Dragon conquered: Trophy Club Nelson shocks Southlake Carroll, claims district title
For the first time in program history, the Trophy Club Nelson Bobcats are district champions.
Trophy Club Nelson (9-0, 6-0 District 4-6A) took down Southlake Carroll (8-1, 5-1) 34-17 Friday night at Northwest ISD Stadium. The Bobcats conquered the Dragon, and the students and fans rushed the field after the statement win.
“We’ve got a whole bunch of people responsible for that,” Byron Nelson head coach Travis Pride said, referring to the historic win. “It’s the kids and the coaches. It’s just a total program effort. I’m super, super proud of all of them.”
For the first time since head coach Riley Dodges’ hiring, Southlake Carroll lost a district game. Pride said the team had to believe they could take down Carroll, a team that almost seems invincible at times.
“That’s part of the Southlake Dragon mystique that we had to get over a little bit,” Pride said. “At some point in time, you just have to jump that hurdle. Finally, the kids were able to do that. I think they had enough belief and confidence in themselves. They focused more on our team than the opponent. I think that was the turning point for them.”
Southlake Carroll, the No. 1 ranked Class 6A team in the Star-Telegram’s Fort Worth-area rankings, struggled mightily against a Trophy Club Nelson defense scattered with division one recruits. They were playing without Jacob Jordan, one of the premier receivers in the Fort Worth-area.
Bobcat defensive back and BYU commit Jonathan Kabeya, linebacker Jacoven Julian and safety David Kabongo, an Oklahoma State commit, all tallied interceptions. Pride said the defense plays really hard for one another, partially due to the strong bond they’ve created.
“They play with great confidence,” Pride said. “ ... They trust one another. There’s a brotherhood amongst our teammates, which helps. You’re willing to do a lot for someone you love. Our teammates really trust each other and value each other.”
Now that the Bobcats have a win over Carroll and a district title, they are looking to keep building momentum.
“We work to our second set of goals now, and that’s the playoffs,” Pride said. “There’s many really talented teams in the team of Texas. We’ve got to use [the win] as a stepping stone. ... We’ve got to go right back to work because somebody else is going to be next.”
Quarterback Tom Von Grote finished with 174 yards and two touchdowns through the air and added 43 on the ground. Running back Tucker James was a workhorse, gaining 185 total yards and recording a touchdown.
“Tucker James is a really good back, and I think the O-line plays really hard,” Pride said. “... We don’t have, necessarily, some gigantic, big ‘ol lineman. But they’re all really close. They love one another and they work really hard together. There’s great chemistry in our offensive line and Tucker (James) trusts them and they trust Tucker.”
Bobcats conquer the Dragon
Trophy Club Nelson and Southlake Carroll started the game by trading field goals. Bobcat kicker Justin Bequette struck first with a 25 yard field goal and Southlake Carroll’s kicker, TCU commit Kyle Lemmermann, finished a lackluster Dragon drive with a 48-yard field goal.
Von Grote, in the Bobcats next series, was intercepted by Dragon defensive back Sam Fuller. Carroll couldn’t capitalize on the Bobcat mistake and punted.
The Bobcats began a 10 play, 87 yard scoring drive powered by six runs from James. Von Grote finished it off with a 22-yard touchdown throw to wide receiver Pierce Dahlin, who was in one on one coverage.
After, the Dragons were stymied by the Bobcat defense and were forced to punt after three plays of no gains. Lemmermann booted it away, sending the ball only 15 yards.
The Bobcats started at the Dragons 38 and were able to extend their lead with a 27 yard field goal before the end of the half.
The Dragons received to start the second half, but the drive was ended by Kabeya, who intercepted quarterback Graham Knowles’ pass.
Pride called Kabeya a “shutdown corner.” He said being able to shut down one of Carroll’s primary receivers is huge for the defense.
“He’s very passionate,” Pride said. “He’s very skilled. ... We put him on their best receiver all night and they didn’t have that option during the game.”
After Kabeya’s pick, Trophy Club Nelson capitalized with a 13 play, 72 yard scoring drive capped off by a 17 yard touchdown from Von Grote to wide receiver Leo Almanza.
The Dragons needed a response, but the Bobcat defense ensured the lead stayed put. Julian stepped in front of Knowles’ pass on the first play of the drive, intercepting it and returning it 21 yards for the touchdown.
Facing a large deficit, the Dragons kept composure and put together a 10-play scoring drive. Knowles scored the Dragons’ first touchdown of the game, taking it himself for the 1 yard score; he added 2 points with a successful conversion.
The Dragon defense forced a much needed three and out and Southlake Carroll capitalized with a flurry of successful passes. Knowles found tight end Jack Van Dorselaer, who had to fight for possession of the ball in the end zone to tally a 25-yard TD reception.
The score was 27-17 with 11:50 remaining in the contest and the Dragons had an uphill battle. They were on the right track but were working against the clock, and the Dragon defense was struggling to contain James.
In the Bobcats next drive, Almanza made an incredible leaping catch to put his team in Dragon territory. James then rushed 35 yards, bulldozing through multiple Dragon defenders for another touchdown.
The Dragons were desperate to respond and Knowles forced a pass to the end zone that was intercepted by Kabongo, which was the final blow. Neither team scored the rest of the contest.
“We’re going to the playoffs,” Kabongo said. “Stay locked in because we’re not done yet.”
This story was originally published October 27, 2023 at 11:48 PM.
.jpg)