Great Dmn Article

[NT03]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...ll.3153d79.html

BY BRANDON GEORGE/DMN

SOUTHLAKE – Riley Dodge drew up a passing play on a napkin at a Chili's restaurant and handed it to his father, Todd.

The play, Riley said, would help his father coach Cameron Yoe to a victory against its rival, Rockdale.

Riley was 4 years old.

"I would always give him plays and say, 'Dad, this might work!' " Riley said this week, excitement still in his voice 14 years later. "Cameron Yoe ran the play late in the game and scored on it. It ended up being the game-winning play. He told the guys I drew that up, and they were pretty impressed."

Riley is still drawing up plays for his father, but now he's doing it as a top-notch high school quarterback. On Friday, Riley was named Class 5A offensive player of the year by The Associated Press, the fifth consecutive year the award has gone to Southlake Carroll's quarterback.

Carroll (15-0) will play for the Class 5A Division I championship against Austin Westlake (12-2) at 7 p.m. today in San Antonio.

The game will be Todd Dodge's last as a high school coach. Todd was introduced as North Texas' coach Dec. 12. He has guided Carroll to a 5A state championship game in each of the last five years and will seek his fourth title.

Todd Dodge said the play Riley drew up for Cameron Yoe was called "Choice Backside Seam," which basically was a wide receiver running a seam route up the field. Todd, however, called it "The Riley Special."

"All the kids at the field house the next day were telling him, 'Thank you so much, thank you so much,' " Todd said. "It was all he could talk about forever."

But did Riley actually design the pattern?

"To his knowledge, he did," Todd said. "We weren't going to let him think any different."

A special relationship

Riley Dodge (6-0, 180), a junior, has been impressive in his first season as Carroll's starting quarterback. He has passed for 3,881 yards and 51 touchdowns and rushed for 1,077 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He and his father have a special relationship because they're around each other all the time.

"I'm harder on my son than I've ever been on any player I've coached," Todd Dodge said. "Riley understands that when we're in the heat of the battle, though, I'm going to rip him sometimes. But I'm going to love him up, too."

Elizabeth Dodge, Todd's wife and Riley's mother, said she often watches them on the sideline. She said her "mom radar" comes out when Todd yells at Riley, and she'll ask her husband why it happened.

But another scene delights her.

"You see all the action photos of Todd and Riley," Elizabeth said, "but the ones I'm most proud of are the ones of them on the sideline. Todd is not afraid to kiss Riley on the cheek and hug on him, and Riley's a hugger. He's not afraid to hug his dad. That's what's special to me."

Riley offers not only hugs but advice to his dad.

"I'll give him a signal or tell him something, and he won't call it," Riley said. "I like to go for the home run all the time, and he says, 'No, Riley, we've got to move the ball down the field.' I'll say, 'Yeah, I know.' He has to slow me down a little bit."

Riley's parents say their son faces a tremendous amount of pressure. Not only is Riley a coach's son, but he also is the starting quarterback in a one-high school town for a team that's expected to win. Carroll is 78-1 since moving up to Class 5A.

"He's handled it well, though," Todd said. "He's so poised. I think it goes back to him being around so many big games all his life that it really doesn't faze him. He really thrives on it."

Riley's future

Riley said he hasn't had much time to think about what next season will be like playing for a coach other than his father.

But one constant will remain.

"I will always bounce stuff off of him," Riley said. "He's my best friend and my idol, and I'm so proud of him."

Todd said because he's becoming the coach at UNT doesn't guarantee that Riley is a future quarterback for the Mean Green.

Riley said he has other opportunities to consider. He said he has scholarship offers from SMU and Rice and is also considering Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri.

VERNON BRYANT / DMN

Carroll quarterback Riley Dodge gets advice from Todd Dodge, his coach and father. And there is another obstacle:

"My dad has to offer me first," Riley said, laughing.

Riley said his father has already teased him about what next year might be like for the two.

"About a week ago we were goofing around and I was going to pick us up something to eat," Riley said. "He was on the phone and I asked him for some money, and he said, 'I can't give money to you anymore.' I said, 'Why?' He said, 'It's college rules,' but I got it out of him anyway."

Love of the game

Elizabeth said sometimes Todd's and Riley's love of football spills over into their home or even their church. Elizabeth said Riley grew up drawing up plays at church.

"I used to get so mad at him," Elizabeth said, "and I'd tell him, 'Listen to the preacher!' "

This week, Elizabeth said, she looked at the front of her refrigerator and realized that not much has changed.

"On my refrigerator right now it looks like Riley has written up some play, so I'm sure Todd and Riley have been in here drawing something up," Elizabeth said. "I have a scripture right above it, and here they have a play drawn up on the refrigerator."

At least it's not on a napkin anymore.

E-mail bgeorge@dallasnews.com

Class 5A Division I championship: Southlake Carroll (15-0) vs. Austin Westlake (12-2), 7 p.m. today, Alamodome, San Antonio (FSNSW; KKGM-AM 1630)

Edited December 23, 2006 by NT03