Southlake Carroll topples Euless Trinity in high-offense, back-and-forth thriller
The Southlake Carroll and the Euless Trinity offenses went back and forth in an electric shootout.
It seemed like neither defense would stand tall, but the Dragons eventually got a much-needed stop and secured a 56-48 victory in a District 4-6A high school football game at Pennington Field on Friday. Running back Riley Wormley, a USC commit, led the charge with 181 yards and three touchdowns.
“It was really stressful,” Southlake Carroll head coach Riley Dodge said with a smile. “But a quality win versus a really good football team. We knew we had a challenge defensively with their offense, and it obviously showed up on the scoreboard. We knew it was gonna possibly be a shootout tonight.”
The game renewed an old rivalry between two historically great programs. The Trojans and Dragons are known for having competitive, entertaining games. Dodge credited Trinity for another great battle.
“Just two really good programs that respect the crap out of each other,” Dodge said. “It was a physical ball game.”
It’s a rarity to see any program put up 48 points against a high-quality program like Southlake Carroll. The Dragons didn’t give up more than 34 throughout 2023 district play.
Trinity head coach Aaron Lineweaver said Trinity football will use the loss as an opportunity to focus on little ways to improve.
“We’re going to use this as a building block,” Lineweaver said.
Southlake Carroll, No. 2 in the Star-Telegram’s Class 6A rankings behind North Crowley, now has consecutive ranked wins. Byron Nelson holds a No. 3 ranking, and Carroll took down the Bobcats on September 13. Trinity entered week four with a No. 4 ranking.
“We just played two big games, but we have so much to improve on,” Dodge said. “There’s so much to improve on and clean up, and we’ve got to continue to get better.”
Southlake Carroll football has been a state championship contender most years, and it appears that won’t change this season. The Dragons have a young team that has had to mature fast with an intense four-game slate to open the season.
“They’re learning through the process,” Dodge said. And we’ve got to learn from tonight as well. I thought we could’ve played cleaner at times in all three phases. We just have to be better as a coaching staff in some points. But I’m proud of this young group coming on the road. It was a hostile environment We found a way to get the W at the end of the day.”
A back and forth offensive thriller
Southlake Carroll started the game with an 85-yard scoring drive capped by a one-yard rush by Wormley, who had 42 yards in the series. Following both teams trading turnovers, the Dragons extended their lead with a 5-yard scoring scamper by Baylor commit Davis Penn.
“(Wormley) and (Penn) are special,” Lineweaver said. “They are a handful. They are really tough, and they run hard.”
The Trojans responded with their first touchdown drive. Quarterback TJ Tupou rolled to his right and found tight end Lukas Sanchez for a 13-yard score with 9:42 remaining in the second quarter.
Tupou ended the game with 64 rushing yards and 267 passing yards while completing 20 of 23 passes. He accounted for four total touchdowns.
“He is as good as anybody in the metroplex,” Lineweaver said.
Quarterback Angelo Renda and the Carroll offense, however, bounced back and built momentum, taking a 35-14 lead into the half. Dodge said he is “calm, cool and collected” with strong communication and leadership skills.
Renda finished the game with 393 total yards, five touchdowns, a fumble and zero interceptions.
“He is an accurate passer,” Dodge said. “He puts the ball in the right places. And he is a tough dude. He battling through some stuff right now and still showing up for us every day.”
The Trojans needed a score and a stop to start the third quarter, and they got it. Fullback Micahel Saafi cut the lead with a 10-yard rushing touchdown, and, set up by a 47-yard reception by wide receiver Ethan Wright, Tupou did the same with a two-yard score.
Suddenly in a one-possession game, Carroll’s offense went to work with several short completions from Renda to Boyd, who ended up leading all receivers with 135 yards. Wormley then caught a short pass and took a hard hit, bouncing five yards back from the impact; Wormley wasn’t fazed, turning on the jets and taking it 35 yards for a touchdown.
With every Carroll touchdown, Trinity was able to respond. Tupou notched his third touchdown of the game, a one-yarder with 8:40 remaining in the game. The Dragons’ consistent offensive attack, though, made it challenging for Trinity to make progress.
With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Renda heaved a 14-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Blake Gunter who fought through contact for the reception.
The Trojan offense kept finding ways to claw back into the game, cutting the lead with a five yard touchdown rush from Harris. Trinity finally secured a rare stop, but the Dragons’ defense matched the result, capitalizing when it mattered most.
On September 27, Southlake Carroll will continue its season at Dragon Stadium against Keller Timber Creek, and Euless Trinity will hit the road to face Byron Nelson.
“We’ll have to have a good video and weight session tomorrow,” Lineweaver said. “On Monday, we’ll have to have the right mindset of getting better. That’ll never change around here. We’re always trying to get better.”
This story was originally published September 20, 2024 at 10:26 PM.
.jpg)