Southlake Carroll looks to take next step in quarterfinal against Denton Guyer
The Dragon faithful are hungry to get back on top of Texas high school football, and Southlake Carroll is approaching the doorstep.
The No. 1 Dragons (13-0) will face Denton Guyer (11-2) in a Class 6A Division II quarterfinal at 2 p.m. Saturday at Crowley ISD Stadium in Fort Worth.
Carroll is a heavy favorite against No. 10 Guyer, a squad that went to the wire against Byron Nelson, a program the Dragons beat by nearly 50 points in September. The Dragons cemented their status as the team to beat with a strong 49-31 victory over No. 7 Prosper last week.
A lot can change in a few months, though.
Guyer certainly was a tough challenge in the 2024 postseason, with Carroll taking a 56-45 victory in a shootout. The Dragons surged from behind, which was a common sight last postseason.
In 2025, however, it’s evident the Dragons’ defense has made monumental improvements, and with that, they’ve finished games with more comfortable leads.
They’ve only allowed 112 points in the season, and at this point in 2024, the Dragons had given up 266 points.
A clash against state power DeSoto or a matchup against Willis will be the reward for the victor in the state semifinals.
Players to watch, keys to victory
At times, Carroll running back Davis Penn has struggled, although he is capable of having a big game at any given moment. Against Prosper, he sealed the game with a 31-yard touchdown, finishing with 75 yards.
The Dragons haven’t been overly reliant on the ground game with quarterback Angelo Renda, a Pittsburgh signee, torching opposing defenses. He has passed for an absurd 3,749 yards while sitting out the fourth quarter in most games.
Renda also has a 76% completion percentage, which was boosted by completing 13 of 15 passes against Prosper. He has 39 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and eight rushing TDs on the season.
Renda operates what is arguably the most talented and deep wide receiver room in the nation. His main target, Ohio State signee Brock Boyd, is averaging 97.8 yards per game and has 17 receiving TDs on the season.
Blake Gunter is the No. 2 man with 30 receptions on the year and 1,089 yards. Lengthy deep threat Brody Knowles leads the teams with 23.2 yards per catch.
The Dragons’ key to victory is pretty simple: Keep doing what they’ve been doing, which is passing deep downfield, finishing drives in the red zone and avoiding turnovers.
Defensively, they’ll need to match the same intensity that has led to 23 turnovers tallied this season.
The main task for Carroll linebacker Robbie Ladd and company will be stopping the run, as Denton Guyer running back Kaedyn Cobbs is averaging 109.6 rushing yards per game with 21 touchdowns.
Within the Guyer defense, look for lineman Khyren Haywood to make some noise. The junior has a team-high 11.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for a loss.
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