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JUSTIN – It was all business for Southlake Carroll.
With this Dallas Morning News Top 20 Class 6A matchup between two unbeaten teams never in doubt, No. 3 Southlake Carroll rolled to a 48-7 win over No. 20 Justin Northwest Thursday at Northwest ISD Stadium. The win secures a state playoff berth for the Dragons.
“I think Southlake’s really just known for going to the playoffs,” Dragons junior wide receiver Brock Boyd said following a two-touchdown reception game. “This isn’t really anything new for us.”
Carroll (8-0, 6-0 District 4-6A) racked up 456 yards in total offense, and held Northwest (6-1, 4-1) to 190 yards in the one-sided verdict.
“We really went into this game just trusting our training, really taking pride in our preparation,” Carroll junior running back Davis Penn said after rushing for 107 yards and two scores on 19 carries. “We had had so much confidence in our game plan, and how we practiced during the week. Short week, but we still made it happen.”
Dragons junior quarterback Angelo Renda finished off an eight-play, 59-yard scoring drive with a 10-yard run to the right, giving Carroll a 42-7 lead late in the third quarter.
Renda passed for 239 yards and three touchdowns and an interception on 10 of 15 completions.
Penn scored his second touchdown of the game on a 4-yard run with 1:32 to go in the first half. Renda set up the score on a 36-yard run on 4th-and-9 when he eluded the rush, escaped and scampered down to the 4-yard line. Penn also scored on a 5-yard run on the opening drive.
“It really starts with the O-line,” Penn said. “I run with confidence because I really know they got my back.”
With 1:38 to go in the first quarter, Boyd made a highlight leaping, twisting grab on a throw from Renda, and raced 64 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. That put the Dragons up, 14-0. Northwest cut the lead in half at the 8:09 mark in the second quarter when wide receiver Kobey Wall scored from two yards out on a direct snap. Carroll responded 2:03 later on a 44-yard pass play from Renda to Boyd.
Boyd had four catches for 135 yards and the two scores. Northwest’s Nate Jean had 111 yards on 27 carries.
“We’re talking about maturing as the season goes on,” Boyd said. “Going into it against an undefeated team, we really showed that tonight. Coming off a short week, really being dialed in to practice, it showed tonight.”
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