Rodney Wooters / Woo Doo Photo
Dez Bryant Jr., pictured in previous action, saw time at running back against Keller Central on Sept. 17.
After two straight losses to North Crowley and Allen, Carroll needed more than just a win Thursday night. The Dragons needed a response.
They got one with a 35-17 victory over Keller Central, jumping to a 21-3 halftime lead before weathering a second-half push from the Chargers. Keller Central entered the night averaging 42 points and 479 yards per game, but Carroll’s defense held one of the area’s hottest offenses to 149 yards.
Meanwhile, the Dragons found some balance on offense, leaning on the run game early and getting three touchdowns from quarterback Hudson Tomcheck. The result: Carroll is 1-0 in district play and avoided what would have been the school's first three-game losing streak since 2017.
Dez Bryant Jr., Running Back?
Maybe “wide receiver” doesn’t quite cover it anymore.
Bryant Jr. spent plenty of Thursday night in the backfield, rushing 14 times for a team-high 77 yards and two touchdowns. Both scores came in the first quarter, on runs of 14 and 15 yards, helping Carroll establish control early.
The three-star junior wide receiver had just nine rushing attempts through Carroll’s first three games. Against Keller Central, he was a much bigger part of the offensive game plan — and Lee Munn made it clear afterward that this wasn’t necessarily a one-night experiment, saying he expects Bryant Jr. to play all wide receiver positions and running back in 2026.
Big Response From Carroll's Defense
The numbers tell the story, but the timing makes it more impressive.
Carroll’s defense had allowed 96 points over its previous two games against North Crowley and Allen. Keller Central arrived averaging 42 points and nearly 480 yards per game, riding a 3-0 start and one of the best offensive stretches in school history.
Against the Dragons, Central managed just 149 yards of total offense.
Carroll held the Chargers to a 35-yard field goal in the first half and took a 21-3 lead into the break. Central eventually found some life after halftime, cutting the deficit to 28-17 with 9:15 remaining, but the Dragons' defense did enough to keep the game from becoming a fourth-quarter thriller.
It was a needed reset for a young Carroll defense, and a reminder that the group can make things difficult even against an offense that had been putting up big numbers so far.
Tomcheck To Knowles Is Still A Thing
Some things apparently don't need much fixing.
Hudson Tomcheck and Brody Knowles connected for another touchdown Thursday, this one a 12-yard strike immediately after Keller Central had cut Carroll’s lead to 21-10. It pushed the Dragons back in front by three scores and stopped the Chargers' momentum before it could really take hold. Tomcheck finished with three total touchdowns, adding rushing scores of 13 and 12 yards.
Knowles has caught three of Tomcheck's six touchdown passes to start the new season. It was Knowles' first game with a score since the opener against Jenks, when he caught two.
Another First For Munn
Thursday checked an important box for Carroll’s new head coach.
The victory marked Lee Munn’s first district win since taking over the program this season and moved the Dragons to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in District 4-6A. Just as importantly, Carroll avoided its first three-game losing streak since 2017.
That doesn’t erase the losses to North Crowley and Allen, but it changes the conversation heading into the rest of district play. Carroll got the start it needed, while Keller Central — which entered 3-0 for the first time since 2019 — suffered its first loss of the season.
The district season is officially underway. For Carroll, so is a new chapter under Munn.