No. 1 Southlake Carroll whips Hebron in weather-shortened game
Quarterback Angelo Renda threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, and Southlake Carroll, the No. 1-ranked Class 6A team in the state, rolled past Hebron 35-7 in a weather-shortened non-district game Friday at Dragon Stadium.
Carroll was declared the winner after a second stoppage with 10:02 left in the third period.
The contest began with a 70-minute weather delay — the second straight week the Dragons’ game was delayed. (A 49-0 road shutout of Midland in Week 1 began 95 minutes late because of lightning in the area.)
A second weather delay Friday stopped play early in the third quarter after Carroll (2-0), coming out halftime, punted for the first time this season. After less than 20 minutes, both coaches declared the game over.
“The second weather delay was forecasted to be prolonged,” Carroll coach Riley Dodge said. “So we mutually agreed to call it.”
After forcing a punt by Hebron (1-1) on the game’s initial possession, Carroll struck immediately, with Renda, a Pittsburgh commit, connecting with junior Blake Gunter on a 68-yard TD on the first offensive snap.
“That first play was scripted all week,” Dodge said. “And it worked great.”
The Dragons scored touchdowns on all five first-half possessions, taking a 35-7 lead at intermission.
Junior running back Brooks Biggers capped a nine-play, 92-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run on Carroll’s second possession. A 52-yard completion from Renda to Brody Knowles down to the Hawks’ 2-yard line highlighted the drive.
Senior Brock Boyd, an Ohio State pledge, made a diving 44-yard TD grab with 17 seconds left in the first quarter to give Carroll a 21-0 lead.
“Hebron was stacking the box against the run,” Dodge said. “And that left us to take advantage in the passing game.”
Hebron got on the board with a 4-yard TD pass from Brady Brock to Tyler Hoke early in the second quarter, but the Dragons answered with a pair of scores.
Davis Penn saw his first action of 2025 after an injury-shortened season a year ago, and scored on a 7-yard power run that culminated an 11-play, 75-yard drive.
“It was amazing,” Penn beamed. “Just to finally get back out there. Incredible feeling. Now to build on that next week and rest of the season.”
Dodge said it was “great to have one of our team leaders” back out there. “So proud of the way he has come back. He is such a big part of this team.”
Biggers added a 6-yard TD run with 1:03 left before halftime to round out the scoring.
Renda, who hit six different receivers on his first six completions, said he was just finding the open guy. He finished with 350 yards.
“These are great players, and they all make plays,” he said. “We were clicking in the first half.”
Gunter totaled 134 receiving yards on three catches, while Boyd added five grabs for 73 yards and Knowles had 83 yards on a pair of receptions.
Southlake Carroll, an eight-time state champion, knocked off Hebron twice last season — a 42-37 third-round playoff thriller, after cruising to a 59-16 win early in regular season.
Brock threw for 88 yards and the TD for the Hawks.
Southlake Carroll (2-0) opens District 4-6A play against Trophy Club Byron Nelson (1-1) at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at Northwest ISD Stadium. Nelson fell to Lewisville 38-21 on Thursday after a season-opening 30-7 win against Wolfforth Frenship.