Southlake Newspaper: Carroll Vs. Westlake Recap

[NT80]

Carroll tops Austin Westlake for seventh state title

BY RICKY MOORE

(Created: Sunday, December 24, 2006 12:48 AM CST)

Staff Writer

SAN ANTONIO n Trailing 15-7 to Austin Westlake at halftime of Saturday’s Class 5A Division I state title game, Carroll coach Todd Dodge said he saw no panic in the locker room.

Only quiet confidence.

The Dragons’ confidence shown through in the second half as they outscored Westlake, 36-14, to defeat the Chaparrals, 43-29, at the Alamodome to win the school’s seventh state championship.

Carroll (16-0) won its fourth state title in five years and its third consecutive state title. The seven state titles tie the Dragons with Brownwood, Celina and Plano for the most in Texas High School history.

The Dragons have won 48 consecutive games and have posted a record of 79-1 since joining Class 5A in 2002. The current 48-game winning streak is a state record in Class 5A. Carroll held the previous record at 31 games. Saturday’s title game appearance was Carroll’s fifth consecutive in Class 5A n a new state record.

“It never gets only,” said Carroll junior quarterback Riley Dodge of winning the state title. “Especially since it was my dad’s last game.”

Coach Dodge recently named the head football coach at the University of the North Texas. Saturday’s game ended coach Dodge’s seven year run at Carroll where he posted a record of 98-11.

Riley Dodge earned Offensive MVP honors after throwing for 303 yards and three scores. The Dragons scored on six of their last seven possessions. Blake Tomlin’s only catches of the night went for scores 30 and 33 yards and Anthony Ford (6 receptions, 102 yards) caught a 29-yard touchdown pass.

Not far behind Riley Dodge was junior running back Tre’ Newton who broke off touchdown runs of 6, 74 and 3 yards. Newton carried 13 times for 128 yards.

Carroll senior linebacker Justin Padron was named the Defensive Player of the Year after collecting16 tackles including 10 solo stops.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling and one that will never get old,” said Padron of winning another state title. “It’s hard to describe it.

In the second half, Carroll took its first lead at 22-15 on the second on Tomlin’s touchdown catches. But Westlake tied things up on a 1-yard scoring run by Brit Hager.

With 14 to play in the third quarter, Newton scored on a 74-yard run that put Carroll up 29-22. Westlake answered with another one-yard score by Hager.

Carroll came back with two more scores to put things away as Riley Dodge hit Ford for a 29-yard score and on the Dragons next possession, Newton found the end zone from three yards out.

In the first quarter, Westlake took a page from Katy’s playbook, the last team to beat Carroll in Class 5A, and turned to the running game on its opening possession. Chaps’ running back Max Minor carried seven times for 54 yards. The drive which covered 75 yards on 15 plays ended in a 24-yard field goal by Justin Tucker with 9:53 to play in the first quarter.

The Chaps took a 6-0 lead on their next possession when Tucker converted a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Westlake went took a 12-0 lead with 5:02 to play in the first half on an 18-yard toss from Nick Foles to Stephen Shaffer.

Carroll’s third possession of the half was its longest drive of the half as the Dragons moved the ball to the Westlake 4. But Riley Orloff stepped in front of a pass intended for Ford and made the interception at the Chaps 1.

The Dragons’ defense held forcing a punt that set up the offense at the Westlake 32. Six plays later, Newton raced in from six yards out to cut the lead to 12-7 with 48 seconds to play in the half.

Westlake answered the score by driving 52 yards in 32 seconds to set up a 41-yard field goal by Tucker as time expired that gave the Chaps a 15-7 halftime lead.