Southlake Carroll will begin the 2008 season in a very unfamiliar position: as the hunter, rather than the hunted. Not only will the Dragons not begin this season ranked No. 1 in the nation (as they have done more than once this decade), it's very unlikely they will be the top-ranked team in the state or area. Last year under new head coach Hal Wasson, Carroll lost two games and failed to reach the state championship game for the first time since 2001. A season marked by untimely injuries and costly turnovers ended with a shocking 22-21 loss to Abilene in the third round of the playoffs. Only one starter on offense and four on defense are back, but coaches and others connected with the program are confident that the Dragons' tremendous tradition of work ethic and pride will never graduate. First-year starter Kyle Padron, a 6-4, 210-pound senior, is likely to be the fourth straight Carroll quarterback to earn a Division I scholarship. He will work with an entirely new, but highly athletic, group of offensive skill players. End Brayden Burnett (6-3, 245) is a relentless and productive player to lead the defense. On the other side will be junior Jackson Richards, a 6-4, 250-pounder who made an early commitment to Texas Tech. 2007: 11-2, No. 12 in PrepNation's final Southwest Top 25 Top returning players: DE Brayden Burnett (6-3, 245, 1st team all-district), DE Jackson Richards (6-4, 250, Jr., Texas Tech commit), QB Kyle Padron (6-4, 210, 62% completion, 326 passing yards, 2 TDs as a backup) Key losses: QB Riley Dodge (North Texas), RB Tre' Newton (Texas), WR Blake Cantu (Oregon) All systems go: Tradition, depth, speed, kicking game Questions must be answered: Inexperience on offense at all positions Toughest games: vs. Plano West at SMU (Aug. 30), vs. Houston North Shore (Sept. 27), @Hebron (Oct. 31).
PrepNation.com continues to look ahead to the 2008 high school football season. We're still a couple months away from the start of our expanded preseason national rankings release, but it's not too soon to whet your appetite with mini-previews of teams that are likely to figure very prominently on the national scene this season.
Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Coach: Hal Wasson (11-2, 1 year at Carroll; 133-85-2 overall)
Forbes Report Video: DE Brayden Burnett
Thursday, May 08, 2008
2008 Team to Watch: Southlake Carroll
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2 comments:
Those are their toughest games???
Plano West has one of the best D-lines in the nation if not the best and North Shore is always good. Don't think they have no tough games in the regular season just cause they don't play any over hyped teams from other states.
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