Football: Dodge's Last Stand

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Football: Dodge's last stand

Web Posted: 12/22/2006 10:58 PM CST

Dan McCarney

Express-News

SOUTHLAKE — If their luminous history is any indication, the Southlake Carroll Dragons will have no trouble winning without Todd Dodge.

They did plenty of that long before Dodge arrived as head coach in 2000. So much, in fact, that one of Dodge's first official acts was to institute a motto that would come to define his tenure: Protect the Tradition.

Yet it's fair to wonder if Carroll will be quite the same after today, Dodge's last game before moving on to head the program at North Texas.

A victory over Austin Westlake in the Class 5A Division I championship would put the finishing touch on one of the finest runs in state history, a five-year odyssey in which the Dragons reached the finals in every season while losing just one game by a single point.

"It has been," Dodge said, "an incredible ride."

Even to those who experienced them firsthand, Carroll's achievements over that span — a 78-1 record, two mythical national titles, three state championships and a current 47-game winning streak — stagger the imagination.

"It gives you chills," said junior Riley Dodge, Todd's son and Carroll's starting quarterback. "You think, 'How did we do all this?'"

The reasons are plentiful: top-flight facilities that include an indoor-practice field and a $15 million stadium; well-schooled athletes who follow directions to the letter; location in one of the nation's wealthiest suburbs.

Sitting at the top of the list is Dodge.

And like other iconic high school coaches — Gordon Wood at Brownwood, Ron Schroeder at Westlake, D.W. Rutledge at Judson — he could be difficult to replace.

"It's easy to say they won before (Dodge) got there," said Cedar Hill coach Joey McGuire, whose team plays Cypress Falls in the Division II final today. "But look at what he's done. His record is ridiculous."

It's been a dazzling rise for the 43-year-old Dodge, a former University of Texas quarterback who arrived at Carroll with a reputation as an offensive innovator and a modest 27-33 record.

As the trophies piled up and his program grew stronger, Dodge's status soared. By last season, his talents were in such high regard that Rice tried to interview him for its head coaching job (Dodge declined) and Cowboys coach Bill Parcells considered taking him on as an assistant (Dodge interviewed but wasn't hired).

When North Texas athletic director Rick Villarreal came calling last month, Dodge was presented with an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

"I could have stayed here and won a lot of ballgames," he said. "But I don't have to move, I can take care of my family financially in a way that few high school coaches get, and all I have to do is drive 17 miles up the road (to Denton)."

Throughout Carroll's reign, countless observers have dissected every minute detail in an attempt to fathom how one coach, working in arguably the most competitive city in arguably the most competitive state in the country, could dominate so completely.

The attention makes Dodge wince. After all, players win games, not coaches.

But coaches foster the environment in which players operate — a task at which Dodge has proven to have few, if any, equals.

"He's just a great leader who knows how to treat people," said assistant Doug Stephens, a 25-year coaching veteran. "He's the best guy I've ever worked for."

"We all have great trust in him," running back Tre' Newton said. "The things he tells us about other teams, he's always right. Nobody has any doubt that what he tells us is true."

With mere hours remaining in his Carroll career, Dodge has precious little time to savor what he describes as "absolutely the most fabulous year I've ever had in coaching."

That's because Dodge finally had the opportunity to coach his son as a varsity starter. The two have been dreaming about this season for years, ever since Dodge was working his way up the ranks and Riley was a fledgling quarterback who hung on his dad's every word.

Now that it's almost over, neither can think of a better way to complete the experience of a lifetime than winning another championship.

"I'm going to miss him so much," said Riley, who has thrown for 3,932 yards and 51 touchdowns.

"It's going to be very emotional, probably some tears. Hopefully, we can come out on top and have a storybook ending."

"For us to do all this together has been unbelievable," Todd said. "I have to make sure I stay focused on the task at hand. But I can't lie — it would be pretty dang special."

Dodge spoke from behind his desk, hanging not far from which is a photo montage adorned with a fitting message:

"Carroll football: A tradition well-protected."

Just like he planned it.

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dmccarney@express-news.net