Southlake Carroll cruises past Justin Northwest to clinch playoff spot, stay undefeated

Both Southlake Carroll and Northwest entered Oct. 17’s matchup at Northwest ISD Stadium with undefeated records.

Similar records, however, don’t always guarantee a close game. The difference in play showcased the extreme parity in Texas high school football. Southlake Carroll (8-0, 5-0) dominated from start to finish, securing an 48-7 victory to clinch a playoff spot.

The Dragons are the favorite to win the District 4-6A title and have two regular-season games remaining against Hurst L.D. Bell and Keller Central. The bi-district round starts on Nov. 14.

A five-yard touchdown from running back Davis Penn, a Baylor commit, got things started for the Dragons. After a defensive stop, quarterback Angelo Renda threw an avoidable interception.

Wide receiver Brock Boyd, a TCU commit, notched the second first-quarter score. He made a contested catch and managed to stay on his feet despite the contact before finding some running room.

The Northwest offense failed to move the chains but got a second chance, recovering a punt that was touched by the Dragons’ special teams. Northwest capitalized with a two-yard touchdown from Kobey Wall, who received a direct snap.

Carroll’s offense wasn’t fazed and added two more scores in the first half. Boyd first notched a 45-yard touchdown with a leaping, contested catch. Penn then added his second score, a four-yard rush set up by a 36-yard scramble from Renda.

Carroll’s junior signal caller learned from his first-quarter mistake, taking the easy yards instead of forcing a deep ball. The Dragons took a 28-7 lead into the break.

In the second half, Renda continued the hot streak, finding Blake Gunter wide-open down the sideline for a 31-yard score. The Dragons extended their massive lead with a rushing touchdown from Renda.

Special teams joined the scoring frenzy with a blocked punt from Mateo Fodor that Christian Glenn picked up and returned.

On Oct. 25, Southlake Carroll will host Hurst L.D. Bell at Dragon Stadium, with a chance to clinch the district title. On the same day, Northwest will look to bounce back against Byron Nelson.