It's hard to believe, but we're about one month away from kickoff! Change is definitely in the air for Dragon Football, as it gets a new head coach for the first time in 11 seasons. And who better to take the helm than one of our own, Riley Dodge – 2006 state-winning quarterback and son of former Dragon head coach, Todd Dodge.
"I grew up in this field house,” Coach Dodge says. “I lifted weights in the same weight room [my players] are. I can really relate to these kids and expectations of this place. I want them to have high expectations.”
Dodge arrives at Carroll after serving as Justin Northwest's offensive coordinator a year ago with previous coaching stops at the University of Texas, Texas A&M and Flower Mound Marcus following his graduation from McNeese State.
But the brand new head coach isn't the only major change looming for Dragon football. Every two years, The University Interscholastic League (UIL), realigns districts to account for population shifts and new schools. Though realignment is typically just a few tweaks here and there, the 5-6A district is now night and day from last year.
Losing longtime rival in Euless Trinity, the Dragons will now be playing against the likes of Keller ISD, Trophy Club Byron Nelson, Denton Guyer and Northwest Eaton. For the next two years at least, Carroll football will now largely take place on this side of DFW Airport.
Thankfully, there will still be plenty of familiar faces this season, including three returning starting offensive linemen in all-district performers Henry Mossberg, Cameron Hataway and Andrej Karic, and a backfield that includes first-team seniors Will Bowers (quarterback) and TJ McDaniel (running back).
Defensively, key returners for Carroll include all-district linebackers Michael Parrish (first team) and Graham Faloona (second team), safeties Mickens (first team) and Jake Fex (second team) and defensive linemen Quentin Bunten and Alex Kingston.
* = District Game