Southlake Carroll fell short but is built to bounce back, compete for 2025 state title
Southlake Carroll fell short of its ultimate goal of winning a state championship.
After the 24-17 loss to Vandegrift on Dec. 21, coach Riley Dodge acknowledged the pain of defeat. When you make it all the way to AT&T Stadium, the pain of elimination has an extra sting.
The Dragons missed their opportunity in a winnable game. Of course, they are disappointed with the loss.
However, the fact they even made it to the championship game is extremely impressive. Carroll’s standard is to compete with the best in Texas, yet this team had every excuse in the book not to.
Southlake Carroll entered the season returning only a handful of starters from the 2023 state semifinal team. It was a young group with limited varsity experience but also a hungry bunch that understood what it takes to “protect the tradition.”
“For us to be here is pretty incredible,” Dodge said after the title game. “It says a lot about the kids we coach. Obviously, it didn’t end with a state championship, but I’m super proud of the way our kids battled all year.”
Part of that battle included four hard-fought playoff victories. After a narrow 49-42 victory over Wolfforth Frenship in the area round, somewhere the Dragons usually dominate, it seemed a deep playoff run wasn’t in the cards.
Every team deals with injuries, but Southlake Carroll had to recover from losing the heartbeat of its team.
Starting running back Davis Penn, a junior Baylor commit, suffered a season-ending injury. The Dragons’ other star running back, senior USC signee Riley Wormley, was injured in October.
“If you told me we would be (playing for a state championship) and Riley Wormley and Davis Penn would not be playing in this game, I would’ve told you ‘you’re crazy,’” Dodge said.
Considering the injuries and the team’s limited varsity experience, no one would’ve blamed the Dragons for skipping Carroll’s usual post-Thanksgiving playoff run. This youthful team, however, continued to win.
“You know, I’ve probably had more talented teams across my seven years than this one, but this one just continued to battle,” Dodge said.
The early-round playoff victories weren’t the typical blowouts the Dragons are accustomed to. Carroll had to capitalize in close moments, battle from behind and endure the pressure.
“It’s what we talk about in our fieldhouse all the time – next man up mentality,” Dodge said. “No one is going to feel sorry for us. We’ve got to keep on moving.”
Carroll secured a 42-37 win over Hebron and a 56-45 come-from-behind win over Denton Guyer.
The young, hungry Dragons became a group of experienced veterans who dreamed of a championship. In the state semifinal, Carroll faced a tough challenge: Longview, a team that dismantled DeSoto.
“When you get later in the year, and you’re playing 6A football in the state of Texas, you’re playing pretty good folks,” Dodge said.
With a walk-off field goal, the Dragons punched a ticket to the state championship and had a chance to win a state title for the first time in 13 years.
The Southlake Carroll community yearns for a state title, and obviously, the loss is disappointing. Still, the season should be celebrated as one that saw the Dragons overcome adversity, find ways to win and greatly exceed expectations.
Now, Southlake Carroll looks to what is next, and there are a whole lot of positives.
In a way, the upcoming situation is the opposite of the 2024 season. Rather than a young, hungry group, Carroll will have a team full of returning players with valuable playoff experience.
“It’s back to where it should be at our place,” Dodge said. “We’re going to be playing with a bunch of seniors and juniors next year. Our talented freshman class went undefeated. … We’re going to be a veteran football team that has played a lot of football.”
Leading the charge will be quarterback Angelo Renda, who was an offer from SMU. In 2024, he passed for 3,901 yards and 38 touchdowns while completing 71% of passes.
“(Renda) is a stud,” Dodge said. “We’ll get him back in the film room. He can continue to learn the nuances of defensive football. But he is so talented. Prerequisite number one for us for playing the quarterback position: You better be a competitor.
“And he is the ultimate competitor. I’m pretty pumped to have him playing for the Carroll Dragons again next year.”
His favorite target, TCU commit Brock Boyd, will also return. His numbers throughout the season were absurd; Boyd tallied 1,875 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns, averaging 117 yards per game.
“Unbelievable – what he was able to do,” Dodge said. “Number one target, and everyone knew it. … Just a competitor. A coach’s kid. He has been around this his entire life. He is a team captain as a junior. That tells you a lot about what the locker room thinks about him.
“You know his DNA and what he will bring to the table each and every day.”
Penn, a junior, will have a (ACL) long offseason of recovery but can return for a single season. Sophomore receiver Blake Gunter earned District 4-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year honors. Brody Knowles, another sophomore, was named to the District 4-6A First Team.
The stars and talent are aligning for Southlake Carroll, and the Dragons certainly will be in state championship conversations.
A town with Southlake’s football tradition is bound to compete at the highest level for the foreseeable future. Dodge emphasized a confidence that, eventually, one of these teams will get over the hump.
“It’ll happen one day,” Dodge said of winning a state championship. “I’m excited about what the future holds.”
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