Kent Crawford
It’s that time of year again: Dragon football is back in action. Southlake Carroll will host its season opener against South Grand Prairie High School on Friday, August 30.
The Dragon’s schedule, a mirror image of last year’s game lineup, starts out on their home turf, unlike last year’s game against the Warriors. Thanks to a second-half rally, the Dragons walked away from South Grand Prairie with a 25-8 victory giving Riley Dodge his first career win as a head coach.
“Feels good,” Dodge told Southlake Style last year after the game. “The kids were focused all week and did an amazing job on the short week preparing, it was definitely a grind and a hard-fought football game.”
Dragons’ chances of coming out on top look good as they return 12 All-District performers from a year ago. Led on defense by RJ Mickens at safety, Graham Faloona and Preston Forney linebacker and Quentin Bunten on the defensive line, Southlake’s defense has what it takes to once again shut down the Warrriors, this time in front of a capacity crowd at Dragon Stadium.
In addition to a stout defense, the Dragons return an experienced and effective offensive line including Andrei Karic, Addison Penn and Brandon Barrasso. However, the backfield will have a new look after the graduation of Will Bowers at quarterback. To start the season sophomore Quinn Ewers will be under center. Ewers, with his agility and big arm has already started receiving D1 offers, and under Dodge’s tutelage is next in a long line of high achievers at the position. What’s on the mind of many Dragon faithful is who will eventually fill the void of Landry Award-winning running back TJ McDaniel who is now suiting up with the SMU Mustangs.
McDaniel was a crucial part of the 2018 team, whose season ended after falling to the Duncanville Panthers during playoffs. The Dragons finished the season 13-1, a huge accomplishment for a team navigating a newly re-drawn district as well as a new head coach. Under Dodge’s guidance, the Dragons went undefeated in non-district and district play, an accomplishment that hasn’t been done since the 2013 season, and didn’t experience a loss until post-season play.
But with Dodge coming back a little more seasoned and returning starters on both sides of the ball, Dragon fans have a lot to look forward to in the 2019 season. Come out Friday to see how the season will start to play out. Fans can purchase tickets online to skip the line and get straight to the game.