Stewart Johnson / Snapped Dragons
Coming back from a 27-0 deficit, Southlake Carroll defeated Jenks (Oklahoma) 34-33 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Southlake was led by receiver Brody Knowles with 7 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
Carroll's defense has long been defined by toughness, discipline and relentless play. Lee Munn has spent his coaching career helping shape that identity, working his way up through the defensive side of the game.
Now, as head coach, he is tasked with carrying that tradition forward while putting his own stamp on the Dragons.
Munn’s promotion changes his responsibilities, but not the standard he expects. Carroll wants to play fast, physical defense — the kind that forces opponents to earn every yard.
"I've been saying it all summer leading up to our first game: We have a very young defense," Munn said. "We're super talented but we will need to take the time to gel and figure it out."
The season's first curveball came early.
In Carroll's season opener against Jenks, the Dragons fell behind 27-0 early in the second quarter, with the Trojans finding big plays and exploiting a young defense that was still trying to find its footing.
Then things changed.
Carroll’s defense settled in and held Jenks to just six points the rest of the way. The Dragons ultimately rallied for a 34-33 victory, and the defense's ability to regroup became one of the defining stories of the night.
"I think things were moving really quickly for a lot of them to begin the game [against Jenks], but things slowed down," Munn said. "I bet if we didn't fumble the punt [in the third quarter] we would have held them scoreless in the entire second half."
For a group still learning how to play together, it was an early glimpse of what Carroll's defense can become.
A Line Built to Set the Tone
Munn believes the line can become the foundation of this year's defense. And he doesn't intend to rely on only the starters.
Munn expects roughly 18 to 20 players to see meaningful action on defense this season, rather than limiting the rotation to a traditional starting group. Nowhere is that philosophy more evident than along the defensive line, where he believes Carroll could rotate as many as 10 players throughout a game.
Senior defensive end Kyle Duross is one of Carroll's most proven defensive players. As a junior, Duross recorded 33 tackles, 22 solo stops, five tackles for loss, two sacks, and three quarterback hurries.
"I like our speed. We have a lot of quickness," Duross said. "We hit people really hard — in my opinion we're the best hitting team in the district, maybe in 6A football. People think we're a small team, but that doesn't mean we don't hit hard."
Junior Sam Erickson gives Carroll another versatile piece along the defensive front and contributed three total tackles in the opener. Erickson and seniors Kaden Hodges and Desmond Taholo are among the starters Munn is counting on, and Hodges was active immediately in the opener, recording four total tackles.
Sophomore Drew Oakley adds an intriguing piece to the future. He isn't one of the starters, but Munn expects him to play — and Oakley showed why in Week 1, finishing with seven total tackles, second on the team.
"We've got two really good ends, including Drew, who's young but is going to be really good," Munn said.
The additions of senior defensive tackles Laione and Mapa Vainuku beef up the Dragons in the trenches. The brothers are making their Carroll debuts this season after transferring from Utah and sitting out while awaiting varsity eligibility.
Laione stands 6-foot-1, 270 pounds, while Mapa checks in at 6-foot-3, 325. Together, they give Carroll the size to occupy blockers, disrupt running lanes, and create opportunities for the linebackers behind them.
Experience, Stars at Linebacker
If the line is the foundation, the aforementioned linebackers are the engine.
Senior Landon Harris enters the season as one of Carroll's most experienced defenders with 57 tackles last year. A Second Team All-District 4-6A selection, he also recorded two sacks, a tackle for loss, four pass breakups, and a blocked punt.
"Landon, he's our leader," Munn said.
Harris immediately looked the part in the opener, leading all Dragons with 14 total tackles, including 11 solo stops. But he wasn't alone.
Junior Ace Slavin tied for third on the team with six total tackles against Jenks, continuing to show the relentless pursuit that has made him one of Carroll's most dependable defensive pieces. Slavin plays with a motor that seems to have only one setting — full speed — and his ability to consistently find the football gives Munn another important piece in the middle of the defense.
Sophomore DeMarcus Ware Jr. brings another dimension. The son of Hall of Fame pass rusher DeMarcus Ware, the younger Ware spent his freshman season earning significant varsity snaps and showing the athleticism and instincts that have made him one of the program's players to watch.
Junior Trent Furgal, starting on the strong side, finished with six tackles in Week 1 – including five solo stops.
The combination of Harris' experience and the young group's athleticism gives Munn both veteran consistency and explosive potential in the middle of the defense.
A Young Secondary Ready to Grow
The Dragons' secondary enters the season with plenty of athleticism and upside — and perhaps more players ready to contribute than the word "starter" might suggest.
"Our secondary is young but they're going to be good," Munn said. "There's a ton of talent. We're not afraid to throw young kids in there."
Sophomore Ty Moody showed that potential in Week 1 with four total tackles.
Sophomore Thomas "Slicey" Joyner III brings another dimension. The versatile athlete already holds Division I offers from Texas Tech and Colorado State and is expected to contribute across the field.
"'Slicey' is going to play it all for us — cornerback, wide receiver, running back," Munn said.
Junior Cole Spaeth also contributed three tackles in the opener, while junior Bennet Hunt recorded six tackles, showing the depth Carroll can deploy in its defensive backfield.
Junior Brigham Belnap brings elite athletic ability to the secondary after a standout track season that included a district championship in the long jump. On JV last season, he recorded 33 tackles, multiple pass breakups, and three interceptions.
It's a young group, but that's part of Munn's plan. Rather than asking the same 11 players to carry the defense for four quarters, Carroll can spread snaps across a deep collection of athletes while allowing its younger players to develop through meaningful varsity experience.
Namemakers
The 2026 Carroll defense understands the challenge ahead. Replacing proven players is never easy, especially after a season in which the Dragons came within one victory of a state championship appearance.
But this group isn't being asked to recreate last year's defense. It's being asked to build its own.
The defensive line has the size, depth, and athleticism to create pressure. Harris provides veteran leadership at linebacker, while Slavin, Ware Jr., and the rest of the linebacker group bring a mix of physicality, speed, and potential.
Behind them, a young secondary has the athleticism to turn pressure into big plays. Moody, Joyner, Spaeth, Furgal, Hunt, Belnap, and the rest of the secondary continue learning what it takes to play at the varsity level.
"We're going to be in a lot of dog fights this year, so there's definitely a learning curve for this unit," Munn said. "It's a process. We have to be better for sure."
That may be the most accurate description of Carroll's defense right now.
There is talent. There is depth. There is athleticism. And there are enough young players getting meaningful snaps to suggest this group could look dramatically different by November than it does in September.