Vitals:

     Southlake Carroll is a mind-boggling 79-1 since 2002 with four state championship wins during that five year span.  The accomplishments are obviously well known across the state.  What more is there to say?  The Dragons’ record speaks for itself.  The natural reaction might be to think Carroll will go downhill with Todd Dodge gone to North Texas, but the fact is the community of Southlake has been producing champions for a long time. 

     Todd Dodge was barely out of college when Bob Ledbetter brought his first state title to Carroll.  Now, that’s not meant to belittle what Dodge did at Carroll but rather to highlight just how successful this program has been for a long period of time now.  No coach can win without talent regardless of how good their scheme is, and Carroll’s got a lot of it walking the halls.  New head coach Hal Wasson runs the same scheme as Dodge and was an assistant to Dodge in his early years at Carroll.  Wasson’s son, Chase (QB), led the Dragons to a perfect 16-0 record in 2002.  Continuity is what will help sustain the Dragons’ success, and Wasson will keep things on the proven path given the similarity he shares with Dodge in his coaching background and philosophy. 

    The transition will be greatly aided by the fact that Carroll returns half of its starting line up from a 16-0 state championship team in 2006.  team in 2006. 

    Most of the experience returns on what’s the state’s number one ranked total offense.  Senior QB Riley Dodge (6’0 183) and senior RB Tre Newton (6’0 194) are a very talented and intelligent backfield combination.  The offense runs through, but is definitely not limited to, these two players.  The Dragons return all of their top receivers from a year ago.  Senior Blake Cantu (6’0 200) and senior Chris Brainard (5’11 175) are the top two.  Seniors Jared Freeman and Ethan Cunningham are proven talents as well.  Junior Josh Rake is a young one to watch.  Cantu does everything very well.  Brainard is a deep ball specialist.  Cunningham is a bigger possession target, but can also run.  These receivers alone will put a ton of pressure on opposing defenses.  The offensive line is just as talented as the backfield and receiver positions.  Senior center Nick Leppo is back along with senior tackle Sam Schwartzstein and guard Jake Jackson (6’4 275).  Nine starters return from the best offense in the state.  The Dragons will score points, and a lot of them.

    It’s sometimes said the best defense is a good offense, and Carroll might live by that saying this season.  The defense will be inexperienced overall and respected coordinator Ron Mendoza went with Coach Dodge to North Texas.  Although inexperienced, the unit will be far from lacking in talent.  What this group will need is leadership and senior linebacker Derek Tomlin will be a player the defense looks to for that motivation.  Tomlin’s on-field intensity is palpable, and sure to rub off on his teammates.  Senior DTs Robert Prigmore and Jackson Beall add more experience and senior leadership.  Sophomore defensive end Jackson Richards (6’4 234) and junior defensive end Brayden Burnett (6’3 230) are samples of the younger talent on the roster.  Senior DB Carter Murphey, senior DB Luke Anderson and junior DB Ben Townsend are a few players who figure into the line-up in what will be a nearly totally rebuilt secondary.  Sophomore K-LB Cade Foster will help the defense out by planting kickoffs in or out of the endzone.  Foster played all last year as a freshman.  This defense will start the year inexperienced, but the margin for error on that side will much greater than that of programs with normal offenses.  It bears repeating that the talent level is strong on this unit, and they have the potential to become very good. 

    Finally, Carroll is an obvious pre-season number one choice given what they’ve accomplished recently in combination with the returning talent. They will have the best offense in the state, and any team that has visions of beating them will need to play a near flawless game to do so given the Dragons’ firepower.   

The Bottom Line:

2007 Schedule

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Forecast:

Best Offense in the State,
Highly experienced O,
Promising talent on D

Inexperienced D overall

Win district and contend
for state

Top Players: