Southlake Carroll, Riley Dodge headline 2020 opener at AT&T Stadium vs. familiar face
Southlake Carroll will play Austin Westlake to begin the 2020 high school football season at AT&T Stadium, Westlake head football coach Todd Dodge announced on Sunday.
The announcement came during Westlake’s championship parade. The Chaparrals defeated Denton Guyer, 24-0, in the Class 6A Division II state title game at AT&T Stadium in December.
It will be a family affair against Carroll as the Dragons are coached by Dodge’s son Riley, who has been at the helm since March 2018. The Dragons have posted back-to-back 13-1 seasons with Riley.
“The UIL presented it to us in the middle of the season,” Riley said. “It will be the 100th year of UIL football next season.
“We chewed on it for awhile. We were hesitant at first because we didn’t want to make it about us and our family. I know the dad vs. son concept is everyone’s first reaction, but we got to a point where it’s going to be a cool deal for Texas high school football and a cool way to kick off the 2020 season.”
Westlake will have to replace quarterback Kirkland Michaux, who threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns against Guyer. The senior QB finished the season with nearly 3,000 yards and 44 TDs.
Carroll will showcase 2022 QB Quinn Ewers, who threw for 4,000 yards and 45 TDs. Ewers was voted District MVP and Fort Worth Star-Telegram Offensive Player of the Year.
Todd Dodge was Carroll’s head coach from 2000-06 and led the Dragons to four UIL Class 5A state titles. He was 79-1 from 2002-06 and 98-11 overall.
During the 2006 season, Riley Dodge was the starting quarterback. The Dragons went 16-0. Dodge graduated in 2008 and accounted for 4,100 yards and 41 TDs during his senior season in 2007.
“There’s a lot of history between the two schools. I was a ball boy for Westlake during the 1996 championship season when Drew Brees was quarterback. My grandfather was a longtime athletic coordinator there,” Riley said. “I don’t want the spotlight to be on my dad and I, but rather these kids and two really good programs. It’s a unique storyline as both head coaches have ties with both schools.”
The rest of the football schedule will become clearer when the UIL announces the 2020-22 realignment on Feb. 3.
This story was originally published January 27, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
