Dragon quarterback Will Bowers attempts a downfield pass during a 42-28 loss to Waco Midway. Photo by S.Johnson/SnappedDragons.com
by Justin Thomas
Southlake Carroll’s football team faced its fare share ofbrdual-threat or Division I-caliber quarterbacks this season. On Saturday in Waco, they may have faced the best onebryet.
Will Bowers rushed for 50
Will Bowers rushed for 50
yards during a 42-28 loss to
Waco Midway.
Oklahoma commit Tanner Mordecai played a part in fivebrtotal touchdowns and helmed a Waco Midway offense that racked up 476 yards atbrBaylor’s McLane Stadium as the Panthers scored the game’s first 21 points enbrroute to a 42-28 victory in the Class 6A Division II Region I championshipbrgame.
Lead by Dragon Pride Player of the Week Will Bowers the Dragons nearly pulled off a thrilling comeback scoring 21 consecutive points of their own to draw even in the third quarter,brbut Mordecai and the Panthers had the answer to keep their unbeaten seasonbralive and advance to the state the semifinals where they will face Longview atbr6 p.m. Saturday at Allen’s Eagle Stadium.
The Dragons were trying to make due without the servicesbrof standout junior running back TJ McDaniel and the lack of the halfback’sbrpresence was felt offensively.
Instead of pounding the ball as they have much of thebrseason (McDaniel was among the area’s leaders in carries and yards), Carrollbrhad just 22 rushing attempts and 14 were from quarterback Will Bowers.
The junior quarterback turned those carries into 50 yards and abrtouchdown, but the 70 rushing yards as a team marked a season-low. Still, the Dragons hung tough. After Mordecai (191 passing yards, 122 rushing yards,brfive touchdowns) scored a pair of first-quarter touchdown runs and connectedbrwith Demarcus Degrate for a 29-yard scoring strike in the second quarter for abr21-0 margin, Bowers brought the Dragons back with a trio of touchdown passes.
Cade Bell gets some yards after the catch during a 42-28 loss to Waco Midway. Photo by S.Johnson/SnappedDragons.com
Cade Bell gets some yards after the catch during a 42-28 loss to Waco Midway. Photo by S.Johnson/SnappedDragons.com
The first was a 30-yarder to Cade Bell that gave Carrollbrmomentum heading to the break before consecutive passes to RJ MIckens (14 andbr18 yards) knotted the contest at 21-21 with 2:14 remaining in the thirdbrquarter.
However, Midway would counter with a pair of rushingbrtouchdowns over the ensuing 1:45 to surge back ahead by two scores.
Carroll would get back within seven on a 5-yard scoringbrrun by Bowers, but Midway ran the remainder of the clock off and capped thebrgame with Mordecai’s fourth touchdown run with 33 seconds remaining for thebrfinal margin.
As a result, Carroll’s bid for their first berth in thebrstate semifinals since 2011 came to a close.
Dragon Offensive Leaders
Rushing: Will Bowers 14-50, Tavian Gould 6-15, JacobbrDoddridge 2-6.
Passing: Will Bowers 20-29-302-1
Receiving: Cade Bell 8-120, RJ Mickens 4-70, Hudson Shrumbr2-43, Eli Furgal 1-26, Darryl Crockett 1-17, Carson White 1-15, Wills Meyerbr1-8, Preston Forney 1-2, Jacob Doddridge 1-1.
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Dragon quarterback Will Bowers attempts a downfield pass during a 42-28 loss to Waco Midway. Photo by S.Johnson/SnappedDragons.com
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