With all the success Southlake Carroll has had with its spread offense, stifling defense isn't the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of the Dragons.
They are quickly changing that perception.
Carroll (5-1 overall, 1-0 in District 6-5A) is only giving up an average of 17 points per game, the lowest since Hal Wasson took over as head coach in 2007. The Dragons haven't given up more than 21 points in any of its five wins.
Last week, the Dragons defense shined in a 24-6 victory against Coppell (5-1, 0-1), which averaged 45.6 points going into the game. Carroll forced three Coppell turnovers and held Cowboys quarterback Hayden Hawk to his lowest output since the season-opener.
The Dragons have three defensive players who have oral committments with Division I schools -- DE Jackson Richards (Texas Tech), LB Mitchell Osborne (Tulsa) and DB Kacy Rodgers (Miami, Fla.).
Wasson said the Dragons are most improved at defensive tackle, where Robby Halliman, Michael Simpson and Ryan Dufour are rotating.
"We addressed that position pretty intensely this spring, and it's paid dividends," Wasson said.
That group will need to come up big again when Carroll hosts Flower Mound Marcus (4-1 overall, 1-0 in District 6-5A) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Dragon Stadium. The Marauders' power running game mirrors that of Galena Park North Shore, which handed the Dragons their only loss of the year on Sept. 26.
Defending 5A champion Katy is the only team to beat Marcus this season. Katy limited the Marauders' running game to just 92 yards, a feat easier said than done with running back Stephen Hopkins, a Michigan commit who averages 6.1 yards per carry.
"They're a very good offensive football team," Wasson said. "[Hopkins] is the real deal. He's big strong, fast, very talented. He definitely has our attention."
Coppell hosts Hebron at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Cowboy Stadium.
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Jeff Andrews
Jeff Andrews covers north Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. He covered high school sports for four years at the Denton Record-Chronicle. Andrews is a graduate of UNT.
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Randy Jennings covers south Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. His 34-year career as a sports writer includes eight years at the Dallas Morning News. Jennings is a graduate of UT-Arlington.
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Ethan Szatmary
Ethan B. Szatmary covers east Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. Ethan covered colleges and high schools for the Denton Record-Chronicle for eight years and graduated from Emory University.
