by Justin Thomas
vs. Flower MoundbrJaguars
7:30 p.m. Sept. 29
The Dragons kicked off the District 5-6A slate inbrdominant fashion a year ago, going on the road and returning to Southlake withbra 42-7 victory over the Jaguars.
Flower Mound steadily progressed throughout the debutbrseason of head coach Brian Basil, however, and was in the playoff hunt untilbrthe final week of the season before settling for a 4-6 mark.
With quarterback Jackson Averitt back under center andbrall-state linebacker Connor Lee leading a defense that brings back sixbrstarters, the Jaguars should be even stronger with more varsity experience andbranother season in Basil's system.
As noted, Averitt returns at quarterback and was anbrall-district performer a year ago. A dual-threat, Averitt threw for 2,073 passingbryards, rushed for 428 yards and found the end zone 28 times in total.
His top threat in the passing game figures to be JakebrWelch, but Flower Mound's questions offensively come on the ground where thebrJaguars will look to a trio of sophomore backs that will be running behind abrline breaking in five new starters.
Lee (146 tackles) leads a defense that surrendered 412brtotal yards, including 228 on the ground, to Carroll last year.
at Euless TrinitybrTrojans
7:30 p.m. Oct. 6
Despite a deep and challenging schedule that includes abrtrip to Tulsa, there is no question what game Carroll's players have circled onbrthe calendar.
It comes in the second week of 5-6A action when Carrollbrtravels to Bedford's Pennington Field to take on Trinity in a battle of twobrsquads that have won a combined 11 state titles.
Last year, the Dragons got the best of the Trojans,brwinning at home, 42-28, after blanking Trinity in the second half, 14-0.
Carroll will need a similar effort defensively to getbrpast the Trojans this season as Trinity should be strong on the ground behindbrrunning back Courage Keihn (1,340 yards, 8.6 yards per carry and 12 touchdownsbrlast season) and an offensive line that features standouts Jason Vakasiuola andbrLeka Lea'aetoa.
Trinity is traditionally strong defensively as well, butbrwill have to grow up quickly in 2017 with a unit that brings back two starters,brincluding the transfer of UCLA commit and blue-chip defensive back Cam'ronbrJones to Mansfield.
Carroll displayed nice balance and efficiency in its winbrover Trinity last season as Mason Holmes completed 70 percent of his passes forbrthree touchdowns and Audricke Gaines rushed for 155 yards and three scores.
vs. LewisvillebrFighting Farmers
7:30 p.m. Oct. 13
Carroll posted its most lopsided win of the seasonbragainst Lewisville a year ago, taking the Farmers as the visitor in a 49-7brvictory.
A similar result could be in store this season as thebrFarmers will enter with a vastly different look.
Lewisville's loss to Carroll last season sent the Farmersbrinto a tailspin as the Farmers would go on to drop their last four contests tobrfinish at 1-6 in 5-6A competition.
The Farmers bring back just eight lettermen from thebrsquad and are also breaking in a first-year coach in Michael Odle after formerbrhead coach Gregg Miller departed to Texas High in Texarkana for a defensivebrcoordinator position.
Odle, meanwhile, quarterbacked the Farmers to a statebrtitle in 1996 and inherits a squad with question marks across the board.
One area that has been settled is under center, however,brwhere Tyler Urban has nailed down the starting spot.
In the backfield, David Orafunam had a strong camp forbrthe Farmers, and De'Mondrick Hunter also figures to be back, while Lewisvillebris hopeful Brandon Rolfe can pick up the slack at receiver following thebrgraduation of Alabama signee Tyrell Shavers.
Similar questions of depth and experience remainbrdefensively where defensive back Kevin Anderson is the lone returningbrall-district performer.
vs. MarcusbrMarauders
7:30 p.m. Oct. 20
The Marauders and Dragons staged a competitive contestbrlast season but as was the case throughout the year, Carroll wore down its foebrin the second half.
The Dragons outscored Marcus, 16-0, in the fourth quarterbrto rally back from a 21-17 hole entering the final period.
Like Lewisville, Marcus is breaking in a first-year headbrcoach (Kevin Atkinson) due to the departure of their former head coach (GerrybrStanford) to Texas High.
But unlike Odle in Lewisville, Atkinson is walking into abrlocker room with experienced talent.
Marcus figures to boast one of the best offensive linesbrin the district behind Justin Osborne and Michael Bonner.
