Stewart Johnson
After a tough physical win over Byron Nelson, the Dragons (10-0, 7-0) outlasted the Keller Fossil Ridge Panthers 45-14 to close out the regular season. With a slim 17-7 lead going into halftime, the Dragons finished the game and the regular season strong, outscoring the Panthers 28-7 in the second half.
This game saw head coach Riley Dodge utilizing a more balanced approach as the team gained over 200 yards of offense in both passing and rushing. Owen Allen paced the Dragons’ rushing attack, carrying the ball 13 times for 85 yards and a touchdown — a far cry from the 34 carries he valiantly took the week prior. Four other Carroll running backs combined for 149 yards and a score as the team rushed in total for 244 yards on 25 carries (9.8 yards/carry).
Dragon Pride Player Of The Week Graham Knowles had another outstanding game as the playbook continues to open up for the talented junior filling in for Kaden Anderson after he was lost for the season due to injury. Knowles was a very efficient passer, throwing 14-20 for 218 yards and four touchdowns on the night. Junior wide-out Clayton Wayland was the prime target on the night, catching six balls for 128 yards and a score. Caden Jackson chipped in with four receptions, two of them for scores, while Jacob Jordan caught his team-leading 12th touchdown of the season.
Defensively, the Dragons had another standout performance, holding the Panthers (5-5, 3-4) to just 14 points. They withstood the punishing rushing attack of the Panthers led by Landen Chambers, who was coming off of two straight 200-yard games. He carried the ball 33 times for 195 yards on the night.
Logan Anderson was vital to stopping the rush and holding the Panthers to just 87 yards passing. The senior safety led the Dragons with 10 tackles. Aaron Scherp and Nigel Fodor added eight tackles each. Cade Parks and Kyle Middleton applied a lot of pressure on the quarterback, each posting two sacks on the night. The duo led the team with six and five sacks respectively.
With the regular season now complete, the Dragons are set to host the first playoff game of the postseason against the Crowley Eagles (4-6, 4-3). The bi-district championship game is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10th at Dragon Stadium.
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