Southlake Carroll football holds on to defeat Hebron, advances to regional final
A lot can change in a Texas high school football season.
Southlake Carroll defeated Hebron 59-16 in week two, but both teams evolved over the past three months. 84 days later, the Hawks and Dragons rematched in a Class 6A Division Two Regional Semifinal at Ellis Stadium.
The Dragons were without senior running back Riley Wormley, a USC commit who suffered a season-ending injury in late September. They were also without RB Davis Penn, a Baylor commit who endured a season-ending ACL injury in the area round.
With a new-look offense, Southlake Carroll (13-0) narrowly defeated Hebron 42-37 on Friday, Nov. 29 to avoid elimination. Carroll took a two-score lead at the start of the fourth quarter, and although Hebron battled back, the Dragons kept control of the lead the rest of the way.
Southlake Carroll further solidified itself as a consistent contender, winning its 13th game. The Dragons have won 13 games in six of the last seven seasons.
“This time of year. It’s about finding a way to win,” Southlake Carroll head coach Riley Dodge said. “But we know we have to be a lot better as we go forward.”
The Hawks had possession deep in their own territory in the game’s final moments, but a Carroll sack ran the clock out. After losing by 43 in non-district play, Hebron played the Dragons close.
“I think they just got a lot better in a lot of phases,” Dodge said. “They continue to do what they’re doing defensively. They’re an aggressive group. Their box has gotten tougher – linebackers and D lineman. They’re a tough hand offensively too.”
Senior Christian Glenn, normally a wide receiver, stepped into the starting running back role and tallied 87 yards and a touchdown.
“I think he’ll get better and better,” Dodge said of Glenn. “We’ll see how long the season goes -- with a back, he’s just got to get reps. I know one thing: He is a freaking competitor. He has waited for this opportunity for awhile as a senior and he made the most of it tonight.”
Quarterback Angelo Renda had a fantastic individual showing, tallying 304 passing yards on 20 of 28 passes with two touchdowns. He added 107 yards on 17 attempts and three touchdowns on his legs.
Renda’s favorite target was wide receiver Brock Boyd, a TCU commit. Boyd tallied a game-high 227 receiving yards and a touchdown on 12 catches, averaging 18.9 yards per reception.
“Just an unbelievable competitor,” Dodge said. “He is the ultimate practice player. That is why he is able to play so fast on Friday nights. He wants the ball.”
In the Region One Finals, Denton Guyer or Crowley will be the opponent. The Eagles and Wildcats will play at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30 at Mustang Panther Stadium.
“Two great programs,” Dodge said. “It’s going to be a tall task for us. If we don’t play better in a lot of area, it’ll be tough sledding for us. We’ve got to get back to work next week, focus on the Carroll Dragons and tighten stuff up.”
To start the game, Hebron struck first with a touchdown run from quarterback Patrick Crayton Jr, but the Dragons responded with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Renda to sophomore wide receiver Brody Knowles.
Carroll extended its lead with a 16-yard rush from Renda that was set up by William Chen’s blocked punt and Mateo Fodor’s recovery. After both teams traded stops, Hawk wide receiver Tyler Hoke retaliated, tallying a 27-yard touchdown on a quick slant.
Boyd one-upped the play; Renda fired a 40-yard pass down the sideline, and Boyd fought through a defensive pass interference, coming down with the highlight, go-ahead touchdown.
“He is a phenomenal player,” Renda said of Boyd. “When you get the ball in his hands, he makes plays.”
Hebron kicker Cameron Allen added a 44-yard field goal to cut the lead prior to the break.
To start the third quarter, a Boyd reception on fourth down got the Dragons to the red zone, but he immediately fumbled. Hebron took over, and Crayton finished the drive with a go-ahead rushing score.
Carroll then took back the lead with a flurry of runs from Glenn and Renda finished the scoring drive with a two-yard scoring scamper. After a three-and-out, Renda found Boyd for a 36-yard gain and Glenn followed it up with a three-yard score.
Hebron bounced back with another rushing touchdown from Crayton, but Renda did the same, extending the Dragons lead to 42-31 with 4:38 remaining.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to who wants it more,” Renda said. “One play at a time mentality. When the lights are on, that’s when we play our best football.”
Although Crayton cut the lead with another rushing touchdown, Boyd recovered the onside kick, and the Dragons ran some clock before Hebron’s final, unsuccessful possession.
“I continue to like our kids’ resilience,” Dodge said. “We did some really good things offensively. We felt like we had one bad drive on the night. They were daring us to throw the football. We had some timely receptions.”
This story was originally published November 29, 2024 at 5:17 PM.
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