Adrian Cortes
Since the day Todd Dodge took the reins of the Carroll football program in 2000, the team’s offensive mindset was transformed. In just a few short years, mentions of the Dragons became synonymous with a dangerous passing attack, a spread formation executed to perfection by strong-armed quarterbacks and sure-handed receivers.
For two decades and counting, the team continues to uphold its reputation, never fully straying from an aerial attack that helped garner five championships between 2002 and 2011. The offensive system, now in its sixth season under Todd’s son Riley Dodge, has seen its share of tweaks. An increased emphasis on the ground game was duly noted by the record-breaking career of 2023 graduate Owen Allen, who obliterated the school rushing record by compiling 7,600 yards and 120 career TDs.
Fortunately for Riley and company, Owen Allen’s graduation coincides with a deep and talent-rich core of receivers and a quarterback who gained valuable experience after being inserted into the lineup during Carroll’s pressure run through the postseason.
“Offensively, we feel like we have an opportunity to be pretty explosive,” says Carroll coach Riley Dodge, a former Dragons quarterback and national player of the year who took over the program in 2018. “I think we’re definitely going to throw the ball more. I have confidence in our wide receiver group. I have confidence in our quarterback and our offensive line.
“This is one of the deeper receiving corps we’ve had talent-wise. We’ve got so many different weapons on the perimeter and we’ve got to utilize them.”
That talented ensemble starts with senior Jacob Jordan, a varsity performer since his sophomore season who will undoubtedly command the attention of opposing defenses this fall. Jordan led the Dragons in receiving yards (1,225), touchdown receptions (16) and total catches (67) in 2022 and was given preferred walk-on status at Oklahoma after turning down full-ride scholarships at colleges like North Texas and Tulsa.
Jordan’s fellow teammates, as well as his coach, point to the hard work and preparation the wide receiver displays on an everyday basis as a reason for his success. That effort serves as a motivating example for the rest of the team.
“That’s an honor for [Coach Dodge] to say that about me. That’s always what I’ve been about,” Jordan says of his work ethic. “I just love running routes, getting open on the DBs and scoring touchdowns.”
Jordan won’t be alone in threatening to go deep or reach the end zone. Senior receiver Clayton Wayland — a Stephen F. Austin commit — finished second for Carroll in receiving yards in 2022, catching 35 passes for 603 yards and five scores. Senior Caden Jackson, who converted to receiver last year after playing quarterback in previous seasons, tallied 391 receiving yards on varsity last fall. Riley says Jackson’s knowledge of all the positions and his productivity makes it hard to take him off the field.
Meanwhile, sophomore receiver Brock Boyd is already turning heads with his speed and ability. The younger brother of former Dragons receiver Brady Boyd — currently playing ball at Texas Tech — Brock has begun receiving offers from some Power 5 college programs.
Adrian Cortes
An increased role for junior tight end Jack VanDorselaer is also expected. Seeing some limited action in 2022, the 6-foot-5 VanDorselaer has impressed just about everyone he comes across and could make for a difficult cover due to his size and strength. A year of varsity experience gives him that much more confidence as well.
“He’ll be an every-down starter for us,” Riley says. “The biggest thing with him that people don’t realize is that he’s only played two years of organized football. It was still a work in progress last year — learning the game, why we call this, when we call things, what’s my job assignment.
“But he got so many more reps than he did the previous year this past spring, and he did an amazing job.”
VanDorselaer — who has already received several Division-I scholarship offers from programs like Tennessee, Alabama, USC and TCU, to name a few — has no problem doing the dirty work to help create plays while having opportunities to make plays himself.
“I definitely want to be an all-around player,” VanDorselaer says. “I feel like that’s something that a lot of tight ends nowadays, they just want to go out and catch passes, or some of them just block. I feel like... being able to do both of them will add more value to [my game].”
Like a fully-stocked arsenal, Carroll’s offense boasts plenty of quality targets in the passing game. But after graduating last year’s opening day starting quarterback, the normal question would be whether or not a talented distributor is in place to connect with those targets.
Fortunately for the Dragons, they already know the answer to that question.
After then-senior starting quarterback Kaden Anderson went down with a leg injury midway through the regular season, backup Graham Knowles took over. Although losing their starter was a huge blow for the Dragons, the bright spot came with Knowles gaining experience under the varsity lights and proving his ability to handle the pressure of big games.
