Southlake Carroll one step closer to district championship after routing Haslet Eaton

Southlake Carroll already has a potent offense this season averaging over 45 points per game. But when the Dragons are gifted with terrific field position, it spells doom.

Carroll started in Eaton territory on six of its first 10 drives that led to a 47-24 victory in a District 4-6A showdown between the top two teams Thursday night at Northwest ISD Stadium.

The Dragons (8-0, 4-0 in 4-6A) also had a drive begin on the 50.

Eaton (7-2, 4-1), No. 4 in the Star-Telegram Class 6A area rankings, tried to catch Carroll sleeping on the opening kickoff with an onside attempt, but the Dragons recovered and had short work for the first touchdown of the game.

Carroll quarterback Kaden Anderson threw a 42-yard pass to Boston College commit RJ Maryland and Owen Allen scored two plays later on a 4-yard touchdown run less than a minute into the contest.

Allen scored his second touchdown run, from the 1, to push Carroll’s lead to 14-0 with 4:55 to play in the first quarter. Then Max Reyes intercepted an Eaton pass attempt at the Eagles 25 and four plays later, Anderson called his own number on a 1-yard touchdown run to up the lead to 21-0.

Eaton finally got on the scoreboard on the ensuing drive going 75 yards on nine plays, capped off with a 4-yard touchdown run from JB Brown that cut the lead to 21-7 just before the first quarter came to an end.

The Eagles forced a Carroll punt and turned it into points, however, could only muster up three on a 26-yard field goal from Dakota Hester with 3:30 left before intermission.

Eaton ran 17 plays for 77 yards and killed over six minutes on the clock.

Eaton converted two third downs and a fourth-and-1 on the drive.

Carroll, No. 1 in the area rankings and No. 3 in the state, destroyed any momentum the Eagles had with a fourth touchdown at the end of the half. Anderson hit sophomore Jacob Jordan on a 2-yard scoring pass to make it 28-10.

The Dragons tacked on 16 more points in the third quarter to extend their lead to 44-10. Tyler White booted a 30-yard field goal, Allen scored on a 6-yard touchdown run, and Anderson and Maryland connected on a 45-yard scoring pass. All three scoring drives started on Eaton’s side of the field.

White, a preseason MaxPreps All-American, nailed a career-long 55-yard field early in the fourth quarter to make it 47-10 Carroll. White came into the night making all 39 extra-point attempts and four of five field goals with a previous long of 42 yards.

Eaton kept fighting until the end with back-to-back touchdowns.

Brown broke a tackle up the middle and scored on a 49-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 47-17 with 6:56 left. The Eagles then recovered a Carroll fumble on the next play from scrimmage and Charles Whitebear caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Fussell to make it 47-24 just 19 seconds later.

Carroll will end the season with Keller Timber Creek in Week 10 and Keller Fossil Ridge on Nov. 4 while Eaton has a bye next week before closing with Timber Creek on Nov. 5.

Carroll should be headed to the Division 1 playoffs while Eaton will likely be D2.