The pair will be opening holes for all-state running backbrJustin Dinka, who burst on the scene as a sophomore Coppell transfer and finishedbrsecond in 6A in the area in rushing (1,743 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns) behindbrMansfield's Kennedy Brooks.
Carroll's defense won't need a reminder of Dinka'sbrability after he gashed the Dragons to the tune of 189 yards and two touchdownsbrlast season.
Marcus is hopeful the addition of standout recruit andbrFort Worth Nolan transfer Marcel Brooks will bolster a defense that has sevenbrother starters returning, but that surrendered 516 total yards to the Dragonsbrin 2016.
at Trophy ClubbrByron Nelson
7 p.m. Oct. 26
The surprise of the district (outside of possibly Trinitybrsuffering three 5-6A losses) was likely Byron Nelson, who overcame a 0-5 startbrto qualify for the playoffs out of 5-6A.
But with 13 returning starters (seven on defense), the Bobcatsbrwon't be sneaking up on anyone in 2017.
And they certainly didn't on Carroll last year as thebrDragons rolled to a 44-13 win after jumping out to a 24-6 halftime margin.
Byron Nelson will look to Manace Kabongo to take over atbrquarterback following the graduation of Eli Rusche (2,627 yards, 26 touchdowns).brLast year, the Dragons limited Rusche to a season-low 148 passing yards andbrCarroll will hope to do much of the same to Kabongo and leading returningbrreceiver D.J. Robinson (358 yards, two touchdowns).
Defensively, Nelson is sound in the middle behindbrreturning linebackers Jaired Chamberlain (71 tackles, eight for loss) andbrHunter Hutchens.
It was in the win over Nelson last season that currentbrCarroll quarterback Will Bowers fired the first touchdown pass of his career —bra 28-yard strike to Royce Weigel.
Overall, Carroll fell just shy of 500 total yards in thebrwin and posted one of its best rushing outputs of the season (301 yards, 9.1brper carry, four touchdowns).
vs. Hurst L.D.brBell Blue Raiders
7:30 p.m. Nov. 3
Carroll will welcome L.D. Bell to Dragon Stadium forbrsenior night on Nov. 3 and it is likely Carroll's seniors will get plenty ofbrtime to enjoy their final home game (or see more playing time forbrnon-starters).
Bell struggled in 5-6A a year ago and has just eightbrstarters returning resulting in many publications projecting the Blue Raidersbrto finish near the bottom of the district.
Last year, Carroll led, 38-0, after three quarters enbrroute to a 45-7 victory.
Bowers went a perfect 4-for-4 in backup duty to Holmesbrfor 83 yards and a touchdown, while the Dragons posted 262 yards rushing andbrfour touchdowns, including a second score for Bowers.
If Bell does have a strength, it's likely defensively.
Mike Dyson and Chase Steelman are strong in the trenches,brwhile linebacker Nate Alexander is coming off a season in which he racked up 88brtackles.
On offense, Austin Brougham returns after throwing forbr898 yards passing, while wide receiver Markel Burnett and running back ZionbrHardy are expected to lead Bell's contingent of skill players.
at Hebron Hawks
7:30 p.m. Nov. 10
As it was a year ago, the District 5-6A title could wellbrbe on the line in the final game of the 5-6A season.
Last year, the Hawks entered with a chance to earn abrshare of the district crown but instead saw Carroll earn a 52-34 victory tobrfinish unbeaten in district.
While the Dragons certainly expect to compete for thebrtitle again, so too do the Hawks.
Hebron should be stacked offensively with nine returningbrstarters.
First and foremost is Kansas commit and three-yearbrstarting quarterback Clayton Tune, who is looking to build on a junior campaignbrthat saw him named Offensive Player of the Year in 5-6A after posting 2,957bryards and 30 total touchdowns.
Headline by Illinois commit Braeden Daniels, head coachbrBrian Brazil believes the strength of the team may be the offensive line. That'sbrsaying a lot given a wide receiver corps that features BYU commit JarenbrMitchell and four-star recruit and junior wideout Trejan Bridges.
Talent is abundant defensively as well, in particular inbrthe secondary.
Senior defensive back Verone McKinley III recentlybrcommitted to Oregon and is flanked by three-year starters Joseph Angelone andbrDemario Montez as well as sophomore safety Darius Snow — the son of former NBAbrplayer Eric Snow, who is in his first high school on the gridiron and isbrdrawing rave reviews from Brazil.