Snapped Dragons / S. Johnson
On paper, it was the kind of game that cements a legacy.
In the 2024 Class 6A Division II state championship, Southlake Carroll’s then-junior wide receiver Brock Boyd carved up one of Texas’ top defenses for 13 catches, 178 receiving yards and two total touchdowns. The highlight reel was instant-classic material—deep shots down the sideline, broken tackles on quick slants, explosive bursts in the open field.
But the scoreboard told a different story: Austin Vandegrift 24, Southlake Carroll 17. A perfect season, undone in its final chapter.
That night cemented Boyd’s place in the UIL record book—second-most catches in a 6A state title game—and capped a dream junior season: 1,868 yards, 19 touchdowns and 112 receptions, which broke McKay Jacobson’s previous school record of 99 receptions.
Brock was named a MaxPreps first-team Junior All-American, the District 4-6A Offensive Player of the Year, and earned a four-star rating from recruiting outlets. His offer from Ohio State, his dream school, was the final stamp on an already glittering résumé. Heading into the 2025 season, Brock has 2,693 career receiving yards; he needs 326 to tie the all-time Carroll record, which could feasibly happen by Game 2 and almost certainly by Game 3.
And yet, for all the accolades, one number still lingers in his mind heading into his senior season: one. As in, one more win.
From The Backyard To Friday Night Lights
Before he was torching high school defenses, Boyd was like any other little brother battling for bragging rights at home.
Growing up in a fiercely competitive household, every game—basketball in the driveway, races down the block, one-on-one football—came with stakes. His older brother, Brady, set the family bar high, starring at receiver for Carroll before moving on to college football.
After his All-American junior season, Brock passed Brady for no. 3 on Carroll’s all-time receiving yards list.
“I’ve been competing my entire life,” Boyd says. “With older siblings, nothing is handed to you. You learn early that you’ve got to earn it. Yeah, we fought a lot, but I’m thankful for it. It made football feel natural.”
Brady and Brock have a ton in common: they both dominated statistically while playing at Carroll, and unfortunately, they both came up short in state championship games. But Brock has another chance as a senior, and his relentless drive is what fuels one of the most feared pass-catchers in the country.
“I can put a lot on his plate,” said Riley Dodge, Carroll head coach. “I talk to him a ton during games about just what he’s seeing out there on the field. He’s extremely talented but he’s also one of our hardest workers.”
In 2024, the Carroll offense wasn’t just good—it was a machine. Averaging over 45 points per game, the Dragons lit up defenses with precision passing and explosive play-calling. Even with two established ball carriers in Riley Wormley (University of Southern California) and Davis Penn, at the heart of it all was Boyd, whose chemistry with quarterback Angelo Renda was so dialed in that opposing teams rarely covered him with just one man.
“If I’m smart, I get him the ball as much as I can,” Renda says. “He’s an explosive player. He helps my stats out a lot. But also, he’s a worker – day in and day out, I know he’s someone I can call to come work out. And obviously, he just committed to Ohio State, and they don’t just take anyone.”
Playoffs brought double teams from powerhouses like Longview and Denton Guyer, but Brock welcomed the challenge.
“We’ve got weapons everywhere,” he says. “I don’t have to make every play—it takes the pressure off.”
Still, the big moments often found their way to his hands: a slant turned into a 40-yard sprint, a fade to the corner that silenced an away crowd, the kind of plays that shift games and ignite stadiums. And in the playoffs, Brock was a monster.
In the opening round against Mansfield Legacy, Brock hauled in 13 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown in Carroll’s dominant 69–7 triumph. He followed that up against Frenship with another 13 receptions, this time for 109 yards. In the third round, Brock caught 12 passes for 227 yards (a blistering 18.9 yards per target) in a win over Hebron, while against Denton Guyer he added four more grabs for 45 yards.
The semifinals brought a tough battle versus Longview, but Boyd still delivered five receptions for 39 yards, keeping drives alive and momentum swinging. And then there was his Herculean effort in the state championship game, a performance that put him in the UIL record books. For the entirety of Carroll’s playoff run, Boyd averaged 10 catches per game.
Prepping For The Final Chase
This summer, Brock’s schedule was relentless—early-morning sessions at Carroll Senior High, extra work with Renda on timing and routes, lifting and speed training and fine-tuning his craft with his personal trainer.
“As a team, we came into summer workouts already feeling like we were midseason,” he says. “We’ve been stacking days, and it’s exciting.”
Those days have built a player who’s as much technician as athlete. At 6-foot-1 with legit 4.4-second speed and a 21.7-second 200-meter time, Brock can line up inside, outside or in motion, creating matchup nightmares for defenses.
To head coach Riley Dodge, Brock is more than just a go-to playmaker – he’s the tone-setter for an offense built on precision, speed and relentless execution. His ability to stretch the field forces defenses to reveal their hand, opening lanes for Carroll’s deep stable of receivers and backs. But just as important is the standard he sets in the locker room and on the practice field.
For every Friday night touchdown, there are hundreds of quiet moments when no one is watching Brock: cones set out on a sun-baked practice field, resistance bands pulled in the weight room or sprints under the heat of a Texas afternoon.
“It helps when one of your best players is also one of your best practice players,” Dodge says. “I’ve known him since he was in sixth grade. He’s put in the work to become super talented, and it rubs off on the rest of the team. Now, he’s one of the first guys I go to on the sideline. I ask him what he’s seeing on the field all the time.”
Brock’s versatility, intelligence and competitive fire make him the kind of player a coach can trust in the biggest moments.
“He’s a big-time wide receiver, so he always wants the ball in his hands,” Dodge says. “I’m not very smart if I don’t get it to him.”