Southlake Carroll is dominating the regular season. The Dragons are built for more.
The Southlake Carroll Dragons have done everything there is to do in Fort Worth-area high school football.
They’ve won eight state championships. They’ve even won three national championships.
There’s not another school in the Fort Worth-area that has a history quite like the Dragons.
Since its last state championship in 2011, Southlake Carroll has thrived, winning nine district titles. When the 6A classification was created in 2014, the Dragons continued to establish their dominance among the fiercest competition.
Head coach Riley Dodge’s tenure has proven his hiring was worth more than just the Dodge name.
Since Dodge’s took over in 2018, the Dragons haven’t lost a regular season game. Clearly, they’re focused on more important accomplishments than regular season wins.
“Protecting the tradition” is the Dragons’ mantra. Year after year, the Dragons live up to the standard and make a run in the playoffs.
The goal for a program as elite as Southlake Carroll, however, is to win championships, not compete for them. The Dragons are built for more than just a run, and they understand their potential is limitless.
Last season, Carroll fell to Denton Guyer who would go on to lose to DeSoto, the 2022 Class 6A D2 State Champion.
Since the 2011 state championship win, the Dragons have made one appearance in a state championship game, falling to Todd Dodge and Austin Westlake 52-34 to end the 2020-2021 season.
Is 2023 the year the Dragons get over the hump?
Can Southlake Carroll, the No. 1 team in the Fort Worth-area Class 6A rankings, make a deep run in 2023? The 56-10 thrashing of Keller at Keller ISD Stadium on Thursday certainly suggests so. In 2022, the Dragons beat Keller by only three points.
The Indians were previously ranked as the No. 4 team in the Fort Worth-area. Either the Dragons are considerably better or the Indians are a bit worse. Maybe it’s a bit of both.
With the statement victory over the Indians, the Dragons reminded the Texas football world they are not only the team to beat in District 4-6A, but also the pinnacle of high school football in the greater Fort Worth-area.
Dodge said the game wasn’t a rivalry, and the final score certainly backs up the statement. The reality is this: the Dragons are on an entirely different level than most of the teams they play in the regular season.
Of course, they will have to take down Trophy Club Nelson to claim the district crown. The Bobcats are an undefeated squad with a dangerous defense that allows an average of 12.6 points.
The two juggernauts of District 4-6A are on a collision course and are set to go to battle on Oct. 27.
The Bobcats have scored 228 more points than their opponents. It’s worth noting, however, that Keller also looked like a potential threat heading into their game with Southlake Carroll.
Dodge told the team that the victory over Keller “didn’t happen by accident.” He urged the players to bottle up the feeling and trust the hard work they’ve put in.
“We’re a mature football team,” Dodge said after the victory over Keller. “We’re hungry for more.”
Time will tell if Trophy Club Nelson will step up to the challenge. Southlake Carroll has lofty goals, but they shouldn’t overlook the Bobcats. History suggests they won’t. Last year, Southlake Carroll beat Trophy Club Nelson 38-23.
Dragons are built for more
Regardless of the results of the regular season, Carroll is built for the playoffs. Of course, it’s easier said than done to make a deep playoff run, especially considering the possibility of facing programs such as DeSoto and Denton Guyer.
In 2022, Denton Guyer eliminated Southlake Carroll, beating them 45-21 in the quarterfinals. After, DeSoto handed Denton Guyer a tase of their own medicine, soundly defeating them 47-28 to win the 6A D2 State Championship.
That’s how difficult making the state championship can be. This year, however, all the stars are aligning for Southlake Carroll, a team ranked sixth in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Class 6A rankings.
A mix of experience, talent and chemistry provides Southlake Carroll with one of their best chances to win it all in the last decade.
Senior quarterback Graham Knowles, a Georgia Tech commit, took over for the injured Kaden Anderson on Oct. 7, 2022, and he’s been leading the team ever since. 2023 is the first year he’s had control of the starting QB job at the beginning of the season, and the increased repetition is paying off.
The 6-foot-7 quarterback has been as efficient as they come, completing 71% of passes thus far. The chemistry he’s built with the Dragon offense throughout this run will come in handy down the line in a close game.
Knowles has a special connection with wide receiver Jacob Jordan, an Oklahoma commit with elite speed, elusiveness, route running and hands. Jordan is averaging 16.3 yards per catch and 95.3 yards per game.
The Dragons running back room has been magnificent, and it’s only getting better. Sophomore Davis Penn is averaging 10.4 yards per carry, and junior Riley Wormley is set to play his second game after the UIL reversed it’s decision to revoke his eligibility.
Wormley has offers from Oklahoma, TCU, Texas and more. Adding Wormley to an already explosive offense will create what Dodge referred to as a “two headed monster.”
Prior to the season, Knowles aid the team’s main goal is to compete for a state championship. In a program such as Southlake Carroll, that’s always the expectation.
Although the Dragons have a long way to go, it appears Dodge and Co. have the right winning formula and talent to capture greatness.
Not Southlake Carroll’s typical, yearly greatness.
The Dragons’ full potential involves something they haven’t done since 2011: winning the final game of the season.
This story was originally published October 12, 2023 at 3:45 PM.
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