: Southlake Carroll 38, Mansfield 31

Friends sometimes ask why I’m such a fan of high school football. The answer is complicated.

It has to do with the pageantry of Friday night lights – gridiron action, marching bands, high-stepping drill teams and back-flipping cheerleaders. With memories of watching games in the wind-blown West Texas stadiums of my youth. With a nostalgic affection for the concept of players motivated by school spirit, team loyalty and comradeship rather than fame and money.

And then there are classic contests like last night’s matchup between the Southlake Carroll Dragons and the Mansfield Tigers.

Hollywood scriptwriters couldn’t have written it any better:  Carroll, a highly ranked team with a storied past, winner of eight state championships, is initially humbled in the bi-district round of the playoffs by Mansfield, a second-seed team that proved itself a giant-killer when it knocked off Cedar Hill, last year’s state champions, earlier in the season.

Then the Dragons, trailing 24-7 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter, stage a dramatic, spine-tingling comeback, led by the quarterback who had been intercepted three times earlier in the game. That quarterback throws the winning touchdown pass with 13 seconds left.

See what I mean? How can you NOT love a game that provides week-in, week-out that kind of drama, emotion and nerve-jarring entertainment?

Last night’s contest – or more precisely, the last 17 minutes of it – easily qualifies as one of the Dragons’ best playoff efforts. It takes its rightful place with the double-overtime win against Allen in the second round of the 2009 playoffs, a back-and-forth affair that ended with Carroll cornerback Justin Agnew stopping a game-winning two-point conversion by the Eagles.

By the way, Justin Agnew is the brother of Dragon quarterback Ryan Agnew, who staged the Dragons’ last-gasp comeback last night. I’m telling you, folks, you can’t make this stuff up.

For most of three quarters, the Tigers mauled the Dragons, keeping their offense off-balance and out-of-sync and feasting on the harassed Agnew’s hurried throws. Meanwhile, its swift and crushing running game, led by sophomore Kennedy Brooks, who ended the night with 231 yards on 29 carries and two TDs, shredded their defense. He averaged 8 yards a carry, and the Dragons only managed to slow him in the fourth. They never stopped him.

It’s tempting to say that the Dragons simply were flat during the first half, with the Agnew-led offense out of rhythm and the defense stiff and sluggish.

 But the truth is Mansfield was a beast, a truly talented, well-coached and highly motivated team that wasn’t intimidated in the least by the Dragons’ unbeaten record and bulging trophy case. And why should it be: Only two weeks ago, it soundly defeated district rival Cedar Hill, the defending state champion and another obstacle the Dragons must surpass if they are to win a ninth state championship.

To be honest, when the Tigers pulled 17 points ahead of the Dragons half-way through the third period, I figured the season was over. Mansfield was just too strong on offense and too stingy on defense for Carroll to make up the difference in the time remaining.

I should have had more faith in Agnew and his teammates, who decided they didn’t want their season to end and who set about making sure it didn’t.

Agnew’s dad, who was sitting in front of me and certainly is no stranger to dramatic Dragon finishes, had faith. While I was sitting dejected and depressed in my seat, he was on his feet, urging the Dragons on and appearing – to this observer at least – to be as cool and confident as if he were watching spring practice.

As if flipping on a switch, the Dragon offense came alive. As the third quarter came to a close, Agnew (21-34, 344 yards) completed the first of his four TDs passes for the night, a 36-yard toss to WR Parker Fentiss, who finished with 97 yards and two TDs.

Now trailing 24-14, the Dragons recovered the ensuing on-side kick, but had to settle for a 33-yard field goal by the stalwart Jake Oldroyd to pull within a touchdown.

But Mansfield refused to go down quietly. Starting its next drive on the 14-yard line, Tiger quarterback Aaron Funk shoved the ball into Brooks’ gut, and the soph darted around the right corner and outraced the entire Dragon backfield 86 yards to the end zone.

Brooks’ heroics could have snuffed out any comeback effort, but the Dragons, now behind two TDs with less than seven minutes to play, took the setback in stride. Agnew responded with a 33-yard pass to Fentiss with 5½ minutes to play.

After forcing the Tigers into a 3-and-out, the Dragons mounted a play that probably epitomized the entire game – a desperate, glorious struggle ending in triumph. Starting at his own 24, Agnew was flushed from the pocket and evaded tacklers as he sought an open receiver. Narrowly avoiding a tackle at his own goal line, he found RB Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, who juked and jerked his way 76 yards for the tying score, but not before strong-arming one pursuer at the 10 and bulling past another at the 1 to stretch into paydirt.

The Dragons once again stopped Mansfield, forcing the dazed Tigers to punt with 1:43 left in the game. Carroll marched the field, fighting to the Mansfield 31 before using its last timeout to stop the clock with 19 seconds left.

Time to turn to the dependable Oldroyd to kick the winning field goal, right?

Nope. When the Dragons returned to the field, it was clear they were going to gamble they had time for one more shot before setting up the 3-pointer.

With bated breath – to be honest, I hadn’t drawn an easy lungful of air for most of the last half – the Dragon faithful waited for the snap. And there it was. Agnew dropped back and found WR Tariq Gordon in the end zone. End of game. Dragons win.

So the Dragons advance to the Area Round and face Denton Guyer back in the Death Star next Saturday. They’ve faced Guyer before and have no reason to love the Wildcats. Guyer ended Carroll’s deep playoff run in 2010 and handed the Dragons a rare defeat on their home turf earlier that season.

Perhaps it’s time for some payback. I’d like to think so. But it won’t be easy. These are the Texas high school football playoffs, and the road to any state championship is rough and rocky. Go Dragons!