Panthers looking to nip Dragons for first time

This is a standup week for Colleyville Heritage football.

When the Panthers (4-3, 2-1 in District 7-6A) travel across Highway 26 to play at Carroll, it’s a chance for this program to answer questions.

First, this program has a chance to beat Carroll for the first time in 15 meetings. It’s 0-14 lifetime. Second, this program has to demonstrate it can win big ballgames.

Colleyville Heritage is catching a Carroll team that is vulnerable, but not down. The Panthers have picked up the pace by jumping all over Haltom and Hurst L.D. Bell. They scored 96 points in those games.

Colleyville Heritage had a chance to stay in its game with Euless Trinity but missed some scoring opportunities in the second and third quarter and had to settle for field goals. The Panthers also made two costly special teams mistakes that turned into touchdowns. They lost, 59-33.

The Panthers’ running game is going to have to keep Carroll’s defense honest. Colleyville Heritage’s offense is literally a 2-to-1 pass-to-run attack. Of the 2,869 total offensive yards it has collected, 1,911 have come through the air (66.6 percent).

Colleyville Heritage has leaned on junior quarterback Cam Roane to lead the way as he has accounted for 2,104 yards (1,804 passing, 330 rushing). No other Panthers running back has rushed for more than 179 yards (Jamarie Williams).

The pitch and catch combination of Roane and sophomore wide receiver Ke’Von Ahmad has been electric from the start. With his 102 yards against L.D. Bell, Ahmad crossed the 1,000-yard plateau (1,020). He has more than half of that (579) in the last three games against Trinity, Haltom and L.D. Bell.

The combination is really one-dimensional. Colleyville Heritage receivers have caught 111 passes. Ahmad has 51 of them (46 percent). The second-leading pass catcher is Gervon Thothion with 10.

In the secondary

The Dragons present one of the toughest secondary units in the area. Led by junior safety and Oklahoma commit Robert Barnes and senior defensive back and Texas commit Obi Eboh, Carroll’s secondary has allowed only 863 passing yards (123.3 ypg) and seven touchdown passes. Only Austin Westlake’s Sam Ehlinger threw for more than 200 yards.

This will be the most prolific passing attack Carroll will have seen. Yet Colleyville Heritage will have a challenge.

On the flipside, look for Panthers defensive back Reid Harrison-Ducros to get matched up a decent amount of the time against Carroll wide receiver and lifelong friend Zach Farrar. Farrar is averaging 19.2 yards per reception.

Grapevine update

The Mustangs (5-2, 2-1 in District 6-5A) can clinch a winning season for the first time since 2011 and move closer to a playoff berth when they take on Fort Worth Carter-Riverside (5-3, 2-2) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Fort Worth’s Farrington Field.

Grapevine is actually getting a nice break from the schedule maker. The Mustangs drew their bye during the final week of the first quarter, they return to play a day early and then have a full week to prepare for Birdville in what should be a battle for the top playoff seed in Division I on Oct. 29.

The Mustangs are also healthier. Linebacker Brennan Davis (undisclosed) is expected to return.

“I want our defense to continue to make progress and our kicking game to continue to improve,” coach Randy Jackson said. “To clinch a winning season would be a big deal to so many people. We have so many more things to do but there is a lot of positive energy going.”

This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Panthers looking to nip Dragons for first time."