Knowles kept the offense humming, completing 127 of 174 (73%) attempts for 1,864 yards, including 18 touchdowns to just three interceptions. The new signal-caller led Carroll to seven consecutive wins and helped his team advance four rounds into the playoffs.
“Someone told me a long time ago that the most important person in your program is the backup quarterback,” Riley says. “If your [starter] goes down, that guy’s got to take the keys to the car and we’ve got to continue to move.
“He’s a very coachable kid, and he took full advantage of his opportunity. Those games when playing quarterback, and you’re getting snaps when the lights are on and you’ve got bullets flying at you, those [experiences] are invaluable.”
Equally important is the chemistry developed between the quarterback and his receivers. The fact that Knowles and his offensive teammates played together with him as a starter for half of last season means the process of building chemistry has long since begun. The players say they understand how to play together and make things happen, as well as what to expect from one another. There’s no need to use early-season games this fall to figure out how they’ll perform in game-time situations.
“Everyone’s got game experience,” says Knowles (6-7, 220), who has already committed to play at Georgia Tech. “They’ve got game experience with me, and obviously we’ve practiced day in and day out as hard as we can go.
“Definitely the confidence is there. We all know each other very well, and I feel comfortable throwing to all of them. I think it’s going to be a fun year for them, and hopefully, we can break a couple of records.”
While some new passing and receiving records could be set, the running back position has a tough act to follow, but senior James Lehman is no stranger to competition. He returns after compiling 516 yards and six touchdowns in 2022 and a total of 892 yards rushing the last two seasons combined.
“I’ve been sitting behind Owen for three years now, so I’ve learned from one of the best to ever come out of here,” Lehman says. “It’s been a blessing, and I’m finally getting my turn.
“We have different play styles. I’ve learned from him, I know how he approached the game. I’m just going to take from what I’ve learned and put my own spin on it.”
Lehman has also proved to be a reliable receiver, gaining 292 yards from passes caught over the past two years and serving as another dangerous target for Knowles.
But in addition to losing their all-time leading rusher, the Dragons offense was forced to shift their plans again after the UIL ruled junior Riley Wormley, running back transfer from Colleyville Heritage, was ineligible to compete in varsity sports this season. The UIL cited a lack of evidence that the transfer came to Carroll for more than just athletic reasons, although Wormley’s family attests the move was primarily for academic reasons.
Through it all, the emergence of running back Davis Penn has been a welcome sign for the team. Through his first three games, the sophomore has done his share to fill the void, carrying the ball for 341 yards and a team-leading four touchdowns.
All signs show Lehman and Penn will serve as a one-two punch for the ground game. Penn saw the field for varsity competition late last season and also had a strong spring.
Adrian Cortes
An experienced offensive line should help give Carroll’s running backs, as well as the passing game, a chance to shine. Led by three-year starter Andrew Cunningham, a senior who moved from tackle to center this season, Riley expects the line to be able to man up on nose tackles without needing additional help due to the unit’s experience and abilities.
“From an O-Line perspective, we’re a lot more athletic this year,” says Cunningham, who Riley calls the quarterback of the offensive line. “We’re not so big. I think it’s going to show tremendously in the run game.
“The chemistry’s there, and we’re going to be able to make audibles on the run. It’s just going to come second nature to us.”
Along with Cunningham, who’s committed to playing college ball at Charlotte, senior Harrison Moore made the switch from tight end to offensive tackle. Riley says Moore was unselfish about the switch, willing to do it for the good of the team, but the move could also give him more opportunities when he sets foot at Vanderbilt next fall.
Shifting positions and roles just seems par for the course for several Carroll athletes this season, but players and coaches say that the changes should only make the Dragons offense better. Having to make adjustments due to adversity — such as losing the quarterback last year and losing the services of an incoming running back this year — has only served to make the players tougher and more ready to step up and accept new challenges. It’s a lesson Carroll learned as it continued to compete to the very end last year, and the Dragons’ quarterback says that lesson will be carried with them throughout the 2023 schedule.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Knowles says. “We took our punches, we rolled with it and we kept getting back up, which is the key. As long as we keep getting back up, I don’t think anyone can stop us.”